Utah's Ortega Named Sher-Wood Hockey/ECHL Player of the Week

February 27, 2018 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release

Austin Ortega of the Utah Grizzlies
(Utah Grizzlies)

Ortega scored two goals and added six assists for eight points in three games last week as the Grizzlies extended their season-long winning streak to five games.

The 23-year-old had a goal and two assists in a 4-3 win against Idaho on Monday, notched a pair of assists in a 7-3 victory over Wichita on Friday and recorded a goal and two assists in a 5-4 win against the Thunder on Saturday.

Under an American Hockey League contract with San Diego, Ortega has 33 points (14g-19a) in 23 games with Utah and is tied for second among ECHL rookies with seven power-play goals and ranks third among first-year players with 16 power-play points. He has added 10 points (2g-8a) in 17 games with San Diego.

Prior to turning pro, Ortega tallied 139 points (70g-69a) in 147 career games at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He also had 93 points (53g-40a) in 125 career games with Cedar Rapids, Fargo and Indiana of the United States Hockey League.

On behalf of Austin Ortega, a case of pucks will be donated to a Utah youth hockey organization by Sher-Wood Hockey, the exclusive puck supplier of the ECHL. Since beginning its sponsorship of the award in 2000-01, Sher-Wood Hockey has donated more than 37,000 pucks to youth hockey organizations in ECHL cities.

Runners Up: Alex Wideman, Indy (4 gp, 2g, 7a, 9 pts.) and Max French, Idaho (4 gp, 6g, 1a, 7 pts.).

Also Nominated: Mitchell Heard (Florida), Shawn Szydlowski (Fort Wayne), Aaron Irving (Kalamazoo), Tristan King (Quad City), Chris McCarthy (Reading), Tim McGauley (South Carolina), Dylan Sadowy (Toledo), Eric Drapluk (Tulsa) and Ralph Cuddemi (Wichita).

Austin Ortega of the Utah Grizzlies

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• Barracuda Sign Goaltender Jeremy Brodeur to PTO - Allen Americans
• Austin Ortega Named ECHL Player of Week - Utah Grizzlies
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