Previous Winners

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After three National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) teams swept conference series last weekend, those three teams produced the Bauer NCHC Players of the Week for week five. Claiming the NCHC weekly honors for the week of Nov. 2-8 are Omaha junior forward Jake Guentzel for Offensive Player of the Week, Denver junior blue liner Will Butcher for Defenseman of the Week, Omaha freshman goaltender Evan Weninger for Rookie of the Week and Miami senior netminder Ryan McKay for Goaltender of the Week. For Butcher it is his second straight NCHC Defenseman of the Week honor and the third of his career, while Weninger claimed NCHC Rookie of the Week for the second time this season. McKay is now a two-time NCHC Goaltender of the Week for his career while this is Guentzel’s first Offensive Player of the Week honor (he was twice a NCHC Rookie of the Week). Bauer returns as the sponsor for the NCHC Players of the Week for a second straight season.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jake Guentzel, Omaha
Junior Forward
Woodbury, Minn.

Guentzel added to his NCHC-leading point total with five points (two goals/three assists) in a sweep of No. 6/7 Minnesota Duluth. In Friday’s 4-2 victory, the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect assisted on each of Omaha’s first two goals, including the primary assist only 24 ticks into the game, to put the Mavs up 2-0 in the first period. He also put three shots on goal and posted a plus-2 rating in the game. On Saturday Guentzel was named the game’s first star with a season-high-tying three-point night. He again had the primary assist on the game’s first goal with Saturday’s coming short-handed, while he scored two goals of his own, the first coming in the third period to put Omaha in front 2-1 while he sealed the victory with an unassisted short-handed empty-net tally. Guentzel was plus-3 on Saturday and put three more shots on goal. He finished the weekend with a plus-5 rating, six shots on goal and a .609 faceoff percentage, going 28-18 in the faceoff circle. His 16 points on the season tie for the NCAA lead.

DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Will Butcher, Denver
Junior Defenseman
Sun Prairie, Wis.

For the second straight week, Butcher made an impact for the Pioneers at both ends of the ice, compiling four points (two points each night) while helping limit rival Colorado College to four goals in a series sweep. In Friday’s 5-3 victory in Denver, the Colorado Avalanche prospect scored a short-handed goal and then handed out the primary assist on the eventual game-winning goal minutes later to close the second period. Butcher compiled a plus-4 rating in the win and also blocked two shots. The next night in Colorado Springs, Butcher dished out two helpers, the first the primary assist on the opening goal of the game late in the second period while he also assisted on the game-winner in the third period. Butcher recorded a plus-2 rating and was named the third star in Saturday’s 3-1 win as DU secured the Gold Pan Trophy for a second straight season. In the series, he compiled a plus-6 rating, blocked three shots, helped limit the Tigers to 43 shots on goal on the weekend and anchored a penalty kill unit that was 7-for-7 in the series, including 5-for-5 Friday.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Evan Weninger, Omaha
Freshman Goaltender
Saskatoon, Sask.

Weninger continued his hot start to his collegiate career, earning a pair of wins in a sweep of No. 6/7 Minnesota Duluth, which marked his first weekend starting both games in net. On Friday, Weninger compiled a career-high and team season-high 45 saves, including 18 in the third period, while allowing just two power play goals in a 4-2 victory. He was named the game’s No. 2 star on Friday after posting the sixth-highest single-game save total in Omaha history. A night later, Weninger was just as good, stopping 35 shots as he again garnered the game’s second star, while helping kill all five UMD power plays. He finished the series with a .952 save percentage, turning aside 80 of 84 shots he faced on the weekend, while posting a 2.00 goals-against average and improving to 5-1-0 on the season in net. Weninger helped UNO go 8-for-10 on the penalty kill as well, as he allowed only two even strength goals in the series. 

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Ryan McKay, Miami
Senior Goaltender
Palatine, Ill.

McKay backstopped Miami to a sweep of Western Michigan, helping the RedHawks snap a three-game losing streak, while conceding just two goals all weekend. On Friday, McKay made 23 saves, including 12 in the third period, as he stopped 22 straight shots after giving up a goal on the first shot in a 2-1 victory. The next night, he turned aside 19 shots while again giving up only one goal in another 2-1 victory. McKay was named the game’s first star on Friday and second star Saturday night. He finished the weekend with a .955 save percentage, stopping 42 of 44 shots faced, while posting a 1.00 goals-against average. He also helped kill all four WMU power plays in the series and has allowed two goals or fewer in six of his eight starts this season. 

OTHER NOMINEES:

Offensive Player of the Week
Drake Caggiula, Sr., F, UND – Scored a goal and added an assist on the game-winner on Saturday in his only game of the weekend, a 3-1 win over Wisconsin.

Anthony Louis, Jr., F, Miami – Compiled three points in a sweep of WMU, assisting on both goals in a 2-1 win Friday, while scoring the game-winning goal, which broke a tie, in the third period of Saturday’s 2-1 victory.

Defenseman of the Week
Brian Cooper, Sr., D, Omaha – Chipped in two points in a sweep of UMD, scoring the opening goal in a 4-2 win Friday and assisting on the game-winner Saturday, while blocking eight shots in the series and posting a plus-3 rating.

Paul LaDue, Jr., D, UND – Led UND’s blue line in minutes and helped the penalty kill go 6-for-6 in a split with Wisconsin, while dishing out an assist in the win Saturday and blocking two shots in the series.

Rookie of the Week
Shane Gersich, Fr., F, UND – Scored the game-winning goal in Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Wisconsin and put three shots on goal in the series.

Fredrik Olofsson, Fr., F, Omaha – Tallied a goal in both games in a sweep of UMD, including the game-winning goal on Saturday, while posting a plus-2 rating in the series.

Goaltender of the Week
None

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