Blue Jackets prospect Gardner named Mary Brown’s Chicken WHL Goaltender of the Week

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today Saskatoon Blades netminder and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Evan Gardner has been named Mary Brown’s Chicken WHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending Sunday, October 12, 2025.

Gardner, a 19-year-old product of Fort St. John, B.C., went 2-0-0-0 with a 0.50 goals-against average, .979 save percentage, and one shutout, helping the Blades to three consecutive wins this past week.

The 6-foot-1, 181-pound puckstopper’s first appearance of the week came Tuesday, October 7, as the Blades defeated the Vancouver Giants by a 6-1 margin. Gardner was steady, turning aside 15 of 16 shots to backstop Saskatoon.

Gardner saved his best performance of the week for Saturday, October 11, making 32 saves in a 3-0 victory over the visiting Kamloops Blazers. After the Blades built a commanding 3-0 advantage in the first period, Gardner was put to the test with 16 shots in the second period. He turned aside everything in the second period barrage, plus another seven shots in the third period as the visitors pressed to get on the board. Gardner was named first star of the game for his performance

Gardner has appeared in six games to start 2025-26, going 5-1-0-0 with a 1.56 GAA, .942 SV%, and one shutout. He sits among the WHL leaders in most major goaltending categories, including wins (T-2nd), GAA (third), and SV% (fourth).

Gardner was selected by the Blue Jackets in the second round (60th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft. Following his selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, Gardner put forward a career campaign, going 23-13-4-1 with a 2.82 GAA, .911 SV%, and three shutouts in 44 appearances with the Blades last season.

Originally selected by the Blades in the third round (53rd overall) of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, Gardner owns a career record of 49-19-4-3 with a 2.39 GAA, .919 SV%, and eight shutouts.

Having won five consecutive games, the Blades are 7-2-0-0 to start the season and rank among the leaders in the Eastern Conference. Next up, the Blades face the Moose Jaw Warriors (4-3-1-0) this weekend in a home-and-home series that begins Friday, October 17 (7 p.m. MT), at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon.

Mary Brown’s Chicken WHL Goaltender of the Week

September 22, 2025: Ethan Eskit, Victoria Royals
September 29, 2025: Logan Edmonstone, Kamloops Blazers
October 6, 2025: Parker Snell, Edmonton Oil Kings

About the Western Hockey League

Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 23 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.