Bears’ Giroux named Player of the Week

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Hershey Bears left wing Alexandre Giroux has been named the Reebok/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 17, 2010. In four games last week, Giroux scored seven goals and added four assists for 11 points, extending his scoring streak to 11 games.

Giroux began the week by recording a goal and an assist in a 4-3 loss at Norfolk on Jan. 13. He then paced the Bears’ offense in a 10-4 romp at Albany on Jan. 15, notching his ninth career regular-season AHL hat trick and chipping in two assists. Giroux scored twice more and assisted on the game-winning goal in a 7-2 decision over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Jan. 16. And on Jan. 17, he appeared in his 600th career AHL game and secured his seventh consecutive 20-goal season with a marker as Hershey defeated Syracuse, 4-3.

In recognition of his achievement, Giroux will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Bears home game.

Coming off one of the most productive seasons in AHL history, Giroux currently ranks second in league scoring with 51 points (20 goals, 31 assists) in 33 games for Hershey. The AHL’s MVP and scoring champion in 2008-09 appeared in his third career AHL All-Star Classic earlier this week, and has now registered 278 goals and 242 assists for 520 points in 600 AHL games for his career. The Quebec City native also has nine points in 31 career NHL games, including one goal and two assists in nine games for Washington this season.

Other nominees for Reebok/AHL Player of the Week include Abbotsford defenseman Staffan Kronwall, Adirondack left wing Krys Kolanos, Albany right wing Jacob Micflikier, Binghamton right wing Ryan Keller, Bridgeport left wing Jesse Joensuu, Chicago right wing Tim Stapleton, Hamilton center Brock Trotter, Hartford left wing Evgeny Grachev, Lake Erie center T.J. Hensick, Lowell defenseman Cory Murphy, Manitoba defenseman Mathieu Schneider, Milwaukee center Colin Wilson, Norfolk right wing Mark Parrish, Peoria right wing Pascal Pelletier, Portland goaltender Jhonas Enroth, Rochester center Jeff Taffe, Rockford goaltender Corey Crawford, San Antonio goaltender Justin Pogge, Springfield center Chad Wiseman, Syracuse defenseman Dylan Reese, Texas defenseman Garrett Stafford, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton center Dustin Jeffrey and Worcester defenseman Danny Groulx.

Also see: Past winners, AHL Player of the Week