Kunitz Tabbed CCHA Offensive Player of the Week

Senior left wing and Hobey Baker Award candidate Chris Kunitz (Regina, Saskatchewan) of the nationally-ranked and Central Collegiate Hockey Association's (CCHA) first-place Ferris State University men's ice hockey team has been tabbed this week's Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts in the Bulldogs' home-and-home league series versus nationally-ranked Michigan this last weekend (Jan. 31-Feb. 1).

Kunitz compiled five points in the two contests with a pair of goals in Friday's 6-4 setback at Michigan and then added two more first-period lamplighters along with an assist in Saturday's 4-3 home victory over the Wolverines at Big Rapids, Mich. The CCHA's leading scorer finished +4 for the series and has a current five-game point streak with 10 points (8-2--10) in that span. Kunitz's CCHA honor marks his third weekly award this season (Oct. 21 & 28) while representing Ferris' eighth this season. The assistant captain, who has accumulated 28 points (14-14--28) in his last 14 encounters to date, is now a four-time CCHA Offensive Player of the Week recipient and a three-time CCHA Rookie of the Week Award winner in his FSU career.

Hobey Baker Award candidate Chris Kunitz picks up his third CCHA weekly award this season with a pair of two-goal games against Michigan.

This season in 28 contests, the 2001-02 All-CCHA First-Team honoree presently leads the CCHA in points (53), goals (24) and assists (29). He has posted a career-high 16 multiple-point game performances this campaign with a career-best tying nine multi-goal game outings. He entered this previous week's action ranked third nationally in points (1.85 avg.) while tying for third place in both goals (20) and assists (1.08).

In 138 career games, Kunitz has tallied 149 points with 88 goals and 61 assists. He has registered a school-record 18 game-winning goals to go along with 22 power-play tallies, six short-handed markers and a +59 plus/minus efficiency rating during his Ferris career. He presently ranks third among FSU's all-time goal scorers and is 12th on the school's career scoring list.

Sophomore goaltender Mike Brown (Calgary, Alberta) and junior defenseman Simon Mangos (Caledon, Ontario) are the other Ferris State skaters to receive CCHA Player of the Week accolades this season. Brown is a league-record five-time defensive player of the week selection (Oct. 14, 21, 28, Nov. 4 & 25) while Mangos has been recognized once (Jan. 6) this campaign.

Ferris State is presently midst its best season in 23 years at 19-8-1 overall with a first-place 14-5-1 CCHA mark (29 league points). FSU is on the road this weekend (Feb. 7-8) in CCHA play as the Bulldogs travel to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., for a two-game league series against the Lake Superior State University Lakers. Starting times for both outings is 7:05 p.m. (EST) at LSSU's Taffy Abel Arena.