Zachary Fucale named CCM/AHL Player of the Week
ROOKIE NETMINDER RECORDS FIRST PRO SHUTOUT
St. John’s IceCaps Media Release
SPRINGFIELD, MA — The American Hockey League announced today that St. John’s IceCaps goaltender Zachary Fucale has been selected as the CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Feb. 14, 2016.
Fucale won each of his three starts last week while stopping 107 of 111 shots, good for a 1.32 goals-against average and a .964 save percentage.
St. John’s was outshot by a combined total of 111-60 in Fucale’s three outings but put together its first three-game winning streak of the season thanks to the rookie goaltender’s efforts. Fucale began the week by earning the first shutout of his professional career, a 39-save performance in the IceCaps’ 4-0 win over Syracuse on Tuesday. He came back the next night and made 36 stops as St. John’s defeated the Crunch in overtime, 4-3. And on Saturday night, Fucale shut down the league-leading Toronto Marlies, making 32 saves in a 3-1 victory.
A second-round choice (36th overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Fucale has improved to 13-11-3 with a 3.05 GAA and a .906 save percentage in 30 appearances for St. John’s this season. The 20-year-old rookie from Rosemere, Que., won a Memorial Cup championship with Halifax (QMJHL) in 2013 and a gold medal with Canada at the 2015 World Junior Championships.
In recognition of his achievement, Fucale will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming IceCaps home game.