SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Portland Pirates left wing Tim Kennedy has been named the Reebok/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Feb. 15, 2009. In four games, Kennedy scored five goals and added five assists for 10 points and recorded a plus-5 rating as the Pirates went 2-0-0-2.
Kennedy began the week by tallying a goal and an assist in Portland’s 4-3 shootout loss to Albany at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo on Tuesday night. He registered an assist in Friday’s 2-1 win over Worcester, and then set a personal best with four points (one goal, three assists) in the Pirates’ 6-5 come-from-behind shootout loss vs. Providence on Saturday. Kennedy capped the week with his first professional hat trick, scoring three times in a 7-6 shootout win at Lowell on Sunday.
In recognition of his achievement, Kennedy will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Pirates home game.
Kennedy has totaled 12 goals and 33 assists for 45 points in 49 games for Portland this season and is currently the top-scoring rookie in the AHL. The 22-year-old native of Buffalo, N.Y., has also appeared in one NHL game this season, making his big-league debut for his hometown Sabres on Dec. 27, 2008. Kennedy was originally drafted by the Washington Capitals in 2005 and spent three years at Michigan State, helping the Spartans to an NCAA championship in 2007.
Other nominees for Reebok/AHL Player of the Week include Albany center Nick Dodge, Binghamton defenseman Mattias Karlsson, Bridgeport center Kurtis McLean, Chicago right wing Spencer Machacek, Grand Rapids center Justin Abdelkader, Hamilton goaltender Marc Denis, Hartford left wing Patrick Rissmiller, Houston right wing Jesse Schultz, Iowa left wing Drew Miller, Lake Erie left wing Tom Fritsche, Lowell center Rod Pelley, Manchester right wing Teddy Purcell, Manitoba center Jason Krog, Norfolk right wing Brandon Segal, Peoria center Trent Whitfield, Philadelphia center Jonathan Matsumoto, Providence right wing Mikko Lehtonen, Quad City right wing Kris Chucko, Rochester right wing Michal Repik, Rockford defenseman Danny Groulx, San Antonio forward Kevin Porter, Syracuse center Derek MacKenzie and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton forward Adam Henrich.
