Barons’ Holden named week’s best

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Cleveland Barons goaltender Jamie Holden has been named the CCM Vector/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending November 6, 2005. In three games, Holden was 3-0-0 with a 1.62 goals-against average and a .952 save percentage, stopping 100 of 105 shots to earn his first three career AHL victories.

With Nolan Schaefer and Dimitri Patzold on NHL recall to the parent San Jose Sharks, Holden was pressed into action and earned his first American Hockey League win on Tuesday evening, stopping 35 of 37 shots then going 5-for-5 in the shootout as Cleveland beat Hershey, 3-2. On Friday, Holden made 30 saves in a 4-2 victory at Rochester, and Sunday, he turned aside 35 shots as the Barons beat Syracuse, 4-1.

In recognition of his achievement, Holden will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Barons home game.

A native of Terrace, B.C., the 24-year-old Holden spent the last four seasons at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., where he led the Bobcats to the Atlantic Hockey conference regular-season title in 2004-05. In four appearances for Cleveland this season, Holden is 3-1-0 with a 2.46 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.

Other nominees for CCM Vector/AHL Player of the Week include Binghamton forward Brandon Bochenski, Bridgeport goaltender Chris Madden, Chicago forward Karl Stewart, Grand Rapids goaltender Drew MacIntyre, Hamilton forward Brad Winchester, Hartford goaltender Al Montoya, Hershey forward Jared Aulin, Houston forward Erik Westrum, Iowa forward Vojtech Polak, Lowell goaltender Vitali Kolesnik, Manitoba forward Jason Jaffray, Milwaukee forward Darren Haydar, Norfolk goaltender Adam Munro, Peoria forward Colin Hemingway, Portland forward Dustin Penner, Providence defenseman Chris Dyment, Rochester goaltender Jean-Marc Pelletier, Springfield forward Ryan Vesce, Syracuse forward Geoff Platt and Toronto forward Brad Leeb.