For the first time this season, a defenseman has been the National Hockey League First Star of the Week. On Monday, Columbus Blue Jackets blueliner Zach Werenski of Grosse Pointe, Michigan was honoured for the week from November 18 to 24. In three games, all Blue Jackets wins, Werenski had two goals and five assists for seven points. He was a +6 with two penalty minutes, one game-winning goal, two power-play points, one shorthanded point, 14 shots on goal, and eight blocked shots.
Made Blue Jackets history
On Thursday, in a 7-6 Blue Jackets win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Werenski set the Blue Jackets record for most points in a game by a defenseman with five. He had two goals and three assists. Werenski tied the game at four at 3:42 of the second period from Kirill Marchenko of Barnaul, Russia and Sean Monahan of Brampton, Ontario. Werenski then scored the game-winner from Cole Sillinger of Columbus, Ohio, and defenseman Ivan Provorov of Yaroslavl, Russia at 1:26 of overtime. Werenski’s assists came on a power play goal and short handed goal by Kent Johnson of Port Moody, British Columbia, and an even strength goal by Dmitri Voronkov of Angarsk, Russia.
Werenski is the seventh Blue Jackets player in franchise history to record five points in a game. The other six are Espen Knutsen of Oslo, Norway (five assists in a 6-4 Blue Jackets win over the Calgary Flames on March 24, 2001), Geoff Sanderson of Hay River, Northwest Territories (four goals and one assist in a 6-4 Blue Jackets win over the Flames on March 29, 2003), Andrew Cassels of Bramalea, Ontario (one goal and four assists in a 6-4 Blue Jackets win over the Flames on March 29, 2003), David Vyborny of Jihlava, Czech Republic (one goal and four assists in a 5-4 Blue Jackets win over the Colorado Avalanche on February 28, 2004), Artemi Panarin of Korkino, Russia (five assists in a 5-3 Blue Jackets win over the New Jersey Devils on December 8, 2017), and Johnny Gaudreau of Salem, New Jersey (two goals and three assists in a 6-5 Blue Jackets win over the San Jose Sharks on March 14, 2023).
Other two assists
Werenski set up James Van Riemsdyk of Middletown, New Jersey with 32 seconds left in the first period in a 5-1 Columbus win over the Boston Bruins on November 18. At the time, the Blue Jackets went up 3-0. Werenski then had a power-play assist on a goal by Voronkov in a 5-4 Blue Jackets shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes. At the time, Columbus went up 3-2.
Werenski’s 2024-25 stats
Werenski has six goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 20 games. He is a +4 with eight power-play points, one game-winning goal, one shorthanded point, 76 shots on goal, 32 blocked shots, five hits, 156 takeaways, and 25 giveaways.
Second American Honoured This Year
Werenski is the second American who has been named the NHL First Star of the Week in 2024-25. The other is Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck of Commerce, Michigan, who was honoured the week of November 4-10.
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