Strang makes history as first Griffins hockey player to win POW honours twice in same season

Strang makes history as first Griffins hockey player to win POW honours twice in same season

MacEwan Athletics

EDMONTON – Ethan Strang became the first MacEwan hockey student-athlete to win a Canada West player of the week award for the second time the same season when the conference tabbed him with the honours on Tuesday.

Strang, who previously earned that distinction on Oct. 24, was named the conference's player of the week again after recording two goals and two assists in MacEwan's weekend sweep of the Regina Cougars.

Strang had a goal and an assist in each of MacEwan's blowout victories over Regina on the weekend, including scoring on a penalty shot with a highlight-reel move in Friday's 7-2 win.

The Griffins also won 6-2 on Saturday to move seven points up on Regina for the sixth and final playoff spot in Canada West.

For the season, Strang leads MacEwan with 12 goals and 24 points in 26 games – both program records for the most, respectively, in a Canada West season. Additionally, with 12 assists, Strang is tied for that record with Merritt Oszytko, who hit that mark during the 2022-23 campaign, and Loeden Schaufler, who also has 12 helpers this season.

MacEwan has two games remaining in the 2023-24 regular season as they head to Manitoba on Friday (6 p.m. MT) and Saturday (2 p.m. MT, both Canada West TV).

Since MacEwan joined Canada West in 2014, women's soccer player Grace Mwasalla is the only other student-athlete to earn player of the week honours in a sport twice in the same season when she did it in 2022.

And prior to Strang accomplishing the feat twice in 2023-24, only one other Griffins men's hockey player has won the Canada West men's hockey player of the week honour (Riley Brandt on Oct. 19, 2021).