The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Justin DiBenedetto of the Sarnia Sting is the Boston Pizza CHL Player of the Week for the week ending October 12 after scoring five goals and four assists for nine points in three games finishing with a plus-3 plus-minus rating.
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DiBenedetto, a 20-year-old from Vaughan, ON scored five goals and two assists in a 7-2 win over the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Sunday night. The five goals scored equals a Sting single game record. He scored three goals in the first period including a goal to open the scoring 39 seconds into the game. He then scored two power play goals 15 seconds apart to complete the natural hat-trick. His final two goals came in the second period including one shorthanded marker to receive first star of the game honours. DiBenedetto recorded a single assist Friday night in a 4-3 loss to the Windsor Spitfires, and another against the Saginaw Spirit in a 5-2 loss on Saturday.
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DiBenedetto is in his fifth OHL season and third with the Sting. The sixth round pick of the New York Islanders in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft scored 39 goals and 54 assists for 93 points in 58 games played last season with the Sting.
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Evander Kane scored three goals and four assists in two games for the Vancouver Giants representing the WHL nominee for the award this week. The 17-year-old Kane was the first star of the game in a 7-1 win over the Kelowna Rockets where he recorded his first WHL career hat-trick. Jordan Caron of the Rimouski Oceanic was the QMJHL nominee. Caron helped the Oceanic to a 3-0-0-0 record this week by scoring five goals, including two game winners.
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2008-09 Boston Pizza CHL Player of the Week
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Oct. 14 – Justin DiBenedetto, Sarnia Sting
Oct. 7 – Stefan Della Rovere, Barrie Colts
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Sept. 30 – Joel Broda, Moose Jaw Warriors
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Sept. 23 – Michael Stinziani, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles