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AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Stingy Griffins Trio Earns "Hap" Holmes Award

April 8, 2002 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


Grand Rapids, MI - Grand Rapids Griffins goaltenders Martin Prusek, Simon Lajeunesse and Mathieu Chouinard on Monday were honored as the recipients of the American Hockey League's Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award.

Since 1972, the award has been presented to the goaltender(s) appearing in at least 25 games for the team that allows the fewest goals during the regular season. In their inaugural AHL campaign, the Griffins allowed a league-low and franchise-record 178 goals, just two more than the league record for fewest goals against in an 80-game season. In the 26 seasons since the AHL went to an 80-game schedule, only the 1998-99 Rochester Americans (176 goals) held their opponents to a lower total.

Grand Rapids becomes the first team ever to split the award among three goaltenders. The spectacular trio set Griffins records with a combined 2.20 goals against average and nine shutouts.

Prusek, 26, is a leading candidate to receive the league's Aldege "Baz" Bastien Award (outstanding goaltender) this Wednesday, after becoming the first AHL netminder in 63 years to finish with a goals against average below 2.00. His 1.83 GAA was the second-lowest in league history (1.79 by Providence's Frank Brimsek in 1937-38) and crushed the franchise record (2.08 by Mike Fountain in 2000-01) by a quarter goal per game.

The sixth choice of the Ottawa Senators in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Prusek set a modern-era AHL record by posting a 0.9301 save percentage, surpassing the standard established by Rochester's Martin Biron (0.9295) three seasons ago. He finished with an 18-8-5 record and led the West Division champions with four shutouts during his first professional season in North America.

Lajeunesse, 21, wasted no time making an impact after being recalled from the East Coast Hockey League's Mobile Mysticks following an injury to Prusek in early December. He was named the AHL's Goaltender of the Month for January, posting a 7-1-3 record with two shutouts, a 1.78 goals against average and a 0.927 save percentage in 11 games.

Ottawa's second choice in the 1999 draft, Lajeunesse appeared in a total of 26 games with a 13-7-5 record, a 2.11 GAA and a 0.916 save percentage. He set a Griffins rookie record with three shutouts and finished the season just 57 minutes shy of qualifying as the third-ranked goalie in the AHL.

Chouinard, who will turn 22 on Thursday, appeared in 25 games with the Griffins before being re-assigned by Ottawa to Mobile in mid-February. The Senators' second pick in the 2000 draft, he finished with an 11-12-1 record, a 2.48 GAA, a 0.894 save percentage and two shutouts.

The Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award, which was first presented in 1948 to the goaltender with the best goals against average in the AHL, is named for "Hap" Holmes, a prominent figure in early professional hockey and an outstanding goaltender of his era.

Previous winners of the award include current NHL netminders Byron Dafoe and Olaf Kolzig (1994), Mike Dunham and Corey Schwab (1995), Manny Legace (1996) and Martin Biron (1999).

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