The BC Hockey League announced Monday that Smoke Eaters forward Kent Johnson was named BCHL Player of the Week following a ten-point performance over a four-game week.
Johnson who had only one goal through his opening four games of the season exploded on the weekend getting a total of ten during the week with the bulk of his points coming on Saturday and Sunday.
“It’s really exciting to be named player of the week,” said Johnson. “Obviously we had a tough start as a team and for myself, but these last couple games showed that we are the team we thought we would be and it definitely feels good.”
Johnson helped light the lamp five times on Saturday in West Kelowna as the Smokies picked up a 5-1 win. He then capped off his weekend at home against the Victoria Grizzlies with a three point performance that included two highlight reel goals and a perfect cross-ice pass to find Powell Connor in a 6-2 Smoke Eaters victory.
The 16-year-old Port Moody native, who is committed to the University of Michigan, now sits second in league scoring with 11 points (3G,8A) thanks to his impressive weekend. His eight assists lead the BCHL.
Johnson and the Smoke Eaters look to keep up their dominant play as they travel to northern BC this weekend for a game against last year’s BCHL champs the Prince George Spruce Kings.
Following a string of four games in five days, the Smokies play just the one game in almost two weeks. After their trip to Prince George, the Smokies travel to Penticton for the BCHL-Bauer Showcase where they’ll play Merritt at 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4 and the Spruce Kings on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
The Smoke Eaters next home game isn’t until Oct. 18 when they host the Nanaimo Clippers.