Peoria's Chouinard Named Sun National Bank East Coast Hockey League Saver of the Month for December

January 3, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release

The 22-year-old Chouinard was 7-1-0 with two shutouts, a 1.61 goals against average and a .940 save percentage as Peoria went 8-5-0 in December. He is 10-2-0 and leads the ECHL with three shutouts while ranking second with a 2.06 goals against average and a .846 shootout percentage and fourth with a ..928 save percentage.

Under contract to Ottawa of the National Hockey League, Chouinard opened and closed the month of December with a shutout, making 34 saves in a 2-0 win at Lexington on December 5 and making 40 saves in a 2-0 win over Dayton on December 31. Following a 3-1 loss against Wheeling on December 8, the 6-1 and 211-pound Chouinard won his next six starts and lowered his goals against average from 2.51 to 2.06 while raising his save percentage from .908 to ..928.

Selected in the first round (15th overall) by Ottawa in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Chouinard elected to return to junior hockey and was selected by the Senators in the second round (45th overall) in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

An all-star selection and a two-time Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Chouinard was 11-12-1 with a 2.48 goals against average in 25 games with Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League in 2001-02. He began his professional career in the International Hockey League with Grand Rapids in 2000-01, going 17-7-1 with a 2.64 goals against average and a .902 save percentage.

Runners Up: Rob Zepp, Florida (5-0-1, 2.00 GAA, .925 save pct.), Jamie Hodson, Greensboro (4-0-0, 2.04 GAA, ..947 save pct.) and Adam Hauser, Jackson (6-1-1, 1.71 GAA, .934 save pct.)

Others Nominated: Curtis Cruickshank (Augusta), Jeff Blair (Baton Rouge), Scott Meyer (Charlotte), Mark Kielkucki (Cincinnati), Shane Bendera (Dayton), Peter Aubry (Johnstown), Mike Smith (Lexington), Frederic Cloutier (Louisiana), Greg Gardner (Mississippi), Ron Vogel (Pee Dee), Maxime Gingras (Pensacola), Jeff Sanger (Reading), Marc Magliarditi (Richmond), Evan Lindsay (Roanoke), Kirk Daubenspeck (South Carolina), Doug Teskey (Toledo), Cody Rudkowsky (Trenton), and Mike Valley (Wheeling).

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