Photo Credit – Chad Goddard Photography:
The Inter Pipeline AJHL Rookie of the Week is Okotoks Oilers forward Bowden Singleton. The 17 year-old from Calgary, AB is now tied for the lead in the AJHL Scoring Race following a nine-point week, which included two game winning goals.
Singleton holds the longest active point streak in the AJHL with 20 points (7G, 13A) after recording at least a point in all 10 regular season games to start the 2021-22 campaign.
Through four games last week, Singleton scored four goals and added five assists, beginning with a three-point (1G, 2A) game on October 5th in a 7-0 shutout of the Olds Grizzlys. Singleton opened the scoring in the game to record the eventual game winner and was selected as the Viterra AJHL Star of the Game. On October 8th, the rookie notched his second game winning goal of the season and had an assist in a 2-0 win over the Drumheller Dragons.
The University of North Dakota commit finished the week with an assist in a 3-0 victory over the Dragons on October 9th and another three-point (2G, 1A) game on October 11th as the Oilers defeated the visiting Blackfalds Bulldogs 5-3.
Olds Grizzlys forward Noah Hackett is the Pizza 73 AJHL Player of the Week with six points from October 4th-10th. The 19 year-old picked up three Viterra AJHL Star of the Game awards through four games played over the week.
The third year Grizzly leads his team in scoring with 15 points (7G, 8A) and sits fifth in the AJHL Scoring Race.
Hackett (Ponoka, AB) earned his first Star of the Game Award in a tough 7-0 loss to the Okotoks Oilers on October 5th. The second honour came on October 8th as Hackett added an assist on the lone Grizzlys goal of the game in a 5-1 loss to the Whitecourt Wolverines.
On October 9th, Noah scored two goals and two assists in a 7-5 road win versus the Grande Prairie Storm, earning him his sixth Viterra AJHL Star of the Game selection. Hackett added his sixth point of the week with an assist on October 10th in a 3-1 loss to the Drayton Valley Thunder.
The Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Defensive Player of the Week is goaltender Austin Zavoda of the Okotoks Oilers with two shutouts and a perfect 2-0 record.
Zavoda, 18, turned away 16 shots on October 5th to blank the Olds Grizzlys 7-0 and record his first AJHL shutout. On October 9th, the rookie goaltender stopped all 23 shots he faced for his second consecutive shutout, and the Okotoks Oilers’ third consecutive, in a 3-0 win over the Drumheller Dragons. Zavoda was awarded his second Viterra AJHL Star of the Game honour of the season following the shutout.
The Oilers become just the seventh team in AJHL history to ever post three consecutive shutouts, and the first since Spruce Grove did it in 2015. It’s the second time for the franchise as the 2013-14 squad entered the record book in the same category in February 2014.
Zavoda (Hershey, PA) is 4-1-0 on the season with a 1.82 GAA, second best in the AJHL.
Pizza 73 AJHL Player of the Week Recipients:
- September 17-19, 2021: Caiden Gault, Spruce Grove Saints
- September 20-26, 2021: Mitchell Joss, Sherwood Park Crusaders
- September 27-October 3, 2021: Christiano Aiello, Whitecourt Wolverines
- October 4-10, 2021: Noah Hackett, Olds Grizzlys
Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Defensive Player of the Week:
- September 17-19, 2021: Brendan Kennette, Brooks Bandits
- September 20-26, 2021: Brett McKinley, Spruce Grove Saints
- September 27-October 3, 2021: Joshua Zinger, Olds Grizzlys
- October 4-10, 2021: Austin Zavoda, Okotoks Oilers
Inter Pipeline AJHL Rookie of the Week:
- September 17-19, 2021: Carson Whyte, Camrose Kodiaks
- September 20-26, 2021: Logan Hauer, Sherwood Park Crusaders
- September 27-October 3, 2021 – Thomas Vela, Olds Grizzlys
- October 4-10, 2021: Bowden Singleton, Okotoks Oilers