Lehtonen Named AHL Goaltender of the Month
January 4, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Chicago Wolves News Release
Chicago Wolves goaltender Kari Lehtonen has been named the Koho American Hockey League Goaltender of the Month for December.
The Atlanta Thrashers' first pick  and second overall  in the 2002 National Hockey League Entry Draft registered a 9-1-0 mark, a 1.70 goals-against average, a .948 save percentage and two shutouts last month to help the Wolves vault into first place in the West Division. Lehtonen was also recognized last month as the No. 1 AHL prospect by The Hockey News
The 21-year-old netminder, who is currently on an eight-game winning streak, leads the league with 18 wins; shares second with four shutouts; ranks second with 826 saves, third with a .935 save percentage and fourth with 1611:57 minutes in 27 starts.
Last year, Lehtonen accrued a 20-14-2 record, a 2.41 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage in 39 games with the Wolves during his rookie season. He also recorded a perfect 4-0-0 mark in as many games with Atlanta last season, including his first NHL shutout on March 27 against the Florida Panthers.
Lehtonen was named the top NHL prospect in the world by The Hockey News in 2003 and 2004 and was also honored by the publication as the 2004 minor pro prospect of the year. The Helsinki, Finland, native was named the starting netminder for PlanetUSA in the 2003-04 AHL All-Star Game and served as the backup goaltender for runner-up Finland in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
In recognition of his achievement, Lehtonen will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Wolves home game.
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