Bauer NCHC Players of the Week Archive

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With the final week of the regular season complete, five student-athletes have been selected Bauer National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week for the week of Feb. 28-March 6, 2022. Garnering the last NCHC weekly honors of the 2021-22 season are Denver sophomore Carter Savoie for Forward of the Week, Western Michigan senior Michael Joyaux for Defenseman of the Week, North Dakota forward Jake Schmaltz for Rookie of the Week and WMU junior Brandon Bussi and St. Cloud State fifth-year senior Dávid Hrenák, who shared Goaltender of the Week.

This is Savoie’s fourth Forward of the Week nod this season, the most by any NCHC forward, while Joyaux collected his third Defenseman of the Week award this season. Bussi bagged his fourth Goaltender of the Week honor this season, while this is the second Goalie of the Week accolade for Hrenák this season. Like Hrenák, Schmaltz also garnered his second award of the season.

Forward of the Week

Carter Savoie, Denver
Sophomore Forward
St. Albert, Alta.

Savoie led the NCHC in scoring last weekend with four points to power Denver to a weekend and four-game season sweep of rival Colorado College. On Friday, the Edmonton Oilers draft pick had the primary assist on the game’s first goal, which served as the game-winner, only 3:44 into the game in a 5-0 shutout. The next night, Savoie chipped in three points, including two goals, to stake DU to a 4-0 lead through 40 minutes in an eventual 5-2 victory. He scored the opening goal on the power play, set up DU’s second goal minutes later and tallied the Pioneers’ fourth goal for his second of the night. Savoie was First Star of the Game on Saturday.

Savoie finished the series with two goals, two assists, eight shots on goal, including five on Saturday, and a +3 plus/minus. Saturday marked his fifth multi-goal game of the season and sixth three-point game this year. Savoie is second on the team with 40 points this season, while his 20 goals tie for the team lead and tie for second in the NCHC.

Savoie is now a four-time NCHC Forward of the Week this season and in his career, while he now has five career NCHC weekly awards (Rookie of the Week once last year).

Defenseman of the Week

Michael Joyaux, Western Michigan
Senior Defenseman
Bloomingdale, Ill.

Joyaux chipped in three points from the blue line to lead NCHC defensemen on the weekend, while helping limit Miami to three goals all series in WMU’s sweep of their rival. In Friday’s 5-3 win, he scored WMU’s second goal to tie the game at 2-2. On Saturday, he tallied two assists in a 3-0 shutout. Joyaux directly set up WMU’s first goal of the night, which was the game-winner, having a shot redirected into the net. He then added the second assist on the third and final goal of the night to seal the four-game season sweep of the RedHawks.

Joyaux ended the series with a goal, two assists and a +2 plus/minus, while helping WMU’s penalty kill go 4-for-5 on the weekend. He also fired four shots on goal, with two each night, and blocked a shot on Friday. On the season, Joyaux is tied for fourth nationally and tied for second among NCHC defensemen with 31 points (8g/23a) in 33 games.

This is Joyaux’s third NCHC Defenseman of the Week award this season and fifth of his career.

Co-Goaltender of the Week

Brandon Bussi, Western Michigan
Junior Goaltender
Sound Beach, N.Y.

Bussi backstopped the Broncos to a weekend and season sweep of rival Miami, allowing only three goals all weekend, including only one even strength. Bussi made 27 saves in Friday’s 5-3 win over the RedHawks, including 13 stops in the third period to close out the win. On Saturday, he stopped all 32 shots he faced to earn his fourth shutout of the season, tying for the second-most in a single season in program history. Bussi compiled 18 of his 32 saves in the third period Saturday to earn First Star of the Game.

Bussi finished the weekend with a pair of wins, 59 total saves on 62 shots for a .952 save percentage, while compiling a 1.50 goals-against average. On the season, Bussi improved to 22-10-1 with a .912 save percentage and a 2.59 GAA.

This is Bussi’s fourth NCHC Goaltender of the Week nod this season and the fifth of his career.

Co-Goaltender of the Week

Dávid Hrenák, St. Cloud State
Fifth-Year Senior Goaltender
Povazska Bystrica, Slovakia

Hrenák was rock solid against in-state rival Minnesota Duluth, helping SCSU pick up four points to secure home ice for the NCHC Quarterfinals. In Friday’s opener, the L.A. Kings draft pick made 23 saves, including 13 in the first period, in a 3-2 overtime defeat. Only one of UMD’s goals came 5-on-5. The next night, Hrenák turned aside all 34 shots he faced for his third shutout of the season. He was named the game’s Second Star in Saturday’s 2-0 victory to clinch home ice. The 34 saves were his second-most of the season.

Hrenák ended the series at UMD with 57 saves and a .950 save percentage, to go with a 1.49 goals-against average. Saturday’s whitewash was his 14th career shutout, increasing his program record for shutouts, as he now leads Scott Meyer (1996-2001) by five. The 14 clean sheets rank second in NCHC history. Hrenák is now 16-11-4 on the season with a .914 save percentage and a 2.26 GAA. He has made 20-plus saves in 21 games and has allowed one goal or less in 16 contests.

This is Hrenák’s second honor of the season and seventh career Goaltender of the Week nod. He also now has 10 career NCHC weekly awards (three Rookie of the Week honors).

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Jake Schmaltz, North Dakota
Freshman Forward
McFarland, Wis.

Schmaltz tallied three points in an overtime win and loss at Omaha last weekend. In Friday’s 5-4 overtime victory to clinch a share of the Penrose Cup, Schmaltz scored two goals for his second career multi-goal game. He scored the game’s opening goal, then extended UND’s lead to 4-2 with a second-period tally. A night later, Schmaltz dished out the primary assist on UND’s lone goal after winning a faceoff.

In addition to his two goals and an assist against the Mavericks, Schmaltz went 8-for-13 on faceoffs in the series and helped UND go 9-for-11 on the penalty kill. He also fired nine shots on goal in the two games, including six in Friday’s win, and blocked three shots in the series. On the season, Schmaltz now has 22 points on eight goals and 14 assists in 35 games.

This is Schmaltz’s second NCHC Rookie of the Week honor, first earning it the second week of the season.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Forward of the Week
Connor Ford, Gr., UND
Chayse Primeau, Sr., Omaha

Defenseman of the Week
Kyle Mayhew, Sr., Denver

Goaltender of the Week
Magnus Chrona, Jr., Denver
Isaiah Saville, Jr., Omaha

Rookie of the Week
Matt Davis, G, Denver

--#NCHChockey--