Prospect Weekly: Hats Off

This is going to be a long one as our prospects couldn’t stop scoring this week. Grab a cold one, sit back and enjoy the best moments from the week.

Not going to find many better highlights than a hat trick and when it comes from a defenseman you know it’s special. Nicky Leivermann scored three goals in the team’s 11-3 trouncing over West Kelowna. For his efforts Leivermann was named BCHL player of the week with a total of four goals and five points in the week over three games. He currently is second on his team in scoring with 20 points in 21 games including six goals. Leivermann has adapted to the BCHL and a strong Pentiction Vees team in his first year outside of high school and is a big part of the team’s offense.

Ty Lewis added his own magic in a dogfight of a game for Brandon on Wednesday against the Calgary Hitmen. Lewis assisted on the tying goal late in the third period and then created this beauty in OT to win 6-5. Lewis wasn’t satisfied with that performance and over the weekend added two more assists and a goal to bring his season total up to 36 points in 21 games, still good for 7th in WHL scoring.

Lewis does post game interviews too.

Nick Henry decided he wanted to get in on the fun in his return from injury with his first point of the season on a gorgeous cross-ice feed to Sam Steel. Those two will be making that connection a few more times this season. Henry added his first goal of the season as well later on in the game on a puck he batted out of the air and into the net in a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Hitmen in which he was also named first star. Henry has looked good in his first five games thus far and he’s slotted right back on the top line right wing.

Shane Bowers kicked the weekend off with his first point as an Avalanche prospect with this great cross-ice feed for an assist in a 5-2 loss to Maine. Then the next night he added two goals in a bounce back 7-0 win over Maine. Bowers has six goals and nine points in 14 games this year for BU. He’s tied for fifth in team scoring and generally plays a 2C role in all situations and is good on faceoffs. Bowers looks to be developing nicely as a two-way center thus far.

Over in the AHL, AJ Greer scored a goal in his third consecutive game but this one takes the cake because it happened in overtime in a 4-3 San Antonio victory over the Bakersfield Condors on Tuesday night. Greer made the whole play happen with some great pressure in the defensive zone as well. He’s been fantastic in the three games since his return to San Antonio, playing on the top line and impacting the game in all zones. The NHL time looks like it was good for his development. Greer now has three goals and two assists in five games with the Rampage.

One more to get in on the action was JC Beaudin who scored two goals and added an assist in the Colorado Eagles’ 4-3 win in OT against Utah. After their struggles the previous week in blowing late leads and dropping games in OT, the opposite happened last weekend with a pair of hard working victories in OT. Julien Nantel was sent down to the Eagles last week and as suspected was placed on a line with Beaudin. The plan seemed to work as it kickstarted Beaudin’s offense a bit, as seen on the first goal especially. It was also nice to see Beaudin hammer two goals home with his shot. Hopefully the connection continues for these two former Huskies.

Injury Update:

Josh Anderson returned from his shoulder injury over the weekend. In the Prince George Cougars’ 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings he chipped in an assist and was named second star. Anderson was also officially named an alternate captain for the Cougars. Denis Smirnov continues to recover from an illness without a firm timetable for return.

CHL Update:

Greyhounds move up with a 17-3-2 record and Brandon cracks the top 10 with a 14-6-1 record

For Your Viewing Pleasure:

Notre Dame (Morrison) takes on Minnesota at 5:35pm MT on Friday, November 24th on NBCSN