Chicago Steel forward Josh Doan earns United States Hockey League Forward of the Week honors, 2022 top prospect Matthew Savoie impresses in his USHL debut, and Florida Panthers prospect Henrik Borgström breaks a drought with a hat trick.
Doan Earns USHL Forward of the Week Honors
It was quite the week for Chicago Steel forward Josh Doan. The son of former NHLer Shane Doan earned Forward of the Week honors in the USHL after recording four goals and five assists for nine points in three games played. He also recorded back-to-back four-point games and registered his first career USHL hat trick in the process. His production last week saw him surpass his season totals from 2019-20, where he registered five goals and nine assists for 14 points in 45 games played. He currently sits at 9 goals and 10 assists for 19 points in 18 games played.
The Steel are a powerhouse this year and Doan is one of six Chicago players to be ranked in the top 15 in league scoring. He is currently ranked 11th, while sitting fifth in team scoring.
In a press release by the team, Steel general manager Ryan Hardy had this to say about Doan’s performance:
It is great to see what we’ve long known about Josh validated by the league with this weekly honor. He’s an incredibly versatile player who has grown substantially in the last two seasons but is still just scratching the surface of his potential. His leadership, smarts and competitive nature are essential components to the success of our team on a nightly basis they just happened to manifest themselves on the score sheet a bit more this past weekend.
Doan is committed to Arizona State University for the 2021-22 season, which is no surprise considering his dad spent his entire 21-year NHL career with the Coyotes franchise in Arizona. Doan’s impressive start should see him jump up the draft rankings come the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, and you know the Coyotes would be excited about the potential of drafting another Doan into the organization.
Savoie Dominates in USHL Debut
Matthew Savoie is one of the top prospects for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, and with the Western Hockey League’s start date unknown, the Winnipeg Ice forward has been loaned to the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL. He made his debut for the team on Friday night, starting on the first line in their game against the Waterloo Black Hawks. The St. Albert, AB native scored two goals and picked up an assist to close out his debut with a three-point night.
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Savoie turned 17 years old on Jan. 1 and is one of three prospects engaged in an early battle for the first overall pick in 2022. Kingston Frontenacs forward and exceptional status grantee Shane Wright tops the early list, but Savoie and Finnish forward Brad Lambert are hot on his heels. With Lambert excelling in Finland and Wright awaiting the start of the 2020-21 Ontario Hockey League season, Savoie has a chance to gain some ground if he can continue to impress in the USHL.
Before heading to the USHL, Savoie played four games in the Alberta Junior Hockey league with the Sherwood Park Crusaders in which he recorded three goals and three assists for six points. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Matthew’s brother Carter spent two seasons with the Crusaders before heading to Denver University. Carter was drafted 100th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
Borgström Breaks Drought With Hat Trick
Panthers prospect Henrik Borgström ended a three-game point drought on Thursday when he recorded a hat trick in HIFK’s 7-2 win over Assat in the Finnish Liiga. Borgström signed a one-year contract with HIFK earlier this year and while he isn’t under contract with the Panthers currently, they still own his NHL rights if he was to return. He has the option to return to the NHL at any point when/if he signs an NHL contract with the Panthers.
After recording the hat trick, Borgström is now up to four goals and two assists for six points in eight games played. He played 50 games for the Panthers during the 2018-19 season and recorded 8 goals and 10 assists for 18 points. However, he couldn’t seem to nail down an NHL roster spot the season after, only managing to play in four games for the Panthers while featuring in 49 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds in the AHL. A former first-round pick, the Panthers still hope that he can be an NHL regular in the future.