Wolves’ Palazzese is OHL Player of Week

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that goaltender Franky Palazzese of the Sudbury Wolves is the OHL Player of the Week after posting a 3-0-0-0 record with two shutout victories for the week ending January 5 along with a goals-against-average of 0.32 and save percentage of .991.

 

Palazzese was nearly unbeatable last week allowing just one goal on 112 shots faced backstopping the Wolves to three straight victories while becoming the fourth goaltender to claim Player of the Week honours this season.  December’s Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month, Palazzese was named first star in all three games played last week including a New Year’s Eve contest last Tuesday in North Bay where he closed 2013 in style stopping 34 shots in regulation plus seven in overtime before blanking all three Battalion shooters to clinch the 2-1 shootout victory.  Back at home on Friday night, Palazzese recorded his third shutout of the season making 40 saves in a 2-0 win over the Oshawa Generals, then stopped all 30 shots Saturday in a 2-0 win over the Kitchener Rangers to give the Wolves their 14th win in 16 games.

 

Palazzese, a 20-year-old from Toronto, ON, is playing in his fourth full OHL season and second season with the Wolves after joining the club midway through last season.  In 34 games this season he holds a 20-10-2-2 record with four shutouts which ties him for the OHL lead.  He also has a goals-against-average of 3.05 and a save percentage of .915 helping the Wolves climb to first place in the Central Division with 50 points.

 

Also considered for the award this week was Matt Rupert of the London Knights who scored six goals and three assists for nine points in three games, while Sam Bennett of the Kingston Frontenacs extended his point-streak to 22 games recording four goals and five assists for nine points in four games.  OHL goal scoring leader Dane Fox of the Erie Otters scored five times including goal number 46 along with three assists for eight points in three games.

 

2013-14 OHL Regular Season Players of the Week:

Dec. 30 – Jan. 5: Franky Palazzese (Sudbury Wolves)

Dec. 16 – Dec. 29: Remi Elie (Belleville Bulls)

Dec. 9 – Dec. 15: Max Domi (London Knights)

Dec. 2 – Dec. 8: Andreas Athanasiou (Barrie Colts)

Nov. 25 – Dec. 1: Dane Fox (Erie Otters)

Nov. 18 – Nov. 24: Zac Leslie (Guelph Storm)

Nov. 11 – Nov. 17: Alex Fotinos (Windsor Spitfires)

Nov. 4 – Nov. 10: Matt Murray (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)

Oct. 28 – Nov. 3: Spencer Martin (Mississauga Steelheads)

Oct. 21 – Oct. 27: Brock McGinn (Guelph Storm)

Oct. 14 – Oct. 20: Scott Kosmachuk (Guelph Storm)

Oct. 7 – Oct. 13: Connor Brown (Erie Otters)

Sept. 30 – Oct. 6: Scott Laughton (Oshawa Generals)

Sept. 23 – Sept 29: Gemel Smith (Owen Sound Attack)

Sept. 19 – Sept. 22: Michael Dal Colle (Oshawa Generals)