Photo: Mike Zitek
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Ontario Reign forward Akil Thomas has been selected as the Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending March 24, 2024.
Thomas notched four goals, two assists and a plus-6 rating and recorded all three game-winning goals during Ontario’s perfect 3-0-0 week.
On Wednesday evening, Thomas scored the go-ahead goal with 3:36 left in regulation and added an assist to lift Ontario to a 4-1 win over Tucson. On Friday, he set up the tying goal in the third period before scoring his first career overtime winner, giving the Reign a 2-1 victory over Calgary. And on Sunday, Thomas scored twice more as Ontario defeated Bakersfield, 4-3.
A fourth-year pro, Thomas has set career highs with 21 goals, 21 assists and 42 points in 60 games for Ontario this season, including a league-best nine game-winning tallies, after missing most of the 2022-23 campaign due to injury. The 24-year-old Toronto native has skated in 153 career AHL games with the Reign, totaling 45 goals and 44 assists for 89 points. Thomas was a second-round choice by Los Angeles in the 2018 NHL Draft.
