Rissmiller honored as week’s best

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Lake Erie Monsters center Patrick Rissmiller has been named the Reebok/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Dec. 5, 2010. Rissmiller recorded four goals and two assists for six points in two games for the Monsters.

Playing in just his seventh game in a Lake Erie uniform on Friday night, Rissmiller set a franchise record with four goals and tied a team mark with five points as the Monsters earned a 6-3 win over Chicago, the team with which Rissmiller began the season. On Saturday, he tallied an assist and scored in the shootout as part of Lake Erie’s 3-2 loss to Peoria.

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

Rissmiller, who previously played in Cleveland for the AHL’s Barons from 2002-06, has recorded five goals and five assists for 10 points in eight games since being reassigned to Lake Erie by the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers on Nov. 20. The ninth-year pro has 6-5-11 in 14 AHL games overall this season and 104 goals and 189 assists for 293 points in 431 career AHL contests, to go along with 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) in 182 NHL matches with San Jose and the N.Y. Rangers. A native of Belmont, Mass., Rissmiller played in the AHL All-Star Classic in 2006 and 2010.

Other nominees for Reebok/AHL Player of the Week include Abbotsford center Lance Bouma, Albany goaltender Jeff Frazee, Bridgeport right wing Rhett Rakhshani, Chicago center Jason Krog, Connecticut center Kris Newbury, Grand Rapids forward Ilari Filppula, Hamilton left wing Max Pacioretty, Hershey goaltender Braden Holtby, Houston center Cody Almond, Manchester center Marc-Andre Cliche, Manitoba center Marco Rosa, Milwaukee right wing Chris Mueller, Norfolk left wing Mike Angelidis, Oklahoma City goaltender Martin Gerber, Peoria center T.J. Hensick, Portland center Paul Byron, Rochester center Scott Timmins, Rockford center Ryan Potulny, San Antonio center Andrew Ebbett, Syracuse center Trevor Smith, Texas center Travis Morin, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton center Dustin Jeffrey and Worcester left wing T.J. Trevelyan.

Also see: Past winners, AHL Player of the Week