Wheeling's Houde named Inglasco/ECHL Player of the Week

Sam Houde of the Wheeling Nailers is the Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week for Dec. 13-19. Houde scored four goals, added six assists and was a +6 as the Nailers swept a three-game series at Norfolk last week. The 21-year-old had six points (3g-3a) in a 7-2 win on Wednesday, added an assist in a 3-1 victory on Friday and tallied a goal and two assists in a 9-2 win on Saturday. Under contract to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, Houde has posted 13 points (4g-9a) in seven games with the Nailers while adding two points (1g-1a) in eight games with the Penguins. Prior to turning pro, Houde recorded 164 points (62g-102a) in 232 career games with Chicoutimi of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. On behalf of Sam Houde, a case of pucks will be donated to a Wheeling youth hockey organization by Inglasco, the exclusive puck supplier of the ECHL. Since beginning its sponsorship of the award in 2000-01, Inglasco has donated more than 45,000 pucks to youth hockey organizations in ECHL cities. Runners-Up: Darien Craighead, Indy (3 gp, 5g, 3a, 8 pts.) and Matthew Boucher, Utah (4 gp, 5g, 3a, 8 pts.).           Also Nominated: Yushiroh Hirano (Cincinnati), Matt Murphy (Fort Wayne), A.J. White (Idaho), Darik Angeli (Kansas City), Andrew McLean (Orlando) and Randy Gazzola (Toledo).