RoadRunners' Knopp Named In Glas Co ECHL Player Of The Week

Published on February 7, 2006 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release

PRINCETON, N.J. - Ben Knopp of the Phoenix RoadRunners is the In Glas Co ECHL Player of the Week for Jan. 30-Feb. 5.

The 23-year-old had four points (3g-1a) to help Phoenix go 2-0-0 and extend its team record winning streak and team record road winning streak to five games while improving to 16-24-3.

Returning to the ice for the first time since Jan. 14 and playing both games at Pensacola, Knopp scored two goals in the RoadRunners 3-2 win on Feb. 2 and had the game-winning goal and an assist in Phoenix's 4-3 win on Feb. 3.

Selected in the third round (69th overall) by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, the right wing is tied for third on the RoadRunners with eight goals and has 12 points in 16 games.

In his first professional season in 2002-03, the 6-foot-1 and 190-pound Knopp had 20 points (7g-13a) and 83 penalty minutes in 53 games with Dayton and two points (1g-1a) in 12 games with Syracuse of the American Hockey League. He had 12 points (7g-5a) and 81 penalty minutes in 63 games with Syracuse in 2003-04. Knopp returned to the ECHL in 2004-05 and had 18 points (8g-10a) and 72 penalty minutes in 36 games with Dayton and five points (2g-3a) in 13 games with Pee Dee while also playing five games with Syracuse.

The native of Calgary, Alberta played three seasons in the Western Hockey League with Moose Jaw from 1999-2002 and with Kamloops from 2001-02. He scored 199 points (96g-103a) and had 325 penalty minutes in 208 regular season games and had five points (2g-3a) and 19 penalty minutes in 12 playoff games. He was the recipient of the C.H. Day Memorial Award in 2001-02 and the Verne Seaman Memorial Top Scorer award.

On behalf of Ben Knopp, a case of pucks will be donated to a Phoenix, Arizona area youth hockey organization by In Glas Co, the exclusive puck supplier for the ECHL.

In Glas Co has donated over 13,500 pucks to youth hockey organizations in ECHL cities since it began sponsoring the award in 2000-01. In Glas Co also donated all of the limited-edition pucks that were used during the opening weekend and auctioned off for hurricane relief.

Runners Up: Sam Ftorek, Augusta (3gp-2g-4a-6pts), Jeff Campbell, Gwinnett (4gp-1g-8a-9pts), and Jarad Bourassa, Idaho (4gp-3g-2a-5pts).

Also Nominated: Justin Maiser (Alaska), Sean Venedam (Bakersfield), Dan Sisca (Florida), Dmitiri Tarabrin (Johnstown), Shay Stephenson (Reading), Maris Ziedins (Stockton), Chris Blight (Toledo), Mike Jarmuth (Trenton), Jeff Miles (Utah), and Steven Lingren (Victoria).

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