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 first edition of the State of Hockey Tracker.
FIRST STAR
Damien Giroux, F, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Named the CHL Player of the Week for his seven-point outburst in back-to-back games over the weekend, Giroux lit up the Brampton Battalion on Saturday. Giroux led the Spirit's comeback with Brampton leading 2-0 late in the first period, picking up a secondary assist on Saginaw's first goal and the primary assist on the game-tying score. He kicked off a wild scoring surge in the third period with a nifty backhand at 5:39 and scored again at 10:14, jamming a loose puck home. Albert Michnac broke up Giroux's bid for a natural hat trick just over a minute later, scoring on a fluky wrist shot from the half-wall at 11:24, but Giroux was back at it 12 seconds later, pushing the Spirit's lead to 6-2 with a snipe from the hashmarks. The Wild's fifth-round pick in this year's draft, Giroux had 43 points in 68 games for Saginaw last year, but is scoring at a point-per-game pace through 11 games this season.
SECOND STAR
Hannah Brandt, F, Minnesota Whitecaps (NWHL)
We're going to break the rules a little bit here for Brandt, whose standout performance in the Whitecaps' NWHL debut is a little over a week old at this point. The former Gophers star was named this year's first NWHL Player of the Week after leading the Whitecaps to back-to-back wins over the Metropolitan Riveters. Brandt had a goal and an assist in both games.
THIRD STAR
Patrick Newell, F, St. Cloud State (NCHC)
The NCHC Offensive Player of the Week, Newell had a career weekend, as the Huskies swept overmatched Alaska on the road. He picked up the primary assist on St. Cloud's first goal, then scored twice in the second period, tying a career high with three points. He added two more the following night, setting up the Huskies' first goal and scoring the game-winner in the second period.
AROUND THE RINK
-- The Iowa Wild's leading scorer out the gate, 19-year-old forward Mason Shaw had a goal and two assists in Iowa's second game of the season, then tacked on another assist in Game 3.
-- He's not due to arrive in North America for a few years, so we'll try and keep the Kirill Kaprizov talk on the backburner unless he does something truly extraordinary, but the Wild prospect is off to a hot start in the KHL. Kaprizov has points in seven straight games, a run that includes three multi-point games and five goals.
-- The Whitecaps' roster is full of former Gophers, including goaltender Amanda Leveille, who backstopped Minnesota to a shutout in their NWHL debut, making 22 saves.
-- Replacing Hobey Baker nominee Michael Bitzer in goal was always going to be difficult for Bemidji State, but things went about as well as could be expected in Week 1. Sophomores Zach Driscoll and Henry Johnson helped the Beavers to a win and a tie in their two-game road series with North Dakota last weekend, allowing just two goals total.
-- For the second straight season, the Mavericks have a pair of early-season wins over Boston University to hang their hats on. Minnesota State swept the Terriers 4-3, 5-3 last weekend, improving to No. 7 in the USCHO poll.
