Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Nashville Predators prospect Nolan Burke of the Sarnia Sting is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, scoring five goals and adding three assists for eight points as the Sting collected five of a possible six points last week.
Burke’s week began with a career-high four-goal performance on Wednesday, marking Burke’s third hat-trick of the campaign as the Sting trounced the visiting Guelph Storm 9-1. Burke scored a second period power play goal and added an assist on Sasha Pastujov’s game winner in Friday’s 3-2 road win over the London Knights that was aired before a national audience on TSN. He had a pair of helpers on Saturday as the Sting saw their lead slip away as the Knights took the back-end of the home-and-home 4-3 in overtime.
A 20-year-old from Peterborough, Ont., Burke has built off last year’s breakout campaign with career-highs of 36 goals and 61 points in 43 games this season. He’s scored the League’s second-highest total of 17 power play goals this season, and owns career figures of 76 goals, 57 assists and 133 points in 164 regular season games with Sarnia. The Sting selected Burke in the fourth round (79th overall) of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. He signed a three-year, entry-level NHL contract with the Nashville Predators on Nov. 14, 2022.
Also considered for the award this week, Barrie Colts overage forward Evan Vierling produced six goals, two assists and eight points in three contests last week. Saginaw defenceman Mitchell Smith contributed a goal and six assists as the Spirit strung together three straight road wins.
2022-23 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Feb. 13 – Feb. 19: Nolan Burke (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 6 – Feb. 12: Sean McGurn (London Knights)
Jan. 30 – Feb. 5: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Jan. 23 – Jan. 29: Sahil Panwar (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Jan. 16 – Jan. 22: James Hardie (Mississauga Steelheads)
Jan. 9 – Jan. 15: Colby Barlow (Owen Sound Attack)
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8: Bryce McConnell-Barker (Soo Greyhounds)
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Connor Lockhart (Peterborough Petes)
Dec. 12 – Dec. 18: Evan Vierling (Barrie Colts)
Dec. 5 – Dec. 11: Ryan Gagnier (Oshawa Generals)
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4: Quentin Musty (Sudbury Wolves)
Nov. 21 – Nov. 27: Jorian Donovan (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Nov. 14 – Nov. 20: Matthew Poitras (Guelph Storm)
Nov. 7 – Nov. 13: Brody Crane (London Knights)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 6: Matvey Petrov (North Bay Battalion)
Oct. 24 – Oct. 30: Deni Goure (Owen Sound Attack)
Oct. 17 – Oct. 23: Owen Beck (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Matthew Maggio (Windsor Spitfires)
Oct. 3 – Oct. 9: Pavel Mintyukov (Saginaw Spirit)
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Tucker Robertson (Peterborough Petes)
