Two For The Price Of One

Now here is the way for the New York Ranger fans to start their hockey week. 2 Ranger prospects earning "Player Of The Week" honors for their respective leagues. 


First up Michael St. Croix

CALGARY, AB. - The Western Hockey League announced today that Edmonton Oil Kings’ forward Michael St. Croix is the WHL Player of the Week.

St. Croix collected eight points, scoring three goals and five assists to go with a +5 rating, in three games over the past week helping the Oil Kings to a 3-0-0-0 record. 

On Tuesday, November 29, the Oil Kings hosted the Spokane Chiefs at Rexall Place in Edmonton.  St. Croix scored one goal, added two assists and was named the games 1^st Star in the Oil Kings 4-1 win over the Chiefs.  On Thursday, December 1, in Edmonton, St. Croix collected one assist in the Oil Kings 6-1 victory over the Calgary Hitmen.  The Oil Kings welcomed the Saskatoon Blades on Sunday, December 4; St. Croix scored two goals, two assists and was named games 1^st Star as the Oil Kings down the Blades 8-3.  

St. Croix currently sits 11^th overall among all WHL scorers with 41 points (16 goals, 25 assists) in 29 games played.  The Oil Kings have won six straight games and sit 2^nd in the WHL Central Division and Eastern Conference with an 18-8-1-2 record for 39 points, just two back of the leading Kootenay Ice.

An 18-year-old from Winnipeg, MB, St. Croix is in his third full season with the Edmonton Oil Kings.  The Oil Kings made St. Croix the 4^th overall selection in the 2008 WHL Draft and the New York Rangers recently selected the forward in the 4^th round of the 2011 NHL Draft.

 And over in the OHL we have Christian Thomas of the Oshawa Generals.

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that forward Christian Thomas of the Oshawa Generals is the OHL Player of the Week after scoring three goals and six assists for nine points in just two games with a plus-minus rating of plus-6.

Thomas had his two best offensive games of the season this past week beginning on Friday night recording a five-point game as first star of an 8-4 win over the Sarnia Sting. In that contest he recorded a natural hat-trick in the first period scoring all three goals in a span of three minutes and 34 seconds. He also picked up two third period assists in quick succession on goals by Andy Andreoff and Nicklas Jensen scored just 43 seconds apart. Thomas ended his week with the first four-assist game of his career as second star of a big 9-1 win on Sunday over East Division rivals the Peterborough Petes.

Thomas, a 19-year-old from Toronto, ON, is playing in his fourth OHL season. The New York Rangers prospect was selected 40^th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and has 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points in 20 games so far this season. Thomas has also been invited to Canada’s National Junior Team Selection Camp which opens December 10 in Calgary, AB.

Islander fans we have a feeling that tomorrow you will see Brock Nelson be named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for the 2nd straight week.

Late news from USA Hockey is inviting JT Miller to try out for Team USA for the World Under-20 team to play in the 2012 Championships. Miller joins Peter Ceresnak (Slovakia) and Christian Thomas (Canada) with invites.  

(St. Croix - Edmonton Oil Kings, Thomas- Oshawa Generals)