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Finley Named AHL's Goaltender Of The Month

December 1, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The American Hockey League announced that Brian Finley of the Milwaukee Admirals, who began his professional career with Toledo in the ECHL, has been named the AHL Goaltender of the Month for November.

Returning from injury, the 24-year-old was 5-0-0 with three shutouts, a goals-against average of 1.16 and a save percentage of .962 after stopping 153 of 159 shots in the month.

In his first appearance since opening night, Finley had 29 saves in a 6-0 win at Iowa on Nov. 8. After not recording a decision on Nov. 11, he stopped 29 shots in a 3-1 win at San Antonio on Nov. 23 and then had back-to-back shutouts at San Antonio (28 saves) and Houston (39 saves) on Nov. 26 and 27 to earn AHL Player of the Week honors.

Tied for the AHL lead with three shutouts, Finley is 5-0-0 with a goals-against average of 1.62 and a save percentage of .946 in seven games.

Selected in the first round (6th overall) by the Nashville Predators in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, the 6-3 and 200-pound Finley is one of only seven goaltenders in ECHL history to be selected sixth-or-higher in the NHL Entry Draft and is the second-highest draft choice to play in the ECHL. In 2002-03, Finley was 4-2-0 with a goals against average of 2.36 and a save percentage of .918 in seven regular season games with Toledo while also appearing in one playoff game for the Storm.

Twelve of the 17 goaltenders nominated for the AHL Goaltender of the Month award have ECHL experience - Binghamton's Kelly Guard, who opened the season with Charlotte; Bridgeport's Chris Madden, who was ECHL Goaltender of the Year in 2004-05; Chicago's Tuomas Tarkki, who began the year with Gwinnett; Cleveland's Jamie Holden, who opened the season with Fresno; Grand Rapids Drew MacIntyre, who has played for Toledo each of the past two seasons; Hartford's Robert Gherson, who began the season with Columbia; Iowa's Mike Smith, who was an ECHL All-Star in 2002-03; Norfolk's Adam Munro, who played for Gwinnett in 2003-04 and Atlantic City in 2004-05; Omaha's Brent Krahn, who played for Las Vegas in 2003-04; Peoria's Curtis Sanford, who was the starting goaltender for the Northern Conference in the 2002 ECHL All-Star Game; San Antonio's Scott Stirling, who began the season with Trenton; and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's Dany Sabourin, who was voted as the starting goaltender for the National Conference in the 2005 ECHL All-Star Game.

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