Niagara sniper OHL’s player of the week
A change in scenery, a different area code and new linemates haven’t changed Jason Robertson any.
Since being acquired in a blockbuster trade from the Kingston Frontenacs, the 19-year-old from Northville, Mich., has been a point-producing machine for the Niagara IceDogs. Exactly as advertised.
Almost three points per game if you’re keeping score, and the Ontario Hockey League was definitely keeping score.
The Dallas Stars prospect was named OHL On the Run Player of the Week after amassing a leagueleading 10 points, including three goals, in three games. Only the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds’ Morgan Frost, 19 goals, 36 assists; has more points than Robertson, who has 27 goals, 25 points for 52 points so far this season, including five goals and 10 assists in only five games in an IceDogs uniform.
He couldn’t put a finger on why the transition to a new system has been so seamless.
“I just think I got more comfort-
able as a newcomer to a team with a lot of skill, a lot of players who play at the top.”
Robertson, who also earned player of the week honours with the Frontenacs in early November, praised an IceDogs coaching staff headed by Billy Burke for making the transition go that much smoother.
“The coaching staff has let me be the player that I am,” he said.
Individual awards don’t take the place of team wins as far as Robertson is concerned.
“It’s something that’s nice to get,” Robertson said. “When I got it (player of the week) in Kingston, we won one game out of three, so that was pretty disappointing.
“Here, we put on three good games, in two hard barns and one home game, and went 3-0. That’s pretty impressive, I think.”
Victories over the Owen Sound Attack at home, 6-1; and on the road against the Kitchener Rangers, 7-2; Hamilton Bulldogs, 5-1; improved the IceDogs to 16-7-4-0 and into a tie with the Sudbury Wolves for first place in the Central Division.
Robertson is the third Niagara player to be chosen the league’s player of the week. Forward Akil Thomas and goaltender Stephen Dhillon were honoured Sept. 19-23 and Oct. 22-28, respectively.
Robertson, Dallas’s secondround pick in the 2017 NHL Draft with the 39th overall selection, came to the IceDogs along with defenceman and Nashville Predators prospect Jacob Paquette in a deal that sent blueliner Billy Constantinou, forward Ian Martin and 11 draft picks to Kingston.
In his OHL career, which began as a fourth-round pick by Kingston in the 2015 Priority Selection, Robertson has scored 128 goals, collected 124 assists for 252 points in 219 games.
The IceDogs are back on the ice today hosting the Saginaw Spirit, 14-10-1-2, in a 7 p.m. puck drop at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines.
Niagara defeated the Spirit 3-2 in a shootout Oct. 27 in Saginaw.