Wild prospect Connor Dewar's hot start continues
Rather than focus exclusively on the Minnesota Wild’s top prospects, we’re taking a look at the best players from across the State of Hockey every week.
From college to the pros, check out our recap of all the week’s events in Minnesota hockey, as we check in with college players, Wild prospects and State of Hockey alums.
Let’s take a look at our three stars of the week in the latest edition of the State of Hockey Tracker.
FIRST STAR
Connor Dewar, F, Everett (WHL)
Dewar has been on a tear since being held scoreless in back-to-back games on Nov. 18 and Nov. 19. The 19-year-old forward had six points in three games last week, finishing with four goals and two assists. Dewar scored both of Everett's goals in a 2-1 win over Kelowna on Saturday, then picked up the secondary assist on the game-winner and tacked on an empty-net goal in a 5-3 win over Portland on Sunday. He assisted on the game-winner again (the primary assist, this time) and added another empty-netter in a 4-1 win over Portland on Wednesday. A third-round pick of the Wild in this year's draft, Dewar now ranks second in the WHL with 22 goals and has been held without a point just three times this season.
SECOND STAR
Tyler Sheehy, F, Minnesota (Big Ten)
Sheehy was named the Big Ten's First Star of the Week after leading Division I with four goals last weekend. The Gophers' captain scored twice Friday in a 7-2 win over Michigan State, and did it again Saturday, scoring back-to-back power-play goals in the second period. The Spartans battled back, scoring four unanswered to earn the split, but it was a much-needed performance for Sheehy, who hadn't scored since the Gophers' win over Minnesota Duluth on Oct. 7.
THIRD STAR
Damien Giroux, F, Saginaw (OHL)
Giroux snapped out of a three-game funk last week, and now has a goal in each of his last three games. He scored the game-tying goal in a 4-3 overtime win over North Bay on Thursday, and scored the would-be game-winner early in the third period Friday, before Sudbury rallied for a 2-1 shootout win. He was back at it midway through the first period Sunday, scoring again in a 3-0 win over Owen Sound. Giroux was a fifth-round pick of the Wild in this year's draft.
AROUND THE RINK
-- AHL rookie Kaapo Kahkonen's hot start was enough to earn him a call-up. The Wild added Kahkonen to the roster for Friday's game against Winnipeg with Devan Dubnyk dealing with an illness. He leads the AHL with a 1.35 GAA, a .956 save percentage and three shutouts through eight games.
-- Highly-touted Wild prospect Kirill Kaprizov has been in a slump lately, but broke through Wednesday after three games without a point. Kaprizov had a goal and an assist in CSKA Moscow's 5-0 win over Dinamo Riga.
-- Minnesota Whitecaps players Hannah Brandt, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Lee Stecklein were named to the U.S. women's national team's 44-player training camp roster Wednesday.
-- UMass broke up the all-Minnesota top-3 in this week's USCHO.com poll, claiming third and dropping Minnesota State to fourth. No. 1 St. Cloud State and No. 2 Minnesota Duluth were both idle, but held on to the top spots.
