Thursday a big day for Greyhounds forward

It’s hard to blame Soo Greyhounds forward Blake Speers if he was smiling a little more than usual on Thursday.

The sophomore forward has been named one of four Academic Players of the Month for December in the Ontario Hockey League and was also named to the Canadian Hockey League’s top prospects game, scheduled for next week in St. Catharines, Ont.

Speers was added to the Team Orr roster on Thursday along with Saint John Sea Dogs centre Nathan Noel. The dup will replace Seattle Thunderbirds forward Mathew Barzal and Sarnia Sting forward Nikita Korostelev who will be unable to compete in the game due to injury

Speers has 18 goals and 45 points in 38 games this season with the Greyhounds.

In OHL news on Thursday, Speers was named the OHL West Division’s academic player of the month for December.

Speers enters the exam period for first semester with a 96% average at St. Mary’s College locally.

“Blake has proven to be a positive role model and exemplifies the OHL policy of providing ’the best of both worlds’ with regards to academics and hockey,” Greyhounds General Manager Kyle Raftis said in a release.

The OHL honours one player in each division with academic player of the month honours.

The other three players honoured for December were Drake Rymsha of the London Knights (Midwest Division), Sudbury Wolves defenceman Trenton Bourque (Central Division) and rookie forward Travis Barron of the Ottawa 67’s (East Division).

(File Photo)