This season Bolt Prospects introduced our Prospect of the Week award, an honor (virtually) given to one Tampa Bay Lightning prospect for their on-ice contributions.
We wanted to highlight prospects throughout the year to help fans get better acquainted with the next round of Lightning stars while recognizing the prospect’s achievement on the ice.
This week’s BP Prospect of the Week award goes to … Cory Conacher [6], LW, Norfolk Admirals (AHL).
Cory Conacher was one of the best Lightning-related stories in training camp, at the AHL All-Star Game, and throughout the season, but here at season’s end he’s still making headlines.
This past week Conacher, who was already named the AHL Rookie of the Year, was named the AHL’s Most Valuable Player. Not bad for an undrafted rookie with diabetes who was constantly told he was too small.
The most perplexing question is how Conacher can win the MVP yet not make it as a First Team All-Star, but in the paraphrased words of Patrick Roy, Conacher can’t hear the reasons why he wasn’t a First Team All-Star because he’s got two trophies in his ears.
Conacher was the best – and most consistent – player on the league’s best team. A team that is entering the playoffs on a ridiculous 28-game win streak.
The MVP was already more than enough for Conacher, an undrafted free agent signee by the Bolts, to get our Prospect of the Week award, but he went out this past weekend and added five points to his total, including a hat trick on Sunday to win the AHL’s version of the Rocket Richard trophy for most goals (Willie Marshall Award).
Conacher finished his first professional season with 39 goals and 80 points in 75 games. He’s the leader in the clubhouse among a group of young forwards vying for limited spots on the Lightning’s NHL roster next season.
Don’t bet against him.
Previous BP Prospects of the Week:
Mark Barberio [7], Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - April 11, 2012 [8]
Tyler Johnson [9], Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - April 4, 2012 [10]
Norfolk Admirals Hockey Club (AHL) - March 27, 2012 [11]
Richard Panik [12], Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - March 21, 2012 [13]
Tyler Johnson, Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - March 13, 2012 [14]
Danick Gauthier, Saint John (QMJHL) - March 6, 2012 [15]
Matt Peca, Quinnipiac (NCAA) - February 29, 2012 [16]
Pat Nagle [17], Florida (ECHL) - February 21, 2012 [18]
Alex Hutchings [19], Florida (ECHL) - February 14, 2012 [20]
Alex Killorn [21], Harvard (NCAA) - February 6, 2012 [22]
Adam Wilcox [23], Tri-City (USHL) and Alex Killorn, Harvard (NCAA) - January 30, 2012 [24]
Nikita Kucherov [25], CSKA Jr. (Russia) - January 24, 2012 [26]
Riku Helenius [27], JYP (Finland) - January 16, 2012 [28]
Brett Connolly [29], Canada (U20 WJC) - January 10, 2012 [30]
*Due to the Christmas break when few games below the NHL level were played, no POTW award was given.
Mark Barberio, Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - December 19, 2011 [31]
Vladislav Namestnikov [32], London Knights (OHL) - December 12, 2011 [33]
Tyler Johnson, Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - December 5, 2011 [34]
Alex Killorn, Harvard (NCAA) - November 28, 2011 [35]
Nikita Kucherov, Team Russia/CSKA Jr. (MHL) - November 21, 2011 [36]
Vladislav Namestnikov, London Knights (OHL) - November 14, 2011 [37]
Dustin Tokarski [38], Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - November 6, 2011 [39]
Riku Helenius, JYP (Finland) - October 30, 2011 [40]
Matthew Peca [41], Quinnipiac Bobcats - October 23, 2011 [42]
Radko Gudas [43], Norfolk Admirals - October 16, 2011 [42]
Carter Ashton [44], Norfolk Admirals - October 9, 2011 [45]
Brett Connolly, Tampa Bay Lightning - October 2, 2011 [46]
Mattias Ritola [47], Tampa Bay Lightning - September 25, 2011 [48]