Bridgeport duo wins AHL's Holmes Award
Published on April 11, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL) News Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ... The American Hockey League has announced that Wade Dubielewicz and Dieter Kochan of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers have won the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award for the 2003-04 season. Since 1972, the award has been presented to the goaltender(s) appearing in at least 25 games for the team which allows the fewest goals in the regular season.
Bridgeport, which finished their regular season with a record of 41-23-12-4, allowed just 140 goals in 2003-04, easily surpassing the previous AHL record for an 80-game season (176). The Sound Tigers have won at least 40 games in each of their first three seasons of play, and will open the Calder Cup 2004 Playoffs on Thursday night in a best-of-seven East Division semifinal against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
A Second Team AHL All-Star and winner of the Garrett Award as the league's outstanding rookie in 2003-04, Dubielewicz was 20-8-5 in 33 games for Bridgeport, leading the AHL and setting all-time records with a 1.38 goals-against average and .946 save percentage. Dubielewicz's nine shutouts also tied the AHL record for a rookie. Kochan, who won the Calder Cup with Houston in 2003, was 20-17-7 (1.87, .933, 6 SO) in 45 appearances. The Sound Tigers recorded 16 shutouts as a team, one off the AHL lead.
The Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award, which was first awarded in 1948 to the goaltender with the best goals against average in the AHL, is named for Hockey Hall of Famer Harry "Hap" Holmes, a prominent figure in early professional hockey and an outstanding goaltender of his time. Previous winners or co-winners of the award include Gil Mayer (1951, '53, '54, '55, '56), Johnny Bower (1957, '58), Marcel Paille (1961, '62), Gerry Cheevers (1965), Pete Peeters (1979), Pelle Lindbergh (1981), Byron Dafoe and Olaf Kolzig (1994), Mike Dunham and Corey Schwab (1995), Manny Legace (1996), Jean-Sebastien Giguere (1998), Martin Biron (1999), Mika Noronen (2001) and Martin Prusek (2002).
Now in its 68th season, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 80 percent of all players to compete in the NHL this season have been AHL graduates, and over 400 players have taken the ice in both leagues in 2003-04.
The Calder Cup 2004 Playoffs get underway on Wednesday, with 20 teams vying for the honor of capturing the league's coveted championship trophy.
American Hockey League Stories from April 11, 2004
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- Wolf Pack Dole Out the Hardware - Connecticut Whale
- Sound Tigers Tie WBS 2-2 In Season Finale - Bridgeport Islanders
- Falcons edged by Pirates to close season - Springfield Falcons
- Penguins to meet Bridgeport in playoffs - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Penguins announce end of season award winners - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Sens To Host Norfolk In Qualifying Round - Binghamton Senators
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