OHL Player of the Week - Sam Babintsev

Toronto, ON - The Ontario Hockey League today announced that forward Sam Babintsev of the Mississauga Steelheads is the Pioneer Energy OHL Player of the Week for the week ending February 8 after scoring four goals and four assists for eight points in three games with a plus-minus rating of plus-5.

Babintsev collected three multi-point games last week helping the Steelheads win a pair of road games to keep pace in the competitive Eastern Conference standings where they currently rank in seventh place with 47 points. In the first of three games in as many days over the weekend, Babintsev scored twice and earned second star honours on Friday night despite a 5-4 loss to the Central Division leading Barrie Colts. The Steelheads then embarked on a two-game West Division road trip where Babintsev earned first star honours in both victories. On Saturday night in Saginaw he recorded three assists in a 5-2 win over the Spirit, then scored twice including the game-winner plus an assist on Sunday afternoon as part of a 6-3 win over the Sarnia Sting.

Babintsev, a 20-year-old native of Moscow, Russia, is playing in his third OHL season with the Steelheads who selected him 30th overall in the 2012 CHL Import Draft. Babintsev is currently second in team scoring and has already established career-highs in all offensive categories netting 18 goals and 26 assists for 44 points in 48 games so far this season.

Also considered for the award this week was Arizona Coyotes prospect Brendan Perlini of the Niagara IceDogs and Dallas Stars prospect Jason Dickinson of the Guelph Storm for each scoring three goals and five assists for eight points in three games. In goal, Stars prospect Brent Moran of the IceDogs went 3-0-0-0 with a goals-against-average of 1.61 and save percentage of .948.