Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that San Jose Sharks prospect Ben Gaudreau of the Sarnia Sting is the OHL Goaltender of the Week with two victories, a 1.99 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.
Gaudreau was victorious on Friday in Kitchener, stopping 17 of the 20 shots he faced as the Sting defeated the Rangers 6-3. The 6-foot-2, 172Ib. goaltender returned to the crease on Saturday, stopping 22 shots in a 2-1 overtime win over the Windsor Spitfires, picking up second star recognition.
A 19-year-old native of Corbeil, Ont., Gaudreau is embarking on his third season in Sarnia after a strong sophomore season where he went 19-18-4-1 with a 3.71 goals-against average and .891 save percentage over 44 games. Selected in the third round (81st overall) by the San Jose Sharks in the 2021 NHL Draft, Gaudreau was originally Sarnia’s 1st round (7th overall) pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection from the North Bay Trappers 16U program. Over parts of three seasons, he’s 31-31-5-2 with a 3.88 goals-against average and .891 save percentage in 74 regular season appearances.
A pair of other candidates were given consideration for the award as Kingston Frontenacs netminder Ivan Zhigalov posted 61 saves in a pair of outings, recording a 2.03 goals-against average and .939 save percentage. Oshawa Generals goaltender Patrick Leaver went 2-0-0-1 on the weekend, posting a 2.92 goals-against average and .910 save percentage.
