SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Jonathan Bernier of the Manchester Monarchs has been named the Reebok/AHL Goaltender of the Month for October. Bernier was 6-1-0 in seven appearances on the month, with a 1.29 goals-against average, a .963 save percentage and two shutouts.
Bernier began the 2009-10 season by making 35 saves in Manchester’s 6-3 win at Albany on Oct. 3, then stopped a career-high 41 shots in a 2-1 win at Norfolk on Oct. 9. Bernier shut down the defending Calder Cup champions with a 34-save performance in a 2-1 victory at Hershey on Oct. 11, then put together a shutout streak of 160 minutes and 35 seconds which included consecutive blankings of Portland (29 saves) on Oct. 17 and Bridgeport (40 saves) on Oct. 23. Bernier closed out October by stopping 28 of 29 shots in a 2-1 win over Providence on Oct. 30.
In recognition of his achievement, Bernier will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Monarchs home game.
Bernier, who was also the AHL’s Goaltender of the Month for March 2009, enters the week at 6-2-0, ranking fifth in the AHL with his 1.49 GAA, third with his .956 save percentage and tied for the league lead in victories (6) and shutouts (2) in eight appearances. Los Angeles’s first-round pick (11th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, the 21-year-old native of Laval, Que., went 23-24-4 with a 2.40 GAA and five shutouts in 54 games as a rookie with Manchester in 2008-09. He made his pro debut with the Kings at the start of the 2007-08 season, playing in four NHL games.
Other nominees for Reebok/AHL Goaltender of the Month include Adirondack’s Johan Backlund, Albany’s Justin Peters, Binghamton’s Andy Chiodo, Chicago’s Manny Legace, Grand Rapids’ Daniel Larsson, Hamilton’s Curtis Sanford, Hershey’s Jason Bacashihua, Lake Erie’s Tyler Weiman, Lowell’s Mike McKenna, Manitoba’s Cory Schneider, Norfolk’s Dustin Tokarski, Rochester’s Alexander Salak, Rockford’s Corey Crawford, San Antonio’s Al Montoya, Springfield’s Devan Dubnyk, Syracuse’s Dan LaCosta, Texas’s Brent Krahn, Toronto’s Joey MacDonald, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s John Curry and Worcester’s Alex Stalock.
