The United States Hockey League (USHL) announced Wednesday the Players of the Week for Week 1 of the 2022-23 regular season. The USHL season began last Thursday in Cranberry Township, Pa. at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex as all 16 USHL Member Clubs played a pair of regular season games at the 2022 DICK’S Sporting Goods USHL Fall Classic. Sam Harris, Andrew Strathmann and Cameron Whitehead all earned their first weekly honors this week.
Forward of the Week: Sam Harris, Sioux Falls Stampede (San Diego, California)
Harris led the charge for the Stampede, who split the opening weekend of action, with five points in his team’s first two games. In the season opener on Thursday, Harris assisted on a goal midway through the first period to extend the Sioux Falls lead to 2-0 before scoring a goal of his own 2:01 into the third period of an eventual 7-4 loss at the hands of the Muskegon Lumberjacks. The following day, Harris registered his first USHL career hat trick, sparking an offensive explosion as the Stampede defeated the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 8-0. The University of Denver commit returns to the USHL this season after an impressive debut that saw him pick up 35 points (16-19-35) in 60 games and earn an appearance at the 2022 BioSteel All-American Game. Prior to the USHL, Harris played three seasons with Shattuck St. Mary’s. Last season, Harris appeared on both NHL Central Scouting’s Midseason Rankings and Preliminary List.
Defenseman of the Week: Andrew Strathmann, Youngstown Phantoms (Beach Park, Illinois)
Strathmann made an immediate impact with his new team, picking up a trio of points in a weekend split for the Youngstown Phantoms. The University of North Dakota commit registered a goal and an assist (1-1-2) in Saturday night’s 5-2 loss to the Waterloo Black Hawks before adding an assist on the opening goal of a 2-1 win over the Des Moines Buccaneers on Sunday. Strathmann, a Beach Park, Ill., native was acquired by the Phantoms in the offseason after playing his rookie season with the Tri-City Storm, who tendered him ahead of the 2021-22 season. Last season saw the defenseman pick up 23 points (5-18-23) in 61 games and he also represented the United States at the Under-17 Four Nations Tournament. Strathmann’s performance in his first season earned him a spot on the USHL All-Rookie Team.
Goaltender of the Week: Cameron Whitehead, Lincoln Stars (Orleans, Ontario)
Whitehead was Drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights over the summer (2022, Round 4, #128 overall) and showed why in the first weekend of the 2022-23 regular season. The Northeastern University commit backed the Stars to a 2-0 start to the season with 45 saves on 46 shots, including a season-opening 15-save performance against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in a 4-1 win. The next day, Whitehead turned aside all 30 shots the Green Bay Gamblers sent his way in a 6-0 shutout win, his second shutout of his career. The Orleans, Ontario native broke into the League last season with a 16-8-2-2 record in 31 appearances with a 3.19 goals against average and 0.892 save percentage. Whitehead’s impressive first season in the League came after being selected in the 10th Round of the USHL Phase II Draft prior to the 2021-22 season.
The USHL season continues with a six pack of games on Friday, including a matchup of Whitehead and Harris as the Stampede travel to Lincoln to take on the Stars before the weekend wraps up with a trio of games on Saturday night.