Broncos’ Skinner named Vaughn WHL Goaltender of the Month
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today that Swift Current Broncos goaltender Stuart Skinner has been named the Vaughn WHL Goaltender of the Month for April 2018.
Skinner, who was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the third round, 78th overall, of the 2017 NHL Draft, was a force for the Broncos in helping them emerge from the Eastern Conference to reach the 2018 Rogers WHL Championship Series for the fourth time in franchise history.
In the month of April, Skinner posted a 9-5 record with two overtime losses, 2.13 goals-against-average and stopped 437 of 470 shots for a .930 save percentage while also recording three shutouts during the calendar month.
Skinner’s month began on the high of a Game Seven, downing the 2018 Mastercard Memorial Cup host Regina Pats to close out Round One of the 2018 WHL Playoffs. He’d go on to win a seven game series against the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy Champion Moose Jaw Warriors, recording three straight shutouts at Mosaic Place.
The former Lethbridge Hurricanes goaltender then took on his former team in the Eastern Conference Championship, downing them in a six-game series. With his win in Game Six in southern Alberta, Skinner became the first and only goaltender to beat the Hurricanes at home during the 2018 WHL Playoffs.
Among goaltenders who played at least 100 minutes, Skinner led the league in GAA and SV% while also leading the league in wins and shutouts during the month. He was once named the first star of the game, named the second star of the game three times and the third star of the game once. He was recognized as the WHL’s first star of the night on one occasion and the third star of the night on four separate occasions. Skinner was also named the WHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending April 22.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound product of Edmonton, Alta. has appeared in 20 games during the 2018 WHL Playoffs, maintaining a 12-8 record with two overtime losses, a 2.32 GAA, .927 SV% and four shutouts. In 44 career WHL Playoffs games, Skinner has a 23-21 record with five overtime losses, 2.78 GAA, .918 SV% and four shutouts.
Originally selected by the Hurricanes in the first round, 17th overall, of the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft, Skinner has appeared in 207 career WHL regular season games with the Hurricanes and Broncos, maintaining a 104-72-9-6 record, 3.22 GAA, .908 SV% and 12 shutouts.
Now just four wins away from reaching the 2018 Mastercard Memorial Cup, Skinner and the Broncos will take to the ice in Game One of the 2018 Rogers WHL Championship Series Friday, May 4 (7:00 p.m. MT) in Swift Current, Sask. when they play host to the Everett Silvertips.
Vaughn WHL Goaltender of the Month
April: Stuart Skinner, Swift Current Broncos
March: Carter Hart, Everett Silvertips
February: Riley Lamb, Red Deer Rebels
January: Carter Hart, Everett Silvertips
December: Carter Hart, Everett Silvertips
November: Carter Hart, Everett Silvertips
September/October: Logan Flodell, Swift Current Broncos
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 22 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and five 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 350 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.