Ouellet Earns Player of the Week
January 6, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL) News Release
SPRINGFIELD, MA ... The American Hockey League announced today that Portland Pirates goaltender Maxime Ouellet has been named the Sher-Wood AHL Player of the Week for the period ending January 5, 2003. In four games, Ouellet stopped 134 of 138 shots in going 3-0-1 with a 0.98 goals against average, a .971 save percentage and three shutouts.
The former first-round draft pick began a run at AHL history on Monday when he made 26 saves in the Pirates' 4-0 win at Lowell. Facing his former teammates from Philadelphia the next night, Ouellet rang out 2002 with 34 stops as Portland blanked the Phantoms, 1-0. On Saturday, he turned aside 38 more shots in becoming the first player in franchise history to collect three consecutive shutouts as the Pirates defeated Hershey, 4-0. And although his shutout streak ended at 193:42 during the first period on Sunday, Ouellet finished with 36 saves to help Portland salvage a 4-4 tie with Worcester. Ouellet's scoreless streak ended less than three periods shy of Johnny Bower's AHL-record run of 249:51, accomplished in 1957.
In recognition of his achievement, Ouellet will receive a Sher-Wood leather jacket, presented to him during an on-ice ceremony prior to an upcoming game. In addition, Sher-Wood will donate five travel bags to the Casco Bay Youth Hockey Association in Ouellet's name.
The 22nd overall pick (by the Philadelphia Flyers) in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Ouellet currently ranks second in the AHL with a 2.09 GAA, first with a .939 save percentage and tied for first with four shutouts. He is 11-5-2 in 18 games this season, and 31-21-10 in 67 career AHL matches with Portland and Philadelphia. Ouellet was acquired by the Washington Capitals organization in a trade on Mar. 19, 2002.
Other players nominated for Sher-Wood AHL Player of the Week include Bridgeport left wing Jeremy Adduono, Cleveland center Pat Rissmiller, Grand Rapids center Stacy Roest, Hamilton left wing Marcel Hossa, Hershey goaltender Philippe Sauve, Houston goaltender Dieter Kochan, Lowell goaltender Patrick DesRochers, Manchester goaltender Cristobal Huet, Manitoba goaltender Alex Auld, Milwaukee left wing Darren Haydar, Norfolk defenseman Marty Wilford, Philadelphia right wing Joe Sacco, Rochester right wing Jaroslav Kristek, San Antonio center Mike Green, Springfield right wing Frank Banham, Syracuse right wing Matt Davidson, Utah right wing Jon Sim, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton right wing Tom Kostopoulos and Worcester center Justin Papineau.
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