SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The American Hockey League announced today that Syracuse Crunch forward Mitchell Stephens been selected as the league’s CCM/AHL Rookie of the Month for January.
Stephens, 20, registered eight goals – including three game-winners – and six assists for 14 points in 12 games for Syracuse in January.
After scoring the decisive goal in Syracuse’s 3-2 win over Hartford on Jan. 6, Stephens sparked a third-period comeback with the tying goal in an eventual 4-3 victory at Providence on Jan. 7. He recorded his first three-point game as a professional on Jan. 13, picking up a goal and two assists in a 4-0 win over Rochester. Stephens made it four consecutive games with goals by scoring on Jan. 15 vs. Binghamton, Jan. 17 at Belleville and Jan. 19 vs. Toronto, then picked up three more points including the game-winning tally in a 3-2 win at Laval on Jan. 24. Stephens closed out January as the Crunch’s lone representative at the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic, picking up two goals and three assists for the victorious North Division squad.
A second-round pick, 33rd overall, by Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2015 NHL Draft, Stephens has notched a team-high 16 goals to go with 11 assists and a plus-13 rating in 44 games for Syracuse in 2017-18. The 20-year-old native of Peterborough, Ontario, made his pro debut with Syracuse late in the 2015-16 season, tallying one goal in five games, and also appeared in three contests for the Crunch during the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals against Providence.
Along with Stephens, the league has also announced that Utica Comets forward Reid Boucher has been named the CCM/AHL Player of the Month and Toronto Marlies goaltender Garret Sparks was selected as CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month.
Each monthly award winner will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming home game in recognition of his achievement.
