BEARS’ MUCHA HUSKY WHL GRAD OF THE MONTH

EDMONTON – Canada West Athletics and Western Hockey League announce that record-setting University of Alberta goaltender Kurtis Mucha is Husky-WHL men’s hockey Graduate of the Month for February after going 4-0 with four shutouts.

It marks the first time an Alberta Golden Bears student-athlete has won the honour since March 2011.

The award is voted on by all eight Canada West men’s hockey coaches. Each monthly winner throughout the season receives a $500 cheque towards the cost of education, a plaque, a letter from WHL Commissioner Ron Robison and a computer bag.

Mucha, who played mostly for the Portland Winter Hawks in the WHL before joining the Kamloops Blazers to round out his Junior hockey career, was literally perfect for Alberta during the month of February, establishing a new and ongoing Canada West record of four consecutive shutouts over 264:20 of playing time as he went 4-0 during the month.

The third-year Sherwood Park, Alta. Product, a First Team Canada West All-Star and two-time winner of the Adam Kryczka Memorial Trophy for best team goals against average in Canada West, started the shutout streak in a home game against Calgary on January 26^th and proceeded to blank Regina at home on February 1^st, UBC on the road February 8^th and Calgary twice in last weekend’s conference semifinals at Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton on February 22nd and 23^rd as he made all 55 saves. He now has 95 consecutive stops in the Golden Bears’ crease.

On the conference season, Mucha was 14-2 with a 1.30 GAA (1^st in CIS) and a .936 save percentage (1^st in CIS) and three shutouts (1^st in CW) in split time with teammate Réal Cyr. His goals against average broke a Canada West record set in 2003-04 as Alberta set a new league record by surrendering just 46 goals in 28 regular season contests.

Mucha’s honour marks the 36^th time since the award’s inception in 1989 that a member of the Golden Bears has won the monthly distinction, but first since former Bear Chad Klassen won the March 2011 award.

In 46 career Canada West regular season games dating back his freshman campaign on 2010-11, Mucha is 34-10 with a 2.14 GAA, a .921 save percentage and six shutouts. In the playoffs, he is even better, with a 6-0 record, a 0.50 GAA and .987 save percentage.

In October of 2012 it was announced that Mucha, a Science major was one of 125 Canada West student-athletes to receive a WHL scholarship for the 2012-13, among 26 University of Alberta recipients, and he has been on the WHL’s post-secondary scholarship award list three years running.

Before joining the Golden Bears, Mucha played five seasons in the WHL with Portland and, in his final season, Kamloops. In 245 career regular season WHL games he was 76-134-16 with a 3.46 GAA and nine shutouts, while in limited playoff time he was 5-10 with a 3.50 GAA and two shutouts. He also had two very brief stints in the East Coast Hockey League.

Kurtis Mucha’s career statistics, courtesy WHL Network & LeagueStat

Regular Season			GP	MP	W	L	OL/SL	Avg	SO	GA	Saves	Sv%
2004-05	Portland	WHL	2	125	0	1	0	3.85	0	8	66	.892
2005-06	Portland	WHL	32	1676	14	10	4	2.86	3	80	618	.885
2006-07	Portland	WHL	62	3613	17	41	2	3.82	1	230	1766	.885
2007-08	Portland	WHL	49	2825	9	36	2	4.10	1	193	1704	.898
2008-09	Portland	WHL	52	2825	13	29	4	3.74	2	176	1444	.891
2009-10	Portland	WHL	16	900	9	6	0	3.13	1	47	447	.905
2009-10	Kamloops	WHL	32	1744	14	11	4	3.37	1	98	863	.898
2010-11	Alberta	CW	18	1054	13	4		2.45	3	43	438	9.11
2011-12	Alberta	CW	11	666	7	4		2.88	0	32	246	.885
2012-13	Alberta	CW	17	1012	14	2		1.30	3	22	324	.936
CW Totals			46	2732	34	10		2.14	6	97	1008	.921
WHL Totals			245	13708	76	134	16	3.64	9	832	6908	.893

 

Playoffs			GP	MP	W	L	Avg	SO	GA	Saves	Sv%
2006	Portland	WHL	12	724	5	7	3.15	2	38	356	.904
2010	Kamloops	WHL	3	167	0	3	5.03	0	14	90	.865
2011	Alberta	CW	4	240	4	0	0.50	2	2	96	.980
2013	Alberta	CW	2	120	2	0	0.00	2	0	55	1.00
	CW	Playoffs	6	360	6	0	0.33	4	2	151	.987
	WHL	Playoffs	15	891	5	10	3.50	2	52	446	.896

 

Former WHL teammates include long-time New York Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky, New York Islanders prospect Nino Niederreiter, Colorado Avalanche draft pick Luke Walker, 2011 CIS Goaltender of the Year Dustin Butler of Calgary and 2013 Canada West All-Star goaltender Jordan White from UBC.

Other nominees for February’s Husky-WHL award were Dustin Butler (Calgary), Ian Duval (Manitoba) and Derek Hulak (Saskatchewan).

“HUSKY, proud sponsor of the WHL Education Program & the Canada West men’s hockey Graduate of the Month”