Canadiens recall AHL-leading goaltender

The Montreal Canadiens on Thursday announced that the club has recalled goaltender Jaroslav Halak from the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League.

The Bulldogs also announced that they have summoned netminder Cedrick Desjardins from the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL.

Halak, 21, has appeared in 28 games with Hamilton this season, posting a 16-11-0 record. The native of Bratislava, Slovakia, leads the AHL in goals-against average (2.00), is second overall in save percentage (.932) and is tied for a league-best in shutouts (6).

Halak is already the Bulldogs’ franchise leader with nine career shutouts in only 41 games, and also currently holds Hamilton’s record for most shutouts in a single season with six.

Earlier this season, the 5-foot-11, 181-pound goaltender started for PlanetUSA at the 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic in Toronto, and was named the Rbk X-Pulse/AHL Goaltender of the Month for November.

Halak, who has yet to play a game in the National Hockey League, was selected by Montreal in the ninth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Desjardins, 21, has posted an 18-12-1 record, a 2.50 goals-against average, a save percentage of .919 and four shutouts in 31 contests with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones this season. The 6-foot, 183-pound netminder won the Memorial Cup with the Quebec Remparts in 2006, while ranking first in shutouts (5), fifth in wins (28), seventh in save percentage (.906) and 10th in goals against average (2.95) in 41 games that season in the QMJHL.

Desjardins, a native of Edmunston, N.B., signed a two-year AHL contract with Hamilton on July 26th, 2006, and has yet to play a game for the Bulldogs.