Armada’s Samuel Aquin leads Wednesday’s 3 Stars with 6-point game

No. 1 star: Samuel Aquin, Blainville-Boisbrian Armada (QMJHL)

Aquin has worked a long time for a night like this: four goals, two assists and plus-5 to help the Armada maroon the Gatineau Olympiques 10-4.

The skilled but undersized 18-year-old was sent back to the Junior A Valleyfield Braves at the start of this season despite a solid training camp with the Armada in order to fine-tune his game. Coach Jean-François Houle called him up at Christmastime and Aquin worked his way into the lineup. However, the Repentigny, Que., native had scored only four goals in 26 games before doubling his season total in 60 minutes tonight.

Oliver Hinse and Aquin scored 12 seconds apart in the second minute of the game to open an early 2-0 lead. Aquin had an assist later in the first period, then scored three consecutive goals over the final two periods to complete his career night.

No. 2 star: Josh Shalla, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

Shalla tied the Spirit club record for career goals in prolific fashion while spoiling Alexander Galchenyuk's long-awaited return to the Sarnia Sting lineup. Shalla, a Nashville Predators propsect, had a natural hat trick in the second period to lead the Spirit to a 7-1 win over Sarnia that sustains its hopes of a top-four finish in the Western Confernece.

The Whitby. Ont., native got the all-important second goal by knocking an airborne puck home just 88 seconds into the second period. Later in the frame, Shalla ripped home a cross-ice feed from Chicago Blackhawks prospect Brandon Saad (1G-2A, +3) and the rout was pretty much on. Shalla's natty-hatty goal was his 118th in Spirit red, white and blue, matching the mark held by Ryan McDonough. Shalla also broke McDonough's single-season mark with his 47-goal campaign last winter. (And no, those records do not include the North Bay Centennials.)

No. 3 star: Zane Jones, Victoria Royals (OHL)

The 17-year-old was huge for the Royals, who upset the high-flying Portland Winterhawks 4-3 significantly improve their playoff chances. Jones, a native of Olds, Alta., has been streaky this season as younger players are wont to be, but he had his second two-point game in a row. He also did it against a Portland team which came in with 49 more points than the Royals.

With Portland fighting tooth and nail to get into the playoffs, Jones factored into two goals that staked the Royals to the lead. He assisted on a goal by fellow 17-year-old Austin Carroll in the second period and also beat Mac Carruth for a huge breakaway goal late in the second period. The Royals, who also got a big two-point night from star centre Steven Hodges, never trailed again after that marker.

Hodges scored the winner with 6:36 to play and goalie Keith Hamilton, the ex-Winterhawk, shut the door after Portland hit three goalposts in rapid succession. The win vaulted the Royals into seventh place in the WHL's Western Conference. But they have only one game left to the Everett Silvertips' two and Seattle Thunderbirds' three.

Honourable mention: Brenden Kichton, Spokane Chiefs (WHL)

The New York Islanders draft pick led the Chiefs to a 6-4 win over a higher ranked Kamloops Blazers club, scoring two goals and earning one assists from his defence spot. Spokane needed a win to have a shot at earning home-ice advantage for its playoff series vs. the Vancouver Giants and Kichton kicked them into high gear with an opening goal 3:19 into the contest and another goal in the second period. The 19-year-old defenceman is up to 71 points, which compares favourably with the 81 he posted last season when he had current Ottawa Senators rookie Jared Cowen as his D partner.

Honourable mention: Alex Aleardi, Plymouth Whalers (OHL)

Aleardi, who's one of the Ontario league's most improved players, had a hat trick in the Whalers' 5-3 win at Sault Ste. Marie that impact two playoff races. The speedster from Farmington Hills, Mich., who now has 36 goals on the season, did all his damage over a 20-minute stretch spanning over the first two periods.

The win moved the Whalers ahead of London for first overall, but the Knights have three games left to Plymouth's one. Sault Ste. Marie is also all but eliminated, now three points out of the last berth with two games to play.

Honourable mention: Ryan Tesink, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)

The native Saint Johner helped the Sea Dogs become the first team to three-peat as league regular-season champions. Tesink, a St. Louis Blues draft pick, had two second-period goals to help the Dogs down the Halifax Mooseheads 6-1. The 18-year-old hopped on a turnover for a short-handed goal in the second period to open a two-goal spread and finished off a rush started by Nathan Beaulieu in for his other tally.

Jonathan Huberdeau and Danick Gauthier, who got his 45th goal of the season, each had three points for the Sea Dogs.

Potent notables — St. Louis Blues second-rounder Ty Rattie got his 55th goal and 117th point for Portland ... Edmonton Oilers pick Martin Gernat had two assists to help the Edmonton Oil Kings trip up Kootenay 5-4 in overtime, completing a season-series sweep of the Ice ... Also in the WHL, Los Angeles Kings prospect Jordan Weal scored his 41st goal and 116th point in Regina's 4-1 win over Prince Albert ... In the OHL, Brendan Gaunce was the game's first star with a short-handed goal in Belleville's 3-2 overtime win over Oshawa. Defenceman Jake Worrad got the OT winner for the eighth-place Bulls (33-32-1-0), who are trying to catch Mississauga (31-27-1-6) and the Generals (31-28-4-3) in the standings ... Detroit Red Wings second-rounder Ryan Sproul became the league's first defenceman to reach 20 goals ... In the QMJHL, Alex Saulnier (1G-2A) and Allain Saulnier (2G-1A) did all of Moncton's scoring in its 3-2 win over Cape Breton ... Los Angeles Kings second-rounder Chris Gibson had a 30-save shutout as Chicoutimi's win over Baie-Comeau and interim coach Steve Ahern.

(Game recaps available on the news page.)

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.