Week of Nov. 24, 2023
Games of Nov. 14-20, 2023
Pacific Division
Forward: Noak Persson, Fresno Monsters
Although the Monsters became the final team to see their first loss of the season this past weekend, after going 12-0 out of the gate, that didn’t affect the output from Persson (‘03/Solleftea, Sweden). Even when the Lake Tahoe Lakers earned a 7-6 regulation win on Nov. 17 to end the Monsters’ streak, Persson still produced a hat trick – his fourth of five total hat tricks (six if you count a “double” when he put up a 6-4-10 line on Nov. 12). Over the rest of the series against Lake Tahoe, the career leader in Premier points per game put up a 2-1-3 mark on Nov. 18 and closed with a four-goal game on Nov. 19 for a line of 9-1-10 in the three-game series.
Defense: Tuomas Jarvenpaa, Lake Tahoe Lakers
Jarvenpaa (‘04/Oulu, Finland) was huge in helping the Lakers to defeat the Fresno Monsters and also throughout the entire weekend home series. Along with posting a power play goal and five assists for six points in three games, he also led the Lakers with 23:59 of average ice time per game, posted a +1 and blocked eight shots. Signed in mid-October, Jarvenpaa has 13 points in 12 games for the Lakers.
Goaltender: Josh Henson, Ontario Jr. Reign
The second-year Jr. Reign goaltender Henson (‘04/Port Moody, B.C.) extended his winning streak to seven games going back to Oct. 7, as he stopped 25 of 26 shots for a 6-1 victory against Bakersfield Roughnecks on Nov. 17. He has given up just one goal in each of his last four straight wins. He stands at 8-1-0-0 on the season with a 1.39 GAA and a .950 save percentage.
Northwest Division
Forward: Tyler Hanson, Rogue Valley Royals
Hanson (‘03/Medford, Ore.) posted a huge five-goal, three-assist weekend for eight points as the Royals earned a three-game sweep against the Bellingham Blazers. He led Royals forwards with 26:38 of ice time, and was also often on the ice for the team shorthanded (11:54 total time on the kill). He also led the way in plus-minus at +8 on the weekend, and he has 35 points in 24 games following on an All-Star campaign in 2022-23, when he posted 70 points.
Defense: Keanu McClanahan, Vernal Oilers
A third-year Premier veteran, McClanahan (‘05/Greensboro, N.C.) has found great success with the team that acquired him in early October from Isanti. He scored three goals and added one assist as the Oilers earned a home three-game sweep against the Seattle Totems. McClanahan registered the second highest time on ice per game (22:15), and he was also second in blocks (seven) and plus-minus (+4). Over three seasons, McClanahan has 66 points in 77 career games.
Goaltender: Evan Stringer, Vernal Oilers
Both the Oilers and the Seattle coaches were greatly impressed by the performance of Stringer on Nov. 19, when he stopped 40 of 42 shots mostly during an extended 5-on-3 Seattle power play (“almost 10-minute stretch of 5v3” according to Oilers GM David Imonti) and held his ground to lead to a 3-2 victory to wrap up the three-game sweep. In two Premier seasons, Stringer (‘05/Fort Collins, Colo.) holds a 16-9-2-0 record with a career save percentage of .918.
