Winterhawks’ Farkas named WHL Vaughn Goaltender of the Month
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today that Shane Farkas of the Portland Winterhawks has been named the WHL Vaughn Goaltender of the Month for February 2019.
In five February appearances, Farkas posted a 4-0-0-1 record with a 1.00 goals-against-average. He also stopped 137 of 142 shots for a .965 save percentage and one shutout as the Winterhawks clinched a spot in the WHL Playoffs for a 10th-straight season. Among WHL goaltenders in February, Farkas ranked first in GAA, first in SV%, and tied for third in shutouts.
Farkas’ month began on the right foot as the goaltender stopped all 24 shots against the B.C. Division Champion Vancouver Giants. He allowed a single goal in each of his next two starts, including a 38-save performance in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers. Farkas’ month also featured a second win against the Giants north of the border.
He then capped off his month with a dominant performance against the Seattle Thunderbirds where he stopped all 22 shots in a come-from-behind victory as the Winterhawks erased a 3-0 deficit to earn a shootout victory.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound product of Penticton, B.C. has raised his game throughout the entire season. In 47 games, the 19-year-old has a 29-10-3-3 record, 2.69 GAA, 0.907 SV%, and four shutouts. Farkas is tied for third in the WHL for shutouts and is fifth in league for wins. For his WHL career, Farkas has appeared in 81 games, posting a 46-22-3-4 record, 2.95 GAA, 0.903 SV%, and seven shutouts.
He’s also appeared in 71 minutes of WHL Playoff action over the previous two seasons, sporting a 1.68 GAA and 0.946 SV%. Farkas was originally selected in fourth round, 67th overall, of the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft by the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Farkas and the Winterhawks return to action Friday, March 1 (7:00 p.m. PT) when they play host to the Spokane Chiefs at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
WHL Vaughn Goaltender of the Month
February: Shane Farkas, Portland Winterhawks
January: Todd Scott, Edmonton Oil Kings
December: Dustin Wolf, Everett Silvertips
November: Ian Scott, Prince Albert Raiders
September/October: Ian Scott, Prince Albert Raiders
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.