Defenseman Smith wins Oakley Player of the Week Award
December 22, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Amarillo Gorillas News Release
Amarillo, TX 12/22/08 - Amarillo Gorillas defenseman Neil Smith was announced Monday by the Central Hockey League as the Oakley Player of the Week.
Smith is tied for the team lead in plus/minus (+1) and is tied for second on the team in defense scoring (seven points through 17 games). He played in both of the Gorillas' games last week, scoring two assists and collecting seven penalty minutes.
Friday night against the Rapid City Rush, the rookie blueliner assisted on a John Snowden goal and was a career-high +4 in the 7-5 Amarillo victory. The +4 rating tied the previous single-game high for 2008-09 set by Sam Ftorek in a November game against the Rush.
Smith went back to work Saturday, assisting on the Gorillas' only goal in a 2-1 loss to Mississippi. Perhaps more notable to the fans at the Amarillo Civic Center was Smith's successful scrap against Mississippi enforcer Darrell Stoddard just over three minutes into the game.
"Neil has been a steady player for the Gorillas since coming on board," said Gorillas Head Coach Tom Coolen. "Although he's one of the more unsung guys on our roster, he is a very important part of our defensive corps."
For garnering the league honors, the Fonthill, Ontario native will receive a gift pack from Oakley and the CHL. It is the first time in 2008-09 a Gorillas player has won the Oakley Goaltender or Player of the Week Award.
Amarillo will be back in action at the Amarillo Civic Center Tuesday when they face the Colorado Eagles at 7:05 PM. General admission tickets for the game are just $7, and can be purchased at any Panhandle Tickets location, at www.panhandletickets.com, or by calling (806) 242-PUCK (7825).
Enjoy all the benefits of being an Amarillo Gorillas season ticket holder, including pregame meetings with Coach Coolen and one-of-a-kind access to special events! Gorillas season tickets for 2008-09 are still available by calling (806) 242-PUCK (7825) or by visiting the Gorillas office at 901 Buchanan in Amarillo.
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