COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced its KJ Branding NCHC Players of the Week for the Week of Jan. 15-21, 2024 on Monday, with all four winners racking up big point or save totals. Earning KJ Branding NCHC Week 14 honors are:

• Forward – Massimo Rizzo, Denver, Jr.
• Defenseman – Zeev Buium, Denver, Fr.
• Goaltender – Matthew Thiessen, Minnesota Duluth, 5th
• Rookie – Max Burkholder, Colorado College, Defenseman

Rizzo picked up his second Forward of the Week nod this season and fourth of his career, while it’s his fifth career NCHC weekly honor. Buium bagged his second Defenseman of the Week award and third NCHC weekly honor of his rookie campaign. Thiessen is now a three-time NCHC Goaltender of the Week in his career, including twice this season. This is the first career NCHC weekly honor for Burkholder.
 
FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Massimo Rizzo, Denver
Junior Forward
Burnaby, B.C.
 
Rizzo had a massive, eight-point weekend to power Denver to a sweep at then-No. 19 Omaha. The Philadelphia Flyers prospect racked up four points both nights, tying his career high, the fourth and fifth times he’s tallied four points in a game. In Friday’s 6-3 victory, Rizzo recorded a goal and dished out three assists to earn the game’s First Star. He had a hand in each of DU’s final four goals, setting up three and scoring the final tally. A night later in a 6-2 win, Rizzo doled out four more helpers to tie his career high for assists, including three primary assists to earn Second Star of the Game. He set up both game-winning goals against Omaha with an assist on each.
 
Rizzo finished the series with a goal and seven assists, marking the first eight-point weekend in the NCHC since Western Michigan’s Jason Polin on Nov. 4-5, 2022. It was the second time this season he’s handed out seven assists in a series (Oct. 7-8 at Alaska). Rizzo tied for the NCHC lead with a +5 plus/minus on the weekend, as well. He leads the entire country with both 42 points and 32 assists to go along with 10 goals in 24 games.
 
DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Zeev Buium, Denver
Freshman Defenseman
San Diego, Calif.
 
Buium continued his stellar freshman campaign, leading all NCHC blue liners with a five-point weekend in Denver’s sweep at then-No. 19 Omaha. In Friday’s opener, the draft-eligible defenseman assisted on DU’s first goal, which tied the game in an eventual 6-3 win. The next night, Buium erupted for four points, tying his career high, with a goal and three assists. He handed out the primary assist on the game-winning goal in a 6-2 victory, while supplying two other assists on the power play. His goal came even strength and put the Pioneers in front 5-1 early in the third period.
 
Buium finished the weekend with a goal and four assists to stretch his point streak to three games, while he now has points in 15 of his last 16 games dating back to Nov. 3. He fired seven shots on goal at Omaha and blocked three shots, while posting a +1 plus/minus. On the season, Buium now has 32 points on six goals and 26 assists. His 32 points tie for second nationally among freshmen and lead all NCAA defensemen.
 
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Matthew Thiessen, Minnesota Duluth
Fifth-year Goaltender
Steinbach, Manitoba
 
Thiessen was a shot-stopping machine in UMD’s split at then-No. 11 Western Michigan last weekend. The Vancouver Canucks draft pick compiled 74 saves against the Broncos, leading all NCHC netminders on the weekend, making 37 saves each night. Thiessen stopped double-digit shots in all six periods of their series. In Friday’s opener, he turned aside at least 12 shots each period in a 6-3 win, while making 11 short-handed saves as UMD went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. The next night, Thiessen compiled 37 more saves, including 10 short-handed, in a 5-2 defeat, with two of WMU’s goals coming on an empty net.
 
Thiessen posted a .925 save percentage in the series with WMU, stopping 74 of 80 shots. The games with the Broncos were the third and fourth times Thiessen has made at least 37 saves this season. He allowed three goals each night for a 3.02 goals-against average, but totaled 21 short-handed saves as he helped UMD finish a perfect 8-for-8 on the penalty kill last weekend.
 
Thiessen improved to 2-6-1 in goal this season, while upping his season save percentage to .904 and lowering his season GAA to 3.40.
 
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Max Burkholder, Colorado College
Freshman Defenseman
Chaska, Minn.
 
Burkholder had a big weekend at both ends of the ice, chipping in three points for CC while helping limit Miami to only three goals in a sweep of the RedHawks. After posting a +1 plus/minus in the Tigers’ 2-1 win on Friday, Burkholder erupted on Saturday with a career-high three points for his first collegiate multi-point game. He dished out an assist on CC’s first goal to tie the game, then scored a highlight-reel goal to put the Tigers up for good, 2-1, before picking up a primary assist on the Tigers’ fourth goal to seal the 4-2 victory. Burkholder was tabbed First Star of the Game on Saturday.
 
Burkholder finished the series with a goal, two assists, a +3 plus/minus and two blocked shots. He also played on a penalty kill unit that finished 5-for-6 against Miami. On the season, Burkholder now has four goals and six assists for 10 points in 22 games.
 
OTHER NOMINEES:

Forward of the Week
Jackson Blake, North Dakota
Sam Colangelo, Western Michigan
Noah Laba, Colorado College
Veeti Miettinen, St. Cloud State

Defenseman of the Week
Dylan Anhorn, St. Cloud State
Carter Berger, Western Michigan
Max Burkholder, Colorado College
Jake Livanavage, North Dakota

Goaltender of the Week
Matt Davis, Denver
Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College
Ludvig Persson, North Dakota
 
Rookie of the Week
Zeev Buium, Denver
Jake Livanavage, North Dakota
Anthony Menghini, Minnesota Duluth