Atherton named ECHL Player of the Week

Published on January 3, 2007 under ECHL (ECHL)
Johnstown Chiefs News Release


Johnstown, PA (January 3, 2007) - The ECHL announced on Wednesday that Johnstown Chiefs rookie defenseman P.J. Atherton is the In Glas Co ECHL Player of the Week for Dec. 25-31, 2006.

The 24-year-old helped the Chiefs close out 2006 with back-to-back wins scoring seven points (2g-5a) in three games. In a 7-1 win at Wheeling on Dec. 30, Atherton scored the game-winning goal and set a career high with four points including his third three-assist game of the season. He had two assists, including on the game-winning goal, in a 5-2 win against Toledo on Dec. 31 for his fifth multiple-point game and fourth multiple-assist game of the year.

Selected in the sixth round (170th overall) by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft and under contract to the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League, the 6-foot-2 and 205-pound Atherton is tied for the team lead with two game-winning goals and is third with 17 assists and fourth with 21 points in 28 games. He is tied for second among ECHL defensemen in game-winning goals and is seventh in scoring while among league rookies he is tied for third in assists and is tied for fourth in game-winning goals.

He played four seasons at the University of Minnesota and had 17 points (5g-12a) and 146 penalty minutes in 106 games. He signed with Springfield after completing his season in 2005-06 and had four points (1g-3a) and four penalty minutes in nine games with the Falcons.

On behalf of P.J. Atherton, a case of pucks will be donated to a Johnstown area youth hockey organization by In Glas Co, the exclusive puck supplier for the ECHL. Since beginning its sponsorship of the award in 2000-01, In Glas Co has donated more than 15,000 pucks to youth hockey organizations in ECHL cities.

The next Chiefs home game is Monday, January 15, at 1:00 p.m. against the Wheeling Nailers when the kids have off for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Discounted seats for the MLK day game are available for as low as $8 for school age children! Pick up your tickets for both games at the Cambria County War Memorial box office between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., or by calling the War Memorial box office at 536-5156 or 1 (800) CHF-TIXX.

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