Avs forward named NAHL West Player of the Week

PALMER — Brandon Brossoit has proved to be a nice addition to the Alaska Avalanche roster.

In eight games with the Palmer-based North American Hockey League Junior A club, the forward has collected five goals and four assists. He’s averaging more than a point per game, and has recorded at least a point in seven of his eight games with the Avs.

Last weekend, the Los Alamitos, Calif., native used two goals and two assists to help the Avalanche sweep a three-game set with the Dawson Creek Rage at the Palmer Ice Arena.

On Monday, Brossoit was named the NAHL West Player of the Week.

“He’s been good for us,” Huebel said of Brossoit, who was acquired during the offseason in a trade with West Division rival Wenatchee. “He’s a good, solid player; poised with the puck and (he) controls play well.”

Both of Brossoit’s goals against the Rage were game-winners. Brossoit deflected a Seth Johnson shot into the net during an Avalanche power play midway through the third to break at 1-1 tie.

Brossoit scored another game-winner the following night, popping a puck into the Dawson net eight minutes into the third to give the Avs a 2-0 lead.

“Those were two big goals he scored for us,” Huebel said.

Brossoit helped set up a pair of goals during Alaska’s 4-1 win on Saturday. Late in the first, Brossoit won a battle behind the Rage net and centered a pass to a crashing Jake Barber, who scored for the Avs. Brossoit was also credited with the second assist on another Barber goal in the third period.

Brossoit is the third Avalanche player of the year to be named the NAHL West Player of the Week, and the second in as many weeks. Last week Blake Huppert, a Colony High graduate, earned the honor. Barber was recognized following the first week of the regular season.

Alaska goalie Landon Peterson also impressed, and was noted as an honorable mention as the league’s goaltender of the week.

Peterson allowed only a pair of goals in two games, and stopped 39 of the 41 Dawson Creek shots he faced. The Oregon, Wisc., native is now 7-5-0 with a 2.34 goals against average and .923 saves percentage. He leads the league with 334 saves.

Avs make

roster moves

The Avalanche have made a series roster moves during the past week.

Early last week, Alaska released forwards Dane Morin and Brandon Hogrefe. The pair recorded one assist and a plus-2 rating in a combined 12 games.

Alaska also signed forward Davis Haug, a native of Castle Rock, Colo. Haug, who captained his Colorado Thunderbirds midget team last season, signed with the New England Junior Huskies of the Eastern Junior Hockey League.

Huebel said he talked to Haug during the offseason, and after a short stint with the Huskies, Haug expressed interest in coming to Alaska.

“It wasn’t working out for him in the Eastern Junior Hockey League and he asked to come up here to have a shot,” Huebel said.

Haug made his debut during the Dawson Creek series and recorded an assist and plus-1 rating in three games.

“He played pretty well,” Huebel said. “He’s an effort kind of guy. We’re happy with him.”

Alaska also released veteran Tyler Schwartz on Monday. The Chanhassen, Minn., native had no points and a minus-3 rating in 12 games. Last year, Schwartz recorded 2-8-10, plus-2 totals in 49 games.

Defenseman returns from injury

Defenseman Nick McLain made his Avalanche debut against Dawson Creek on Saturday, and was a plus-1 during the win over the Rage.

McLain, a native of Delano, Minn., had missed the first 13 games of the season after suffering a concussion before the beginning of the year. Huebel said even though the blueliner missed more than a dozen games, it gave the 18-year-old time to learn by watching the more experienced players.

“He got to observe to see what he needs to do,” Huebel said.

Forward Kyle Clapper, who was added as an affiliate player in September, left the game on Saturday after injuring his ankle. Huebel said the Anchorage native does not appear to have suffered a major injury.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com. Follow him at Twitter at twitter.com/matsu_sports.