Merkley WHL Player of the Week

Jay Merkley (Photo by Darwin Knelsen for scbroncos.com)

The Western Hockey League announced today that Swift Current Broncos’ forward Jay Merkley is the Denny’s WHL Player of the Week for the week ending September 21, 2014.  

Merkley recorded five goals and two assist for seven points along with a +4 rating in two games to lead the Broncos to back-to-back wins over the Moose Jaw Warriors to open the 2014-15 WHL regular season.

On Friday, September 19th, Merkley scored three goals and added an assist while being named the game’s 1st Star in a 6-0 shutout victory over the visiting Warriors in Swift Current.  On Saturday, September 20th, Merkley scored two more goals, including the game winner, and recorded an assist as the Warriors skated to a 5-2 victory in Moose Jaw.

Merkley, a 19-year-old from Calgary, AB, is in his fourth season in the WHL, and second full campaign with the Swift Current Broncos.  The 5’11”, 195-lb centre leads all WHL players in goals and points through the first weekend of play in the 2014-15 regular season.  Originally selected by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the first round, third overall, in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft, Merkley has scored 67 goals and 125 points in 205 career WHL games.  He is eligible for the 2015 NHL Draft.

The WHL has also nominated Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips for the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week award.  The 16-year-old product of Sherwood Park, AB, posted 1-0 record in his only start on opening weekend, stopping all 26 shots he faced while earning 1st Star honors in a 1-0 road victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday, September 20th.  The shutout also marked Hart’s first career WHL victory.  The Silvertips’ eighth-round pick, 158^th overall, in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft, Hart appeared in two games as a 15-year-old for the ‘Tips last season.  He is eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft.