SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Utica Comets goaltender Jacob Markstrom has been selected as the CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Oct. 26, 2014.
Markstrom continued his remarkable start to the 2014-15 season by stopping all 56 opponent shots in a pair of Comets victories last week.
Entering the week with just one goal against in two games, Markstrom got the call in Utica’s home opener on Wednesday night and made 29 saves to backstop the Comets to a 3-0 win over Adirondack. Then on Saturday, Markstrom turned aside 27 shots for his third consecutive shutout as Utica blanked Toronto, 4-0.
For the season, Markstrom has stopped 108 of the first 109 shots he has faced, good for a 4-0-0 record, a 0.25 goals-against average and a .991 save percentage. His current shutout streak of 232 minutes, 13 seconds, is less than two periods shy of the all-time AHL record held by Barry Brust (268:17).
A second-round pick (31st overall) by Florida in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Markstrom owns a record of 65-58-7 with a 2.57 GAA, a .919 save percentage and 10 shutouts in 135 career AHL appearances with Utica, San Antonio and Rochester. The 24-year-old native of Gavle, Sweden, has also played 47 games in the National Hockey League with Florida and Vancouver. Markstrom was acquired by the Canucks in the Mar. 4, 2014, trade that sent Roberto Luongo to the Panthers.
In recognition of his achievement, Markstrom will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Comets home game.
