Blades goalie Evan Gardner awarded WHL Goaltender of the Week
Saskatoon, SK – Saskatoon Blades netminder Evan Gardner has been named Western Hockey League (WHL) Goaltender of the Week for the week ending March 16, the league announced Monday.
The Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick went a perfect 3-0 with back-to-back shutouts to conclude the week. Gardner stopped 80 of 83 shots across three starts, sporting a .964 save percentage (SV%) and 1.00 goals against average to help Saskatoon remain tied for the East Division lead with the Brandon Wheat Kings at 79 points.
After missing a month of action due to a lower-body injury, Gardner hasn’t missed a beat since returning in early March. Starting the first game of a three-game road swing, the 2006-born netminder helped the Blades to a 6-3 win Tuesday, March 11 at the Brandt Centre with 28 saves on 31 shots.
The 6-foot-1 netminder blanked the Swift Current Broncos Friday, March 14 at InnovationPlex in 3-0 fashion. Gardner picked up his second shutout of the season with a 29-save performance, tying him for the fourth-most in Blades franchise history with six in his WHL career.
Trailing the Wheat Kings by two points in the East Division with a game in-hand, Gardner recorded his second consecutive shutout after a 23 save-performance Sunday at home against the Pats. The victory moved the sophomore netminder into third-place alongside Braden Holtby for all-time shutouts in franchise history with seven. The win also set a new career-high in wins with 22.
The product of Fort St. John, BC, is 22-12-3-1 this season with a 2.83 GAA, .911 SV%, and three shutouts. Gardner was originally selected in the third round (53rd overall) of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft. The Blue Jackets drafted Gardner 60th overall in the second round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft in Las Vegas, NV.
Gardner’s made an immediate impact on and off the ice since breaking in the WHL in 2023-24. The Blades’ 2021 third-round pick went 21-5-0-2 in his rookie season to seize the starting job, help Saskatoon clinch the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as regular season champions, and backstop the squad to Game 7 of the 2024 Eastern Conference Championship. Gardner also lives with Type-1 diabetes and has been a fierce advocate for awareness while raising thousands of dollars to benefit other young people impacted by diabetes in Saskatchewan. He was nominated for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy for WHL Rookie of the Year and the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy for WHL Humanitarian of the Year in 2024.
The Blades (36-22-3-4) battle for sole possession of first place in the East Division on Wednesday when they venture to Westoba Place to take on the Wheat Kings. Puck drop is 6:00pm CST.
Saskatoon concludes their regular season with a weekend home-and-home series against the Prince Albert Raiders. First is Fan Appreciation Night at SaskTel Centre on Friday, March 21, followed by the regular season finale the following night at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert. Puck drop for both games is 7:00pm CST.
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