News release
1 March 2011
The ECHL announced on Tuesday that Elmira Jackals forward Justin Donati has been named the Sher-Wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week for Feb. 21 - 27. The Jackals went 3-0 this past week with home wins over Wheeling, Reading, and Trenton.
Donati led the Jackals in their three games this past week with eight points (4g-4a) to pull into a tie for the league lead with Florida's Francis Lemieux with 73 points. The Oakville, Ontario native also led Elmira with a +5 rating.
On Friday, Donati scored Elmira's first of three-straight goals in the club's 3-1 comeback victory against the Nailers. Donati recorded his first four-point night of the season on Saturday, garnering two third-period goals and adding two assists as the Jackals came from behind to beat the Royals, 5-4. The Jackals defeated the Devils 4-3 on Sunday as Donati contributed a goal and two assists.
This is the third player of the week accolade in Donati's ECHL career. Donati won the award last season with the Jackals from Nov. 9 - 15 and from Dec. 28 - Jan. 3 and was named the Reebok Hockey ECHL Rookie of the Year for 2009-2010.
Donati is the second Jackal to win this award this season, joining Michael Dubuc who earned it during the ECHL's opening week of 2010-2011.
On behalf of Donati, a case of pucks will be donated to an Elmira youth hockey organization by Sher-Wood Hockey, the exclusive puck supplier of the ECHL. Since beginning its sponsorship of the award in 2000-2001, Sher-Wood Hockey has donated more than 23,000 pucks to youth hockey organizations in ECHL cities.