2019-20 CHL Award Finalists: Goaltender of the Year Presented by Vaughn
The Canadian Hockey League is proud to announce the three finalists for the 2019-20 CHL Goaltender of the Year Award presented by Vaughn.
Since 1988 the award has been presented annually to the top goaltender from across the CHL.
Representing the Western Hockey League for award consideration is Dustin Wolf of the Everett Silvertips, from the Ontario Hockey League is Nico Daws of the Guelph Storm, and from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is Kevin Mandolese of the Cape Breton Eagles.
Wolf is the WHL’s Del Wilson Memorial Trophy recipient after winning 34 games for the Silvertips including a CHL best nine shutouts and led all goaltenders with a 1.88 goals-against-average and a .935 save percentage. The 19-year-old from Tustin, Calif., was a seventh round pick by the Calgary Flames in the 2019 NHL Draft and just recently signed his entry-level contract.
Daws became the OHL’s inaugural recipient of the Jim Rutherford Trophy which is now awarded to the league’s Goaltender of the Year. The 19-year-old from Burlington, Ont., won World Junior gold with Canada and is the top ranked North American goaltender for the 2020 NHL Draft after winning 23 games, posting a 2.48 goals-against-average, and leading his league with a .924 save percentage and five shutouts.
Mandolese takes first All-Star Team honours in the QMJHL having won 26 games for the Eagles posting the league’s top save percentage with a mark of .925 and the third best goals-against-average at 2.33. The 19-year-old from Blainville, Que., was chosen in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Ottawa Senators and was recently signed to an entry-level contract.
Last season Ian Scott of the Prince Albert Raiders was the award recipient winning 38 games for the WHL champions including a league-high eight shutouts along with an impressive goals-against-average of 1.83 and save percentage of .932. Michael McNiven of the Owen Sound Attack was the last OHL goaltender to win the award back in 2017, while Rimouski Oceanic netminder Philippe Desrosiers won for the QMJHL in 2015. If Wolf should win in 2020 it would be three times in the last five years for a Silvertip goaltender to be honoured following Carter Hart in 2016 and 2018 in addition to a 2017 nomination. Craig Anderson was the Storm’s last goaltender considered for the award in 2001, while the Eagles’ Ondrej Pavelec was considered in both 2006 and 2007 following Martin Houle in 2004.
The 2019-20 recipient of the CHL Goaltender of the Year Award presented by Vaughn will be announced in the coming weeks.