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With October having come and gone, the first full month of hockey is now in
the books.  It was a positive month throughout the organization as both the
Habs and Bulldogs got off to good starts while several of their junior-based
prospects also had strong months.  Which prospects rose to the top to earn
one of our HabsWorld 3-Stars for October?

Hamilton Bulldogs

1st Star: Magnus Nygren – Although Nygren isn’t a typical rookie, he
was still expected to have somewhat of an adjustment period as he got accustomed
to playing on the smaller ice surface.  Although he has made a few gaffes
in his own end, he also has provided Hamilton with significant minutes while
helping to make what was a woeful powerplay an asset for the Bulldogs in recent
games.

Stats: 10 GP, 1 goal, 7 assists, 8 points, even rating, 6 PIMS, 27 SOG

2nd Star: Martin St. Pierre – The veteran was brought in to lead the
way offensively for a young Hamilton squad and when he was healthy, he did just
that.  After getting banged up in the season opener, St. Pierre has picked
up at least a point in each of the six games he has played since returning to
the lineup; that gives him the longest point streak for the Bulldogs in the
early going.

Stats: 7 GP, 3 goals, 5 assists, 8 points, +1 rating, 12 PIMS, 17 SOG

3rd Star: Sven Andrighetto – Players fresh out of junior often don’t
get a chance to be big contributors right away.  Early injuries and recalls
forced Andrighetto into a top-six role right from the get-go and to his credit,
he has made the most of it so far.  Despite his smaller stature, he has
done well against bigger and stronger competition and has proven to be difficult
to separate from the puck at times.

Stats: 10 GP, 3 goals, 4 assists, 7 points, +5 rating, 8 PIMS, 24 SOG

Honourable Mention: Greg Pateryn – Even though he hasn’t played
recently (it’s his turn to collect a pay cheque for practicing with Montreal),
he has made a significant impact when he has been in the lineup.  Instead
of following suit with Jarred Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu who both had some
struggles after being sent down for the first time, Pateryn was the opposite; he
picked up where he left off from last year and is once again their go-to
blueliner in any situation.

Stats: 6 GP, 3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points, +4 rating, 6 PIMS, 14 SOG

Other Prospects

1st Star: Jeremy Gregoire (Baie-Comeau, QMJHL) – I don’t think anyone
would have guessed that the Habs’ last pick in the 2013 draft would get off to
the best start.  After being primarily a checking centre in his early
junior days, he has become a scoring machine.  Not only is Gregoire among
the QMJHL’s top point getters, he also is only a few points away from surpassing
his career high…and we’re not even two months into the year.

Stats: 12 GP, 8 goals, 9 assists, 17 points, +7 rating, 10 PIMS, 52
SOG

2nd Star: Martin Reway (Gatineau, QMJHL) – There have been off-ice
concerns with suggestions of a lack of effort early on and a supposed criticism
of the coaches (that likely was lost in translation) but on the ice, the tiny
fourth rounder has been a go-to player for the Olympiques.  There are still
criticisms that he’s taking some shifts off but there’s a lot more good than bad
in that regard.

Stats: 11 GP, 4 goals, 12 assists, 16 points, +6 rating, 12 PIMS, 37
SOG 

3rd Star: Dalton Thrower (Vancouver, WHL) – To say that Thrower has
adapted well to his new surroundings would be a bit of an understatement. 
He was named the Giants’ captain upon being cut from the Bulldogs and has become
one of their biggest offensive threats ever since, despite being a defenceman. 
That’s a nice way to rebound from a tough 2012-13 campaign.

Stats: 13 GP, 5 goals, 9 assists, 14 points, +1 rating, 21 PIMS

Honourable Mention: Charles Hudon (Chicoutimi, QMJHL) – He got off to
a bit of a slow start this year but has picked up his play in recent weeks. 
Several of Chicoutimi’s top scorers have moved on so it has taken a bit of time
to Hudon to adjust to being one of the focal points of the offence.  With
Canada’s junior camp fast approaching, I expect him to take another step forward
in the coming weeks.

Stats: 13 GP, 2 goals, 11 assists, 13 points, -6 rating, 27 PIMS, 57
SOG