No Ordinary Joe — Leafs rookie earns second KI Star
By The Nelson Daily Sports
He’s definitely proving to everyone he’s no Ordinary Joe.
For the second time this season, Leaf rookie winger Joe Davidson has caught the eyes of Kootenay International Junior Hockey League Three Star committee.
The six-foot, two-inch winger earned his second Hot in the KI selection after putting up eight points in this past weekend in games against Kimberley, Princeton and Grand Forks.
“I was positionally better then prior games which was a big reason for the points,” says Davidson. “My confidence has definitely gone up lately and my coaches and teammates have given me the opportunity to put up some numbers.”
Davidson joins Kyle Bailey of the Grand Forks Border Bruins and North Okanagan Knights goalie Sean Kanervisto as KI Stars.
Davidson earned back-to-back game stars against Kimberley (a 4-3 OT loss) and Princeton (a 6-3 loss).
The Nelson Minor Hockey product had two goals and three points against Kimberley, then two against Princeton. He wrapped up the Leafs’ three-game week with a hat-trick performance in a 10-4 win over the Border Bruins.
In 37 games, the 17-year-old rookie has 21 goals and 32 points in 37 games.
Bailey garnered the KI’s first star as he racked up nine points in four games.
Bailey, a Calgary native, started the week with a hat-trick performance against the Nelson Leafs on Jan. 14 to earn a game star. The Border Bruins won 4-3. He followed up that performance with two-point efforts in the Border Bruins’ next three games (7-4 loss to Golden, 5-4 loss to Creston Valley in OT, and a 10-4 loss to Nelson).
In 14 games since being acquired from the Revelstoke Grizzlies, Bailey has 11 goals and 21 points in 14 games. He had four goals and eight points in 18 games with the Grizzlies. He sits third in Border Bruins scoring.
Kanervisto earns the third star for his 61-save effort in a 4-3 overtime win over the Revelstoke Grizzlies on January 18.
The San Diego, Calif., native had a 2.76 goals against average and .953 save percentage in the game. Kanervisto faced 17 shots in the first period, then saw 25 in the second period. He faced four in the extra frame.
In 29 games this season, Kanervisto has 14 wins with one shutout to go with a 2.85 goals against average and a .920 save percentage.
Leafs back on the road, visit Spokane, Osoyoos
Nelson, entering weekend play with a 3-4 record in January, travel to Spokane Friday to face the Braves in what would be a first-round playoff preview.
Nelson trail Murdoch leading Beaver Valley Nitehawks by two points in standings, but the Leafs have played three more games.
Spokane sits in third spot on the Murdoch Division, 13 points behind Nelson.
Saturday, Nelson travels to Osoyoos to meet Curt Doyle and the Coyotes before concluding the three-game away from home trip Friday, January 31 in Castlegar against the Rebels. Doyle was traded to the South Okanagan by the Leafs earlier this season.
