Brett Zarowny did his best impression of a sheet of plywood. For three performances in which he was nearly unbeatable, he has been named the Canadian Hockey League's goaltender of the week.
One day after Zarowny was picked as the Western Hockey League's top stopper for the Dec. 10-16 segment of the schedule, he got the nod for the CHL award. In three starts, he posted a 2-1 record and one of those wins was by shutout. His goals-against average during the stretch was 1.00 and his save percentage was an eye-popping .968 (94 shots faced, 91 saves).
Zarowny is a WHL rookie, which makes his recognition by the CHL even more notable.
"I saw some of the previous winners of the award and there are some pretty big names there," said the 17-year-old Edson product. "To be included in that group, it's definitely an honour."
Zarowny becomes the sixth WHL goalie to claim the award this season. The others are Eetu Laurikainen (Swift Current Broncos), Mac Carruth (Portland Winterhawks), Jordon Cooke (Kelowna Rockets), Mackenzie Skapski (Kootenay Ice) and Patrik Bartosak (Red Deer Rebels). Carruth has earned the honour twice, for the weeks Oct. 8-14 and Nov. 5-11.
Zarowny started his week with a 2-0 loss to the Swift Current Broncos Tuesday in Prince George. Then, in home-ice games against the Vancouver Giants on Saturday and Sunday, he was between the pipes for a 6-0 victory and a 2-1 win.
"Everything was going right for me," he said. "I was getting a lot of bounces going my way and my teammates really helped me out a lot too when I needed it. It was a perfect combination of everything. As well, my mental preparation has been huge for me over this last little stretch and I think that's one of the things that really helps get me through."
Zarowny is now at home for the Christmas holidays. When news of his award broke on Tuesday, word traveled quickly among his family and friends.
"My family is very proud of me and I'm definitely getting a good supper tonight from my mom, so that's great," he said with a laugh. "It's roast beef tonight, so I'm pretty excited."
The CHL selected Zarowny over Matt Murray of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Christopher Gibson of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, both of whom are NHL prospects. Murray, a Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick in 2012, went 3-0 with a goals-against average of 1.65 and a save percentage of .938. Gibson, chosen by the Los Angeles Kings in 2011, posted a 1-1-0-1 record. His goals-against average was 1.63 and his save percentage came in at .940.
Zarowny was a bantam draft pick of the Cougars in 2010 (third round, 45th overall). He's eligible for the 2013 NHL draft.
This season, Zarowny now has an 8-7 record. Among freshman goalies in the WHL, he ranks third in goals-against average (2.97) and second in save percentage (.910).
The Cougars, by winning two out of their three weekend games, moved into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. With their 12-18-1-3 record, they are tied in points with the ninth-place Everett Silvertips but have played three fewer games. Zarowny and the Cats are feeling good about themselves as they look toward the remainder of their schedule.
"Everybody was excited about going home for Christmas, and for me to be going out on such a high note is huge," he said. "It gives me a lot of confidence going into the second half and I think it's huge for our team too, getting those big four points right before Christmas. It was an amazing feeling."
The Cats will resume their season with Dec. 28-29 road games against the Victoria Royals. On Dec. 30, they'll skate in Vancouver against the Giants.
