SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Cleveland Monsters forward Brendan Gaunce has been selected as the AHL Player of the Week for the period ending November 21, 2021.
Gaunce recorded three goals and three assists in three games last week as Cleveland continued to climb up the North Division standings.
Gaunce was held off the scoresheet on Wednesday night but registered a game-high six shots on goal as the Monsters earned a 2-1 overtime victory over Syracuse. On Friday, he matched an AHL career high with three points – including a pair of goals – and earned a plus-4 rating in Cleveland’s 5-1 win over the Crunch. And on Sunday, Gaunce assisted on the game-tying and game-winning goals as part of another three-point effort as the Monsters rallied for a 6-5 overtime win in Toronto.
An eighth-year pro from Sudbury, Ont., Gaunce leads the Monsters with seven goals and is tied for second on the club with 13 points in 15 games this season. In 256 career regular-season games in the AHL with Cleveland, Providence and Utica, Gaunce has totaled 73 goals and 88 assists for 161 points; he also has nine points in 25 postseason games, reaching the Calder Cup Finals as a rookie with the Comets in 2015.
Selected by Vancouver in the first round (26th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft, Gaunce has collected six goals and 10 assists in 118 NHL games with the Canucks and Boston Bruins. He signed as a free agent with the Columbus Blue Jackets on July 30, 2021.
