67’s alumni: Couture honoured, Rossi, Beck take home weekly awards & more
This season, Ottawa 67’s alumni have asserted themselves in the professional ranks, grabbing the attention of the national media and earning high honours. That success has also translated down the ladder, with former Barber Poles playing important roles for their respective clubs.
There’s probably too much to follow, but don’t worry, everything you may have missed is right here.
Logan Couture names to Sharks Second Quarter Century Team
On Monday, the San Jose Sharks announced their Second Quarter Century Team, which featured former 67’s captain Logan Couture. In the 16 seasons since being drafted ninth overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the Guelph native ranks third in goals, fourth in points and fifth in assists and games played in the Sharks’ record books.
Ahead of the 2019-20 season, Couture was named the 12th captain in Sharks’ history after the departure of Joe Pavelski.
His impressive NHL career followed a truly special tenure with the Barber Poles. In 232 games, Couture scored 287 points, adding another 28 in 22 playoff games.
Marco Rossi named NHL’s first star
In the week ending January 5th, Marco Rossi was named the NHL’s first star of the week, scoring eight points, three of which were goals. On January 4th against the Carolina Hurricanes, the 23-year-old assisted on all four Minnesota Wild goals in a 4-0 win, setting a career-high in points in the process.
Through now 51 games, the Feldkirch, Austria native has 46 points, including 18 goals, which are both good for third on the team. His production has helped the Wild into second place in the Central Division with 66 points, one ahead of the Dallas Stars.
Rossi scored 21 goals and 40 points in his only other full NHL season a year ago.
Jack Beck named ECHL Player of the Week
Right at the end of December, while everyone was still in a festive mood, Jack Beck was named the ECHL’s Player of the Week for December 23rd to 28th. In that span, the 21-year-old scored two goals and seven points in three games, including a three-point effort in a 6-2 Wheeling Nailers win over the Iowa Heartlanders.
With 32 points in 33 games, Beck currently stands in sixth among rookie scoring.
Travis Konecny nearing 200 NHL goals
Ahead of the 4 Nation’s Face-Off, Travis Konecny has the hockey landscape paying attention to him. Now 52 games into the year, the London, Ontario native has maintained the torrid pace with which he began the campaign, up to 58 points, only 10 shy of his career high, and five goals short of 200 for his career.
On January 20th, Sam Carchidi of The Hockey News published an article titled “Quietly, Travis Konecny On Pace To Become Flyers’ Best-Ever Goal-Scorer,” highlighting the not-unrealistic path that could see Konecny overtake Bill Barber at the top of Philly’s record books.
The day before in the same publication, Siobhan Nolan wrote a piece about Konecny’s rise as a star in the NHL, which can be defined with this quote:
“It’s no longer about choosing Konecny as a favourite Flyer; it’s about recognizing him as one of the NHL’s most impactful forwards. His two-way game, his knack for finding space, his ability to elevate the players around him — all of it is finally being recognized as the elite skill set it is.”
Queen’s moving up the rankings
As the Queen’s Gaels continue their push for an OUA championship and a spot at U Cup at the end of March — which will take place inside The Arena at TD Place — they do so relying on a pair of 67’s alumni: Cam Tolnai and Lucas Peric.
In his second U SPORTS season, Tolnai has set a new career-high in points with 23, which is currently the second-best mark for the Gaels of the year. Peric, who plays a big role on the back end, is second among defencemen in team scoring with 10 points.
In the latest men’s hockey rankings, 18-5 Queen’s jumped up three spots to seven, trailing only Concordia and McGill from the OUA.