RALEIGH, N.C. – The National Hockey League (NHL) announced on Monday that Carolina Hurricanes winger Jeff Skinner was named the league’s First Star for the week ending Dec. 8.
Skinner, 21, scored five goals and earned one assist in three games as Carolina earned victories last week against the Washington Capitals, Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks.
Skinner recorded two goals, including the game-winner, and one assist in a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Dec. 3, and earned his first career NHL hat trick in a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators two days later.
Skinner leads Carolina in goals (9) this season despite missing 11 of the team’s 31 games due to injury.
As a rookie in 2010-11 he received NHL Rookie of the Month honors on Feb. 2, 2011 after having an exceptional month of January which included his appearance in the 2011 NHL All-Star Game that was played in Raleigh.
Skinner subsequently went on to be nominated and won the Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year at the end of that season.
Selected by the Hurricanes in the first round (7th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Skinner has totaled 73 goals and 75 assists (148 points) in 208 career NHL games.