A 6-2, 200-pound senior alternate captain from High River, Alberta, Knight scored a team-leading 11 points in five December contests on six goals and five assists, earned a +9 plus/minus rating and won 61.1% of his face-offs. His six goals came on just 15 shots for a 40.0% shooting percentage. He scored a goal in every game during the month with multiple-point outings in four of those.
He was named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on Dec. 18 after a six-point series (3g, 3a) and +5 plus/minus rating in a two-game conference road sweep at Michigan Tech, including a career-high four-points and the game-winning goal in UND's 6-1 win on Dec. 14. He had three points as North Dakota took three of four WCHA points from No. 6 Denver on Dec. 7-8 with a 6-1 win and 2-2 (ot) tie. And he opened the month with a goal and an assist, including one on the game-tying goal with just 13 seconds remaining in regulation, in an eventual 3-2 (ot) victory at No. 18 Colorado College on Dec. 1.
A draftee of the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers, Knight is riding a 13-game point streak and five-game goal-scoring streak, both of which are the longest of his collegiate career. He is North Dakota's top scorer through 17 games this season with 23 points (8g, 15a), is tied for first in the WCHA scoring race with 8-11=19, and has career totals of 44 goals, 76 assists and 120 points in 137 games.
Other nominees for the award included Massachusetts forward Branden Gracel (HEA), Quinnipiac goalie Eric Hartzell (ECACH), Robert Morris goalie Eric Levine (AHA) and Notre Dame forward T.J. Tynan (CCHA).
North Dakota freshman forward Rocco Grimaldi was the WCHA nominee for national rookie of the month, an award that went to Miami freshman goalie Ryan McKay. Grimaldi, who is currently representing the United States at the World Junior Championship, had two goals and five assists and was a +4 in five December games. Grimaldi and the U.S. will face Sweden in the gold medal game on Saturday at 7 a.m. Central.
UND opens the second half of the season tonight when it hosts 20th-ranked Holy Cross in non-conference action at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
