Winterhawks’ Hofer named WHL Vaughn Goaltender of the Month
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today that Joel Hofer of the Portland Winterhawks has been named the WHL Vaughn Goaltender of the Month for November 2019.
A prospect of the St. Louis Blues, Hofer played 685 minutes in the month of November, posting an 8-2-1-0 record, 1.75 goals-against average, 0.944 SV%, and one shutout. Hofer’s strong month allowed the Winterhawks to move into a tie with the Everett Silvertips for first place in the U.S. Division. The Silvertips, Winterhawks, and Kamloops Blazers are all tied in the lead for the Western Conference with 35 points each.
Hofer’s month saw him post his second shutout of the season and the sixth of his WHL career in a 22-save effort against the Saskatoon Blades. Appearing in 12 games, Hofer allowed one or fewer goals in eight of those contests. The 6-foot-5, 172-pound goaltender also went 6-0-1-0 on home ice, improving his home record to 10-0-1-0 this season.
At the start of the month, Hofer was recognized as the WHL Eli Wilson Goaltending Goaltender of the Week for the week ending November 3, 2019. He was also recognized as the first star of the game on six occasions throughout the month, also earning second star honours once. He was named the WHL’s second star of the night once.
The 19-year-old product of Winnipeg, Man. was chosen by the Blues in the fourth round, 107th overall, of the 2018 NHL Draft. This season, Hofer has compiled a 16-4-1-1 record, 1.92 GAA, 0.935 SV%, and two shutouts in 23 games with Portland. Originally listed by the Swift Current Broncos, Hofer has appeared in 90 WHL regular season games between the Broncos and Winterhawks, posting a 39-36-4-3 record, 3.04 GAA, 0.914 SV%, and six shutouts.
Continuing a four-game road trip, Hofer and the Winterhawks will take to the ice on Tuesday, December 3 (8:00 p.m. PT) against the Prince George Cougars at the CN Centre.
WHL Vaughn Goaltender of the Month
November: Joel Hofer, Portland Winterhawks
September/October: Dustin Wolf, Everett Silvertips
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, WHLplayers also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.