Vancouver Giants netminder Brett Mirwald has been named WHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending February 18, 2024. The announcement was made Tuesday, Feb. 20.
It’s the fourth time Mirwald has earned the award this season, more than any other goaltender.
The 20-year-old posted a 2-0-0-0 record against Western Conference opponents, putting up a 1.00 goals-against average and .971 save percentage.
VIDEO: A fatigued Vancouver Giants pull off a win at home against Spokane
Mirwald allowed one power play goal in a 5-1 victory against Victoria on February 14. The second-year Giants goalie turned aside 31 of 32 shots to earn third star of the night.
He was called on again for what might be the most significant game of the Giants’ season two nights later, as the Western Conference-leading Portland Winterhawks rolled into the Langley Events Centre with a chance to clinch a playoff berth. Mirwald was in top form, denying Winterhawks Captain Gabe Klassen on a breakaway in a hectic first period that saw Portland pepper Vancouver with 17 shots, but come away scoreless. Mirwald would end up stopping 37 of 38 shots in a dramatic 3-1 Giants win and be named first star for the seventh time this season.
The win saw Vancouver extend its point streak to 10 games (9-0-1-0) and move within striking distance of second place in the B.C. Division.
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The 6-foot-1, 180-pound goaltender now sports a 24-17-2-0 record to continue his standout season. In his last 16 games, he is 13-2-1 with a .928 save percentage.Mirwald has trimmed his goals-against average to 3.07 and ratcheted up his save percentage to .915. He’s made the most saves of any WHL goalie this season (1389, as of February 18), while playing the second-most minutes (2524) and making more starts this season than the last three combined.
Mirwald also helped the Giants double up the Spokane Chiefs on Monday, February 19, which does not count towards this weekly award.
Vancouver returns to the ice on Feb. 23 to take on the Rockets (25-28-3-0) in Kelowna.