Grosenick wins Baz Bastien Award

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Troy Grosenick of the San Jose Barracuda is the winner of the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding goaltender for the 2016-17 season.

The award is voted on by coaches, players and members of the media in each of the league’s 30 cities.

Named a 2016-17 First Team AHL All-Star last week, Grosenick has a record of 30-9-3 in 46 appearances for San Jose this season, ranking second in the league in wins (30), goals-against average (1.98) and save percentage (.930). He is also just the fifth goaltender in AHL history to reach double digits in shutouts in a single season (10) and he put together a scoreless stretch of more than 248 minutes from Nov. 19 to Dec. 18. Grosenick enters the final week of the regular season with a 21-1-1 mark (1.74, .936, 5 SO) in his last 23 decisions – including a 17-0-1 stretch from Jan. 25 to Mar. 18 – leading a second-half surge that has sent the Barracuda to the Pacific Division title and the best record in the Western Conference.

Grosenick has been named CCM/AHL Player of the Week twice this season and was the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month for February. He is also the Barracuda’s team winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the local community.

A native of Brookfield, Wis., Grosenick signed with the San Jose Sharks in 2013 following three seasons at Union College. In 145 career AHL games with San Jose and Worcester, he has posted a record of 79-46-10 with a 2.53 GAA, a .910 save percentage and 13 shutouts. Grosenick has also appeared in two NHL games with the Sharks, earning a shutout in his debut at Carolina on Nov. 16, 2014.

The Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award, which was first presented in 1984, honors former Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Baz Bastien, who played four seasons in goal with the AHL’s Pittsburgh Hornets (1945-49) before suffering a career-ending eye injury. Bastien would go on to serve as head coach and general manager of the Hornets, leading them to the 1967 Calder Cup championship. Previous winners of the award include Jon Casey (1985), Sam St. Laurent (1986), Mark Laforest (1987, 1991), Felix Potvin (1992), Corey Hirsch (1993), Manny Legace (1996), Martin Biron (1999), Dwayne Roloson (2001), Jason LaBarbera (2004, 2007), Ryan Miller (2005), Michael Leighton (2008), Cory Schneider (2009), Jonathan Bernier (2010), Jake Allen (2014), Matt Murray (2015) and Peter Budaj (2016).

In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 2016-17 regular season ends Saturday, and then 16 clubs will continue to vie for the league’s coveted championship trophy when the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs get underway next week.

The winner of the 2016-17 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award (AHL man of the year) will be announced Tuesday.