Hauser sets ICE franchise wins mark

All he does is win, and Sunday evening, Winnipeg ICE netminder Daniel Hauser’s penchant for earning points in the WHL standings helped him etch his name in the Club’s history books.

Hauser’s 29-save effort in a 6-1 win over the Prince Albert Raiders Sunday served as his 37th win of the 2022-23 WHL season, setting a new franchise record for victories by a goaltender in a single regular season.

The previous mark of 36 wins was set by Wyatt Hoflin, who appeared in a Club record 67 games for the Kootenay ICE in 2014-15.

“If not the best, he’s one of the best in the League, and one of the most consistent goalies I’ve seen,” Winnipeg head coach James Patrick noted after Sunday’s contest.

“It’s a fantastic milestone, even to get it as an 18-year-old. He’s got a lot of hockey left, and hopefully a lot of hockey left this year,” Patrick added.

Hauser’s career numbers are eye-popping. The product of Chestermere, Alta. owns a career 78-7-3-0 record over his 90 appearances with the ICE; he averages a shutout every nine games too.

The 19-year-old set a new Canadian Hockey League mark in 2021-22 for the longest winning streak to start a major junior career, posting a 20-0-2-0 record over his first 22 career starts.

As Winnipeg (55-9-1-0) gears up for the 2023 WHL Playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and potentially the top seed overall when the 16-team post-season tournament begins next week, Hauser appears intent on helping the ICE go after a fourth WHL Championship in Club history.

With tonight’s win, Daniel Hauser has now set a new ICE franchise record for Most Wins in a single season! pic.twitter.com/QYsKrT9r1q

— Winnipeg ICE (@WHLWpgICE) March 20, 2023