IceDogs' Ben Jones named OHL 'On the Run' Player of the Week
January 3, 2018 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL) News Release
Toronto, ON - The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Vegas Golden Knights prospect Ben Jones of the Niagara IceDogs is the OHL 'On the Run' Player of the Week for the week ending December 31 scoring twice with five assists for seven points in three games with a plus-minus rating of plus-3.
Jones helped the IceDogs close 2017 with three-straight victories following the holiday break improving their Central Division record to 19-11-3-2 which ranks third overall in the Eastern Conference. The Dogs took to the road for their first two games after Christmas with stops in North Bay and Sudbury where Jones contributed an assist on Thursday as part of a 3-2 overtime victory against the Battalion, and scored a goal with two assists on Friday earning first star honours in a 7-4 win over the Wolves. Back home Sunday for a New Year's Eve matchup against Hamilton, Jones extended his point-streak to a career-high eight games and reached the century mark for career-points with another goal and two assist performance as second star of a 7-3 win over the East leading Bulldogs.
An 18-year-old from Waterloo, Ont., Jones is playing in his third season with the IceDogs after being chosen by Niagara seventh overall in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection. He currently leads the IceDogs in scoring and is tied for 19th among all OHL skaters with 41 points in 35 games including a new career-high 14 goals. His 100 career points includes 32 goals and 68 assists recorded across 159 games. This past June in Chicago, Jones was a seventh round pick by the Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Watch video highlights of Jones and the IceDogs against the Battalion, Wolves, and Bulldogs.
Also considered for the award this week was Montreal Canadiens prospect Will Bitten who scored two goals and five assists for seven points in three games for the Bulldogs, and Florida Panthers prospect Owen Tippett of the Mississauga Steelheads who scored three goals with four assists for seven points in three games. In goal, Leo Lazarev of the Barrie Colts made 82 saves while posting a 2-0-0-0 record along with a goals-against-average of 1.50 and save percentage of .965.
2017-18 OHL 'On the Run' Players of the Week:
Dec. 25 - Dec. 31: Ben Jones (Niagara IceDogs)
Dec. 11 - Dec. 17: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
Dec. 4 - Dec. 10: Justin Brazeau (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 27 - Dec. 3: Joseph Garreffa (Kitchener Rangers)
Nov. 20 - Nov. 26: Serron Noel (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 13 - Nov. 19: Cliff Pu (London Knights)
Nov. 6 - Nov. 12: Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 30 - Nov. 5: Albert Michnac (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 23 - Oct. 29: Aaron Luchuk (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 16 - Oct. 22: Jordan Kyrou (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 9 - Oct. 15: Brady Hinz (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 2 - Oct. 8: Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack)
Sept. 25 - Oct. 1: Jonathan Ang (Peterborough Petes)
Sept. 21 - Sept. 24: Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires)
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Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 3, 2018
- OHL Top Performers of the Month for December - OHL
- IceDogs' Ben Jones named OHL 'On the Run' Player of the Week - OHL
- Bulldogs Drop New Years Eve Game to Niagara - Brantford Bulldogs
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