Blue Jackets prospect Gardner named WHL Goaltender of the Week
Calgary, Alta. – Saskatoon Blades netminder Evan Gardner has been named WHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending Sunday, March 16, 2025, the Western Hockey League announced Monday.
This marks the second time Gardner has snapped up the weekly award this season, in addition to a WHL Goaltender of the Month nod in November.
The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect led all WHL netminders with a 3-0-0-0 record, a 1.00 goals-against average, a .964 save percentage and back-to-back shutouts to keep pace in the East Division playoff race.
Gardner kicked off the week with a 28-save performance as the Blades doubled up the rival Regina Pats 6-3 on March 11. Saskatoon never trailed in the game and one of Regina’s goals came on the powerplay.
His top performance of the week came in a 3-0 shutout of the Swift Current Broncos on the road. The 6-foot-1, 177-pound netminder battled through 29 shots in front of a packed house to seal the win and first-star honours. Gardner and the Blades also held the Broncos scoreless on two powerplay opportunities to temporarily prevent their East Division foes from clinching a postseason berth.
Gardner closed things out with another pristine performance as the Blades blanked Regina 4-0 at the SaskTel Centre. The 19-year-old stopped all 23 shots he faced. He joins former WHL weekly award winners Burke Hood (Vancouver Giants), Daniel Hauser (Calgary Hitmen) and Jordan Switzer (Medicine Hat Tigers) as the only netminders to post consecutive shutouts this season.
The Fort St. John, B.C. product is 22-12-3-1 in his sophomore campaign with a 2.83 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage and three shutouts.
He’s tied for seventh among all WHL netminders in GAA, fourth in save percentage and fourth in clean sheets.
Gardner has 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 Columbus Blue Jackets called his name 60th overall in the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
Saskatoon (36-22-3-4, 79 points) is in a dead heat with the Brandon Wheat Kings (36-22-4-3, 79 points) and Prince Albert Raiders (36-23-5-1, 78 points) for the East Division lead and the second seed in the Eastern Conference leading into the 2025 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien.
The Blades face off against the Wheat Kings in Brandon on Wednesday, March 19 before closing out the regular-season slate with a home-and-away set against the Raiders on Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22.
2024-25 WHL Goaltender of the Week
September 23, 2024: Koen Cleaver, Lethbridge Hurricanes
September 30, 2024: Ethan Eskit, Brandon Wheat Kings
October 7, 2024: Spencer Michnik, Victoria Royals
October 15, 2024: Harrison Meneghin, Medicine Hat Tigers (Tampa Bay Lightning)
October 21, 2024: Evan Gardner, Saskatoon Blades (Columbus Blue Jackets)
October 28, 2024: Jesse Sanche, Everett Silvertips
November 4, 2024: Carson Bjarnason, Brandon Wheat Kings (Philadelphia Flyers)
November 11, 2024: Nathan Preston, Tri-City Americans
November 18, 2024: Dawson Cowan, Spokane Chiefs
November 25, 2024: Alex Worthington, Edmonton Oil Kings
December 2, 2024: Anders Miller, Calgary Hitmen
December 9, 2024: Raiden LeGall, Everett Silvertips
December 16, 2024: Jackson Unger, Lethbridge Hurricanes
December 23, 2024: Max Hildebrand, Prince Albert Raiders
December 30, 2024: Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George Cougars
January 6, 2025: Burke Hood, Vancouver Giants
January 13, 2025: Jayden Kraus, Victoria Royals
January 20, 2025: Harrison Meneghin, Medicine Hat Tigers (Tampa Bay Lightning)
January 27, 2025: Harrison Meneghin, Medicine Hat Tigers (Tampa Bay Lightning)
February 3, 2025: Max Hildebrand, Prince Albert Raiders
February 10, 2025: Johnny Hicks, Victoria Royals
February 18, 2025: Scott Ratzlaff, Seattle Thunderbirds (Buffalo Sabres)
February 24, 2025: Daniel Hauser, Calgary Hitmen
March 3, 2025: Daniel Hauser, Calgary Hitmen
March 10, 2025: Burke Hood, Vancouver Giants
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 offers a world-class player experience featuring three key cornerstones: hockey development, education, and a safe and positive environment for all participants. A diverse and inclusive organization, the WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 16 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 close to 60 years. The WHL is also a 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.
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