EIHL Three Stars: Game Week 3

by UK American Sports Fans

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Each game week of the Elite Ice Hockey League season our beat writers will be nominating players to be awarded our Three Stars from the weekend’s games. Here’s who got the award in week three.

EIHL Three StarsLeigh Salters (Nottingham Panthers)

Panthers took a huge step to making the quarter finals of the Challenge Cup, a trophy they have made their own, having won it for the past three seasons.They completed a four point weekend home and away against Sheffield and Cardiff.

Leigh Salters, playing his first season in the UK with Nottingham picked up 2 goals, 2 assists and had a fight.

24 year old Salters a 6’4, 225lbs left winger, initially thought to have been signed as an enforcer has been a surprise package, steadily picking up the points, and so far this season is the top scorer in the league with 13 points – with 4 goals and 9 assists in just 7 games.

Salters will be a big player for Panthers this season, as long as he can stay out of the penalty box. Sunday’s game against Cardiff saw him pick up 13 penalty minutes.

EIHL Three StarsAdam Henrich (Coventry Blaze)

Another two-win weekend for the Blaze was inspired by forward Adam Henrich.

Henrich, who is now joint second in the league for scoring but has played two fewer games than his counterparts, had a five point night against Hull as Coventry came through 7-4 at home.

It was Adam’s prowess on the man advantage that proved to be particularly effective with three of his six points coming on the powerplay. Opposition teams are going to need to play more cautiously against Coventry this season as with Henrich on form, they have a special teams unit with some serious firepower.

EIHL Three StarsKevin Saurette (Belfast Giants)

In a weekend that witnessed two Belfast Giants hat-tricks from two different players across two games, Kevin Saurette, scorer of 3 against league leading Dundee, who was the outstanding player of the weekend at the Odyssey Arena.

Saurette arrived late last season to the Belfast Giants from ESV Kaufbeuren but made an instant impression with some skillful stickwork and quick skates. 38 points in only 32 games set the standard for him to chase when Paul Adey decided to retain his services at the Odyssey Arena.

That faith was well founded and this weekend Saurette shone brightest among a lot of outstanding performances. With 3 goals and an assist that contributed to league leading Dundee’s first defeat of the season. He followed that up with 2 assists in a tight game against the Braehead Clan the following night, linking up with line mates Even Cheverie and Chris Higgins to provide the latter with a stunning finish and game winning goal, despite only 6.1 seconds remaining on the clock.