CHL Player of the Week - Taylor Leier

Toronto, ON - The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Philadelphia Flyers prospect Taylor Leier of the Portland Winterhawks is the CHL Player of the Week with four goals and six assists for 10 points in four games with a plus-minus rating of plus-4 for the week ending February 16.

Leier helped the Winterhawks pick up four wins on the road extending the club's winning-streak to a franchise record 16 straight games helping them maintain second place in the WHL's Western Conference standings with 89 points. Leier tallied a season-high four-points with a goal and three assists last Monday as part of an 8-4 win over the Prince George Cougars, then scored once on Wednesday in a 6-4 victory over the Cougars. He earned first star honours on Friday with his second four-point game of the week in a 7-4 win over the Kamloops Blazers. In that contest he scored twice including his 30th goal of the season which held as the game-winner and added two assists before finishing the week with an assist on Saturday in a 7-4 win over the Vancouver Giants.

Leier, a Saskatoon, SK, native who celebrated his 20th birthday on Saturday, is playing in his third WHL season with the Winterhawks. A member of Canada's National Junior Team, the Winterhawks' captain was selected by the Flyers in the fourth round of the 2012 NHL Draft and is tied for fourth in team scoring with a career-high 65 points in 49 games.

Also considered for the award this week was past winner and Detroit Red Wings prospect Andreas Athanasiou of the Barrie Colts who scored six goals and two assists for eight points in four games highlighted by a franchise record five goals and seven points in a single game last week. In the QMJHL, Olivier Archambault of the Quebec Remparts scored three goals and three assists for six points in two games.