Grizzlies’ Cuddemi takes home ECHL Rookie of the Month honors for January
Utah Grizzlies forward Ralph Cuddemi has been named the CCM ECHL Rookie of the Month for January.
Cuddemi led ECHL rookies with 12 goals and was tied for the rookie league lead with 18 points in 11 January games as the Grizzlies went 8-2-1-0. He is tied for the rookie lead in the ECHL with 20 goals. The 23-year-old posted six multi-point games in January, and tallied at least one point in 10 of 11 games played.
“He’s one of the guys that got this thing going for us on this roll that we’ve been on,” said Utah coach-GM Tim Branham. “For him to be putting the puck in the net as he is as a rookie is just tremendous. He’s a true professional, on and off the ice. He’s playing with a lot of confidence and we’re definitely lucky to have him.”
Cuddemi added an assist in the Grizzlies 6-4 win over Idaho to open February as Utah won its fifth straight game Wednesday. He has 15 goals and nine assists for 24 points over the last 17 games as the Grizzlies have gone 12-3-2-0.
The Grizzlies are 10-1-2-0 this season when Cuddemi scores a goal. He has 20 goals and 14 assists for 34 points in 41 games since being acquired from Florida prior to the third weekend of the regular season. He leads Utah with nine multiple-point games, has five multi-goal games and one hat trick.
The native of Concord, Ont., scored two goals in 15 seconds on Jan. 13 as the Grizzlies erased a 4-2 deficit in the final 31.7 seconds of regulation to force overtime in Rapid City.
Prior to turning pro, Cuddemi tallied 123 points (61 goals, 62 assists) in 154 career games at NCAA Division I Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey).
Photo/Josie Vimahi
