Bouchard, Stauffacher Earn League Honors

Published on March 2, 2009 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


MUSKEGON, MI.--- With the Muskegon Lumberjacks surging into a share for the top spot in the IHL league standings, league-wide honors seem to be abounding as a product of the club's climb to the circuit's summit.

On this date, the International Hockey League, in concert with the Lumberjacks organization, has announced two more league-wide award winners. Right wing ROBIN BOUCHARD has been acclaimed the PEPSI / IHL PLAYER OF THE MONTH for February while, another right wing, LUKE STAUFFACHER has been named the PEPSI / IHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK for the week of February 23rd through March 1st.

BOUCHARD, 35, has been awesome and then-some since his most recent return to Muskegon after launching the 2008-09 campaign in the Central Hockey League with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. For the month of February alone, "Bouch Almighty" amassed an astronomical 29-points in 14-games including a mammoth 19-goals along with 10-assists with a brilliant +14 rating. The 15-year standout, presently enjoying his 12th campaign in Muskegon, collected scoring points in 13 of the month's 14-games while firing goal-cannons in 12 of February's 14-games schedule. In the same month, he engineered one 10-games point streak, one 5-games goal streak and one 4-games goal skein. He produced prodigiously 9-multiple point games, including two 4-point performances and three 3-point masterpieces. His magnificent output also includd two 3-goal "hat tricks." He led the Lumberjacks in virtually every major offensive department for the month with his 7-PPG also topping the team. Both of Bouchard's GWG for February were overtime game-winning strikes.

In his last 17-games, the "Bouchardian" numbers are Muskegon majestic. In that span, the native of Jonquiere, PQ has averaged almost 2-points per game, collecting 33-points on 22-goals, 11-assists. His extraordinary +14 rating for the month was, by far, the best for his 'Jacks squad. For the season overall, despite having rejoined the team only 27-games ago and playing in less than half of the Lumberjacks 56-games schedule at this stage of the season, "The Gun-Sling King" has already skyrocketed meteorically into the league' top 25 scoring elite. Listed at #22, Bouchard has registered 44-points on 29-goals, 15-assists with his 29-goals tying him for the Muskegon team leadership and ranking him tied for third overall in the IHL. Recognized, idolized and lionized as one of the true icons of his sport and community and as one of the most feared, revered, premiere cannoneers of this year and every year all-time, Bouchard ranks 6th on the all-time minor pro hockey list in goal-scoring artisanship with 632-goals and still counting!

STAUFFACHER, 28, achieved yet another mighty, masterful Muskegon week through his unique combination of on-ice antagonistic antics and 'touch-in-the-clutch" goal-scoring exploits. Through 4-games the past week, he delivered a dynamic and gigantic 7-points on 4-goals, 3-assists with 13-SOG and +1 rating. Six of his 7-points were crammed into the latter two-games of his team's rigorous regimen of 4-games in 5-nights. Taking the form of two consecutive 3-point performances in the span of 24-hours, the American-bred from Madison, Wisconsin by way of the U. of Minnesota-Duluth collected 1-goal and 2-assists including the TBG/PPG in the 'Jacks late, dramatic 4-3 triumph Saturday night at Flint before unleashing his league-high 4th 3-goal "hat trick" of the season, including 1-PPG. 1-GWG and 1-ENG in Muskegon's 5-3 defeat of Kalamazoo on Sunday. Stauffacher was hailed the game's #1 Star in the latter contest as he assumed the league-leadership in multiple goal games this season with 9.

In his last 2-games, he has recorded a bounteous 6-points on 4-goals, 2-assists. In the last 9-games, of which the Lumberjacks have posted an impressive 9(8-1-0) mark, Stauffacher has connected on 14-points through 7-goals, 7-assists.

Muskegon is undefeated this season in the four games in which he has choreographed the 3-goal "hat trick" at a perfect 4(4-0-0). Sunday's "hat trick" was his second one against the Wings, having scored the "trifecta" back on October 24th and his team's second game of the season, resulting in a Muskegon 4-1 verdict over their nearby, principal archrivals.

For the season, the diminutive but dynamic right wing has ascended to 9th in the overall IHL league scoring derby with 57-points in 50-games on 29-goals, 28-assists. His 29-goals tie him with teammates Robin Bouchard and John DiPace for the third most in the IHL.

This is Stauffacher's second Pepsi / IHL Player of the Week award as he initially captured it in the second week of the 2008-09 season in late October.

This marks the second consecutive week in which a Lumberjacks player has been honored for weekly league-wide plaudits and accolades. Last week, in his Lumberjacks coming-out party, John DiPace was the recipient of similar kudos.

As for Bouchard, he becomes the second Lumberjacks player to be heralded with the league's monthly honors. Previously, the IHL's leading scorer, Todd Robinson captured the same crown earlier in the season.

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International Hockey League 2 Stories from March 2, 2009


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