By: Mason Detre
Ottawa, Ontario – The Central Canada Hockey League Tier 2 is proud to announced that Ottawa Jr. Canadians ’99 born goalie Ryan Whitehurst is named the 2018-19 CCHL2 Goaltender of the Year.
Whitehurst, 19, becomes the first CCHL2 goalie to win back-to-back Goaltender of the Year awards and to be on the 1st All Star team for the second consecutive seasons. The Ottawa, Ontario native led all goalies in Wins (25), Goals Against Average (1.89), Save Percentage % (.928), and shutouts (5).
Ottawa Jr. Canadians Assistant Coach Stuart Battrick said they have Junior A level goaltender.
“At the beginning of the year Ryan wanted to be a starter at the Junior A level. As a coaching staff we knew there was a possibility this could happen, and we knew if it did he would have the potential to run with it and do well. The reason why we thought he may do well is for the same reasons he is so successful at the Junior B level. His practice habits are amazing. He’ll make every effort to keep every single puck out of the net during practice. It’s safe to say that it is just as hard to score on him in practice as it is in a game. His work ethic is amazing, and his athleticism keeps him in every battle to stop pucks.”
Battrick is also said he is very proud of the way that Whitehurst has played this year.
“Beyond the ice surface, Ryan is a great personality. He always comes to the rink with a smile on his face, and he could brighten any dressing room. He makes hockey fun and he’s a pleasure to coach and be around. With all the attention the team is getting as a whole it’s easy to downplay his role, but the truth of the matter is that he’s a stellar goalie and we wouldn’t have such success without him. It’s great to see that he’s getting recognized with this well deserved award.
Whitehurst had the lowest goals-against-average (1.89) in single season CCHL2 history and tied the record for shutouts (5) in a season.
The Ottawa Jr. Canadians finished 1st in the league for the first time since 2012-13 season. They’ll face Alexandria or Char-Lan in the Barkley Cup Quarter-Finals.
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