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AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

MacDonald named AHL player of the week

February 16, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


Grand Rapids, Mich. - Grand Rapids Griffins goaltender Joey MacDonald has been named the Sher-Wood American Hockey League Player of the Week for the period ending Feb. 15, the league announced today. The 24-year-old native of Pictou, Nova Scotia, recorded a pair of shutouts over the weekend after taking the starting reins from Marc Lamothe, who was recalled by the Detroit Red Wings last Thursday.

After making 22 saves in a 4-0 win over Manitoba on Friday, MacDonald became the first goalie in Griffins history to notch three straight home shutouts on Saturday, when he turned aside all 35 shots in a 3-0 victory against Houston.

Combined with his 5-0 win over San Antonio on Jan. 23, MacDonald has stopped all 83 shots faced over his last three Van Andel Arena appearances, compiling a team-record shutout streak of 194:41 on home ice.

MacDonald, who is unbeaten in his last seven starts (6-0-1) and owns a stellar 13-2-3 record overall this season, now leads the Griffins and ranks among the AHL's best with a 0.806 winning percentage (1st), a 0.939 save percentage (4th) and a 1.87 goals against average (5th). His save percentage is currently nine points higher than the single-season franchise record set by Martin Prusek (0.930) in 2001-02, and his GAA is just 0.04 off Prusek's standard (1.83) from that same season.

MacDonald becomes the second Griffin this season and the fifth all-time to be named AHL Player of the Week, joining forward Nathan Robinson (Dec. 22, 2003), Lamothe (Nov. 18, 2002), forward Kip Miller (Jan. 14, 2002) and forward Petr Schastlivy (Nov. 19, 2001).

In recognition of his achievement, MacDonald will receive a Sher-Wood leather jacket during an on-ice ceremony before an upcoming game. In addition, Sher-Wood will donate five travel bags to the Grand Rapids Griffins Youth Foundation's Home Ice Program in MacDonald's name.

MacDonald will be between the Griffins' pipes again tonight when they visit the Toyota Center for an 8 p.m. start against the Houston Aeros. He will look to continue his incredible success on the road, where he is 8-1-2 with a 2.17 GAA and a 0.933 save percentage this season, and 19-3-2 with a 2.09 GAA and a 0.928 save percentage over his two campaigns with Grand Rapids.

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