Whalers’ Rakell is OHL Player of Week

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that forward Rickard Rakell of the Plymouth Whalers is the OHL Player of the Week with six goals and three assists for nine points in four games along with a plus-minus rating of plus-6 for the week ending February 24.

 

Rakell recorded four multi-point games and helped the Whalers collect three wins last week clinching a berth in the OHL Playoffs for the 22^nd straight year which is the league’s longest active streak.  On Monday afternoon Rakell scored a goal and an assist as part of a 10-2 win over the Sarnia Sting before scoring his second career hat-trick on Friday night as third star of a 9-1 win over the Windsor Spitfires.  The Whalers took on the Sting again on Saturday night with Rakell claiming first star honours with a goal and an assist in a 4-0 victory to extend the club’s winning-streak to eight games.  The Spitfires put an end to the Whalers’ streak on Sunday but couldn’t keep Rakell off the scoresheet as he notched his 20^th goal of the season and added an assist despite the 6-5 loss.

 

Rakell, a 19-year-old from Sollentuna, Sweden, is playing in his third OHL season with the Whalers.  Anaheim’s first round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Rakell played four games with the Ducks this season before returning to the Whalers where he has 42 points in 38 games.

 

Also considered for the award this week was Charles Sarault of the Sarnia Sting who had 10 assists in four games, and Joseph Cramarossa of the Belleville Bulls who scored twice with seven assists for nine points in four games played.  In goal, the Bulls’ Malcolm Subban went 3-0-0-0 including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 1.67 and save percentage of .952.

 

2012-13 OHL Regular Season Players of the Week:

Feb. 18 – Feb. 24: Rickard Rakell, Plymouth Whalers

Feb. 11 – Feb. 17: Nick Cousins, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

Feb. 4 – Feb. 10: Kerby Rychel, Windsor Spitfires

Jan. 28 – Feb. 3: Ryan Sproul, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

Jan. 21 – Jan. 27: Vince Trocheck, Plymouth Whalers

Jan. 14 – Jan. 20: J.P. Labardo, Erie Otters

Jan. 7 – Jan. 13: Garret Ross, Saginaw Spirit

Dec. 31 – Jan. 6: Nikolay Goldobin, Sarnia Sting

Dec. 24 – Dec. 30: Brendan Gaunce, Belleville Bulls

Dec. 10 – Dec. 16: Alex Galchenyuk, Sarnia Sting

Dec. 3 – Dec. 9: Ryan O’Connor, Barrie Colts

Nov. 26 – Dec. 2: Charles Sarault, Sarnia Sting

Nov. 19 – Nov. 25: Scott Kosmachuk, Guelph Storm

Nov. 12 – Nov. 18: Jordan Binnington, Owen Sound Attack

Nov. 5 – Nov. 11: Connor Brown, Erie Otters

Oct. 29 – Nov. 4: Brett Ritchie, Niagara IceDogs

Oct. 22 – Oct. 28: Frank Corrado, Sudbury Wolves

Oct. 15 – Oct. 21: Hunter Garlent, Guelph Storm

Oct. 8 – Oct. 14: Dylan Smoskowitz, Mississauga Steelheads

Oct. 1 – Oct. 7: Joshua Leivo, Sudbury Wolves

Sept. 24 – Sept. 30: Ryan Kujawinski, Kingston Frontenacs

Sept. 20 –Sept. 23: Seth Griffith, London Knights