3 Stars For Week Ending January 29, 2012

Here are your three draft eligible stars for the week ending January 29, 2012

1st Star - Nathan Pancel - Sudbury Wolves : Pancel scored 5 goals in 3 games for the Wolves last week. It began when he scored his 11th and 12th goals of the season in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Plymouth Whalers. He followed that up with two more goals in a 7-4 loss to the Erie Otters. He closed out the week scoring his 15th of the season in a 4-1 win over the Mississauga St Mike's Majors. Pancel is in his rookie season with the Wolves and now has 15 goals and 6 assists and is a plus 11 in 42 games.

2nd Star - Radek Faksa - Kitchener Rangers : Faksa had 2 goals and 3 assists in 3 games for the Rangers last week. He started with a 2 goal performance, his 21st and 22nd of the season, in a surprising 8-3 win in London. His 2nd goal was the game winner. That was followed by a 3 assist effort in a 5-4 win over Owen Sound Attack, setting up the game winner on the powerplay with just 22 seconds remaining. He was held off the score sheet in a 5-3 win over the Guelph Storm, but finished a plus 2 in the game. Faksa now has 22 goals and 25 assists and is a plus 23 in 41 games.

3rs Star - Dane Fox - Erie Otters : Fox had 3 goals and an assist in 2 games for the Otters. In a 3-1 loss against the Soo Greyhounds, Fox assisted on the Otters lone goal. That was followed up by a 3 goal performance, including the game winner, in a 7-4 win over the Sudbury Wolves. That helped the Otters end their 12 game losing skid. Fox now has 20 goals and 22 assists and is a plus 9 in 43 games with the Otters and London Knights.

Otters' Dane Fox Added to 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League in association with the Western Hockey League Kelowna Rockets Hockey Club and Home Hardware Stores Limited today announced that three players have been added to rosters for the 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game to be played February 1 at Prospera Place in Kelowna, BC.

 Dalton Thrower of the Saskatoon Blades has been added to the Team Orr roster while Dane Fox of the Erie Otters and Dillon Fournier of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies will compete for Team Cherry.  The three players replace Olli Maatta of the London Knights, along with Charles Hudon of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, and Cody Ceci of the Ottawa 67’s who are unable to participate due to injury.

 Thrower, is an 18-year-old defenceman from North Vancouver, BC, playing in his third WHL season with the Blades.  Ranked 30^th among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting in their midterm rankings, Thrower, at 6’0’’ and 185lbs, is fifth among WHL defencemen in scoring with 40 points in 50 games so far this season.

 Fox, an 18-year-old from Thamesville, ON, is playing in his third OHL season.  The 6’0’’ 185lb forward is ranked 48^th among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting and has 42 points in 43 games so far this season.

 Fournier, a 17-year-old from Dorval, QC, is playing in his second QMJHL season.  The 6’1’’ 160lb defenceman has 29 points in 39 games this season and is ranked 138 by NHL Central Scouting. 

 The 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is supported by title sponsor Home Hardware for the 13^th straight year with associate sponsors Bank of Montreal, Subway, and CCM. 

 The game will be broadcast live to a national audience on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Quebec beginning at 7:00 pm Pacific and available online through Sportsnet 590 The FAN.

 The 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will mark the 17^th annual showcase of the CHL’s top-40 NHL draft eligible players.  The two-day event also features a skills competition and three-on-three challenge taking place on Tuesday January 31, 2012.  Ticket packages are still available for the two-day event and can be purchased at http://www.selectyourtickets.com/prospects.php or by calling 250-762-5050.

Dane Fox

Dane Fox - London Knights

6'1" - 185 LBS
D.O.B. October 13, 1993

Fox was a 3rd round pick, 51 st over all in the 2009 OHL Priority Draft and is now in his third season with the London Knights. During his rookie season he played in 26 games registering 1 goal and 6 assists. He followed that up in his sophomore season by playing in 51 games and scoring 11 goals and 11 assists. He's having a breakout season in his third year. In 30 games he has 12 goals and 16 assists in this, his draft year.

His rookie season was split between the Knights and Strathroy Rockets of the GOJHL where he played in 23 games with 11 goals and 10 assists. Prior to being drafted by the Knights he played Midget AAA for the Chatham-Kent Cyclones. In 30 games he had 25 goals and 22 assists.

There was an issue with Fox last season where he was sent home by the team with just three games remaining for breaking a team rule but neither the team nor Fox would talk about it. But he was brought back for the playoffs and scored a game winning goal against eventual champions the Owen Sound Attack. This year, he missed all of training camp and part of the exhibition schedule for personal reasons but returned ready to play. And his play on the ice has shown that.

Fox is a strong two way player with the ability to put the puck in the net. He's a good skater with decent speed and mobility. He's not afraid to fight it out in the corners or along the boards. He can be a pest out there at times getting under the skin of opponents. Consistency can sometimes be an issue for Fox and he'll need to find that if he is to produce offensively as he has throughout his hockey playing days. You can never count him out however. It just depends on which player will show up on a given night. You can usually tell on his first shift what kind of game Fox will have.





Photo courtesy of cksn.ca

3 Stars For Week Ending October 23, 2011

The votes are in for the OHL Draft Eligible Players for the week ending October 23, 2011.

1st Star - Dane Fox - London Knights : Fox helped lead his Knights to a perfect 3-0 record last week. it started with a 6-3 win over powerhouse Mississauga on the road where he notched a goal. He followed that up with a goal and 2 assists in a 4-0 victory over Belleville and ended the week with a goal and assist in a 6-3 victory over Windsor. Fox was not on the ice for a 5 on 5 goal against.

2nd Star - Matt Rupert - London Knights : Rupert began the week with a 2 goal 1 assist performance over Mississauga. He followed that up with 1 goal over Belleville and closed the week off with 1 goal and 1 assist over Windsor. Like his teammate Dane Fox, Rupert was not on the ice for a 5 on 5 goal against.

3rd Star - Gemel Smith - Owen Sound Attack : It's been an up and down season for the Attack but Smith has been a model of consistency. Although Owen Sound went 1-1-0-1 on the week, we couldn't overlook Smith. In Owen Sounds lone victory, 4-2 in Barrie, Smith notched an assist. In a 7-4 loss to the Soo Greyhounds, Smith was in on every goal for Owen Sound with a goal and 3 assists. He was held off the scoreboard in a 2-1 shootout loss to Sudbury

Honorable mentions : Radek Faksa, Kitchener and Ryan Rupert London.

For a list of previous weeks winners and a list of voters, click on the 3 stars tab at the top of the page.