Griffins rookie Pare nabs weekly AHL award

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Grand Rapids Griffins center Francis Pare has been named the Reebok/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Dec. 21, 2008. In four games, Pare recorded three goals and four assists for seven points, along with a plus-7 rating, as the Griffins went a perfect 4-0-0-0 on the week.

On Wednesday night, Pare scored a power-play goal in Grand Rapids’ 5-1 win over visiting Syracuse. He then helped the Griffins to a two-game sweep of Milwaukee, recording two assists on Friday in a 6-3 win and adding a goal and an assist in Saturday’s 2-0 victory. Pare finished the busy week with two more points, picking up a goal and an assist 25 seconds apart to help Grand Rapids to a 6-0 win in Rochester.

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

Pare, 21, has recorded seven goals and seven assists for 14 points in 15 games for Grand Rapids this season, his first as a professional. The native of Lemoyne, Que., won the Michel Briere Trophy as the most valuable player of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 2007-08, when he notched 54 goals and 48 assists for 102 points in 69 games for Chicoutimi. Pare tallied 298 points (135 goals, 163 assists) in 267 career junior games in the QMJHL.

Other nominees for Reebok/AHL Player of the Week include Albany center Mike Angelidis, Binghamton right wing Danny Bois, Bridgeport left wing Trevor Smith, Chicago left wing Brett Sterling, Hamilton goaltender Cedrick Desjardins, Hershey center Kyle Wilson, Houston center Marco Rosa, Iowa left wing Drew Miller, Lake Erie defenseman Kyle Cumiskey, Manchester right wing Ryan Murphy, Manitoba right wing Michel Ouellet, Milwaukee goaltender Mark Dekanich, Norfolk right wing Steve Downie, Peoria goaltender Ben Bishop, Philadelphia right wing Claude Giroux, Portland left wing Mathieu Darche, Providence left wing Peter Schaefer, Quad City goaltender Leland Irving, Rochester right wing Michael Duco, Rockford right wing Jack Skille, San Antonio left wing David Spina, Syracuse right wing Adam Pineault, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton forward Tommy Goebel and Worcester center Cory Larose.

Also see: Previous winners, Reebok/AHL Player of the Week