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

Action photo of Sam Houde of the Wheeling Nailers

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).