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Jordan Eberle, Reilly Smith, Braden Holtby Named American Hockey League Award Winners

January 2, 2013 - American Hockey League (AHL) News Release


OKLAHOMA CITY BARONS RIGHT WING JORDAN EBERLE NAMED CCM/AHL PLAYER OF THE MONTH

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ... The American Hockey League announced today that Oklahoma City Barons right wing Jordan Eberle has been selected as the CCM/AHL Player of the Month for December.

Eberle, who also won the award in November, led all AHL skaters in scoring for the second consecutive month, posting 11 goals and nine assists for 20 points in 11 games, including two hat tricks and six multiple-point games.

Eberle opened the month with five points in his first four games, then matched that total on one night when he recorded four goals and an assist in Oklahoma City's 5-3 decision over San Antonio on Dec. 15. He had a goal and an assist to help the Barons to a 5-4 win at Texas on Dec. 27, and then assisted on the game-tying goal before scoring the decisive shootout tally in a 3-2 victory over San Antonio on Dec. 28. Eberle finished the month with another hat trick - scoring two goals in nine seconds and three in 2:43 - as part of a four-point night in a 5-2 win over Texas on Dec. 31.

After extending his scoring streak to five games with another two-point effort on New Year's Day, the 22-year-old Eberle leads the AHL with 24 goals and 49 points in 32 games for the Barons this season. A first-round draft choice (22nd overall) by Edmonton in 2008, Eberle recorded 34 goals and 42 assists for 76 points in 78 games for the Oilers in 2011-12, and has totaled 119 points (52 goals, 67 assists) in 147 career NHL games. The native of Regina, Sask., made his professional debut with the AHL's Springfield Falcons as an 18-year-old in 2009 and now has 33 goals and 39 assists for 72 points in 52 career AHL games with Springfield and Oklahoma City.

In recognition of his achievement, Eberle will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Barons home game.

TEXAS STARS LEFT WING REILLY SMITH NAMED CCM/AHL ROOKIE OF THE MONTH

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ... The American Hockey League announced today that Texas Stars left wing Reilly Smith has been selected as the CCM/AHL Rookie of the Month for December.

Smith tallied eight goals and six assists for 14 points in 14 games for the Stars last month.

After a slow start to his rookie season, Smith averaged a point per game during December. On Dec. 2, Smith had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 shootout win at Peoria, the first of his five multiple-point efforts on the month. He came back with his first career two-goal game in a 4-1 win over Peoria on Dec. 8, and had a goal and an assist to help Texas to a 3-1 victory at Abbotsford on Dec. 14. Smith put together a six-game scoring streak from Dec. 19-29 that included consecutive game-winning goals on Dec. 19 vs. San Antonio and Dec. 21 at Oklahoma City, and scoring the Stars' only two goals in a loss to the Barons on Dec. 22.

The 21-year-old Smith was a third-round draft choice by Dallas in 2009, and made his professional debut appearing in three National Hockey League games with the parent Stars at the end of the 2011-12 season. In 32 games with Texas this year, Smith has 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points, including 10-7-17 in his last 17 outings. The Toronto native played three seasons at Miami University (Ohio) and was a Hobey Baker Award finalist last season.

In recognition of his achievement, Smith will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Stars home game.

HERSHEY BEARS' BRADEN HOLTBY NAMED CCM/AHL GOALTENDER OF THE MONTH

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ... The American Hockey League announced today that Braden Holtby of the Hershey Bears has been selected as the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month for December.

In 10 appearances during the month, Holtby posted a 1.69 goals-against average, a .943 save percentage and three shutouts for the Bears.

Holtby allowed one goal or fewer in six of his 10 starts in December (5-4-1), including a 26-save effort in Hershey's 2-1 win over Norfolk at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 6. He led the Bears to a sweep of their visit to St. John's on Dec. 11-12, stopping 62 of 63 shots combined in the back-to-back wins. Holtby shut out Norfolk on Dec. 19, making 35 saves in a 4-0 victory, and after turning aside 29 shots in a 1-0 loss to Springfield on Dec. 22, he posted his third shutout in a five-game span by registering 33 saves in a 2-0 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Dec. 26.

Holtby (12-10-1) ranks sixth in the AHL with a 2.15 GAA, third with a .932 save percentage and tied for second with four shutouts in 23 games for Hershey in 2012-13. The 23-year-old native of Lloydminster, Sask., has appeared in 130 career AHL games and owns a record of 73-43-7 with 14 shutouts, and was a member of the Bears' Calder Cup championship team in 2010. A fourth-round draft choice by Washington in 2008, Holtby is also 14-4-3 in 21 career regular-season games in the National Hockey League, and helped the Capitals to within one win of the conference finals in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In recognition of his achievement, Holtby will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Bears home game.

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