2024 NHL Draft-eligible netminder Gardner named Giuseppe WHL ...
Calgary, Alta. – Saskatoon Blades netminder Evan Gardner has been named Giuseppe WHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending May 5, 2024, the Western Hockey League announced Monday.
This is the second time Gardner has been recognized with the weekly award, in addition to WHL Goaltender of the Month honours for March and three Kal Tire WHL Rookie of the Week wins.
Gardner posted a 2-1-1-0 record, a 3.21 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage in a dramatic week in the Eastern Conference Championship that saw the Blades and Moose Jaw Warriors make three trips to overtime.
With the series tied 1-1 entering Game 3, the Fort St. John, B.C. product turned aside 29 of the 31 shots he faced in enemy territory, including a dynamic goal-line toe stop on Seattle Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus. The Warriors would tack on an empty-netter to take a 3-1 victory.
Game 4 served up goals galore and huge momentum swings. With the match tied 4-4 in the late goings, Gardner kicked out his pad to deny a Brayden Yager opportunity from the slot to save the game for Saskatoon. The rookie stopped 33 of the 37 shots he was peppered with, including three overtime shots, before Anaheim Ducks prospect Egor Sidorov snagged the overtime winner to level the series.
In the second of three-straight overtime matches, Gardner made a career-high 39 saves in Saskatoon’s 5-4 victory in Game 5, highlighted by six stops in the extra frame to bring the Blades within a win of the WHL Championship.
The Warriors would spoil Game 6 in another valiant extra-time effort, with Gardner saving 31 of 35 shots.
Gardner is 10-1-2-0 in the 2024 WHL Playoffs with a 2.26 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage and one shutout.
The WHL Rookie of the Year nominee went 21-5-0-2 through the regular season, leading all WHL starting netminders with a 1.91 goals-against average, a .927 save percentage and four clean sheets.
Gardner, who clocks in at 6-foot-1, 188 pounds, is ranked seventh among North American goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting in the agency’s final rankings ahead of June’s draft.
The WHL Eastern Conference Championship will be decided in Game 7 on Tuesday, May 7 at 7:00 p.m. ST at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Sask.
2023-24 WHL Goaltender of the Week
April 29, 2024: Jackson Unger, Moose Jaw Warriors
April 22, 2024: Jan Špunar, Portland Winterhawks
April 15, 2024: Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George Cougars
April 9, 2024: Tyler Palmer, Everett Silvertips
April 1, 2024: Reid Dyck, Swift Current Broncos (Boston Bruins)
March 25, 2024: Evan Gardner, Saskatoon Blades
March 18, 2024: Brett Mirwald, Vancouver Giants
March 11, 2024: Kolby Hay, Edmonton Oil Kings
March 4, 2024: Ethan Buenaventura, Calgary Hitmen
February 26, 2024: Reid Dyck, Swift Current Broncos (Boston Bruins)
February 20, 2024: Brett Mirwald, Vancouver Giants
February 12, 2024: Brett Mirwald, Vancouver Giants
February 5, 2024: Reid Dyck, Swift Current Broncos (Boston Bruins)
January 29, 2024: Scott Ratzlaff, Seattle Thunderbirds (Buffalo Sabres)
January 22, 2024: Chase Wutzke, Red Deer Rebels
January 15, 2024: Chase Wutzke, Red Deer Rebels
January 8, 2024: Brett Mirwald, Vancouver Giants
January 2, 2024: Harrison Meneghin, Lethbridge Hurricanes
December 18, 2023: Brett Mirwald, Vancouver Giants
December 11, 2023: Chase Wutzke, Red Deer Rebels
December 4, 2023: Jackson Unger, Moose Jaw Warriors
November 27, 2023: Dawson Cowan, Spokane Chiefs
November 20, 2023: Rhett Stoesser, Red Deer Rebels
November 13, 2023: Evan May, Medicine Hat Tigers
November 6, 2023: Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George Cougars
October 30, 2023: Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George Cougars
October 23, 2023: Daniel Hauser, Wenatchee Wild
October 16, 2023: Jan Špunar, Portland Winterhawks
October 10, 2023: Kyle Kelsey, Red Deer Rebels
October 2, 2023: Ethan Chadwick, Everett Silvertips
September 25, 2023: Max Hildebrand, Prince Albert Raiders
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL offers a world-class player experience featuring three key cornerstones: hockey development, education, and a safe and positive environment for all participants. A diverse and inclusive organization, the WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 16 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for close to 60 years. The WHL is also a leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.
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