Girard wins the honors

Press Release

TORONTO, Tuesday, May 12, 2009 – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Gabriel Girard of the Shawinigan Cataractes is the ADT CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending May 10. In two starts Girard recorded two wins while posting a goals-against-average of 0.88 and a save percentage of .970.

Girard got the call to start game five of the QMJHL Finals for the President Cup against the Drummondville Voltigeurs in Drummondville on Friday night trailing 3-1 in the series. Despite allowing the first goal of the game, Girard held steady and he made 31 saves including 13 in the third period in the 4-1 win for Catractes. On Sunday night back in Shawinigan at the Centre Bionest, the Cataractes were again facing elimination but Girard made 36 saves including 10 in the extra frame to win 2-1 in overtime. The win forces a game seven to be played Tuesday night in Drummondville with the winner advancing to the 2009 MasterCard Memorial Cup in Rimouski.

Girard, a 17-year-old from Varennes, QC, is in just his second QMJHL season with the Cataractes. He has three wins so far in the playoffs with a goals-against-average of 2.29 and save percentage of .921 and is eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Andrew Engelage of the Windsor Spitfires was also considered after posting a goals-against-average of 1.99 and a save percentage of .944 in three games. He was named first star of the series-clinching 2-1 game five win Friday night over the Brampton Battalion where he made 37 saves to help his club win the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL Champions. Martin Jones of the Calgary Hitmen was also considered after making 122 saves in four games maintaining a goals-against-average of 1.70 and a save percentage of .946 in the WHL Championship Series.

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(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)