SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The American Hockey League announced today that Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the recipients of the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award for the 2016-17 season.
Since 1972, the award has been presented to the goaltender(s) with at least 25 games played on the team which allows the fewest goals per game in the regular season.
The Penguins allowed an average of 2.24 goals per game in 2016-17 and captured the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the AHL’s overall regular-season champions with a record of 51-20-3-2 (107 points, .704). Wilkes-Barre/Scranton finished with the fewest goals against in the AHL for the fifth time in the last seven seasons.
Jarry, a second-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2013, went 28-15-2 in 45 appearances for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2016-17. The 21-year-old native of Delta, B.C., ranked third in the league in victories, fourth with a 2.15 goals-against average and sixth with a .925 save percentage. Jarry also participated in the 2017 AHL All-Star Classic and made his National Hockey League debut with Pittsburgh on Apr. 9.
DeSmith, who last week was named to the 2016-17 AHL All-Rookie Team, went 21-5-3 in 29 games with the Penguins and posted a league-best 2.01 goals-against average while ranking second with a .926 save percentage. The 25-year-old from Rochester, N.H., signed as a free agent with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on July 5, 2016, after helping the club reach the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs on a tryout contract last spring.
The Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award, which was first awarded in 1948 to the goaltender with the best goals-against average in the AHL, is named for Hockey Hall of Famer Harry “Hap” Holmes, a prominent figure in early professional hockey and an outstanding goaltender of his time. Previous Penguins to win the award are Brad Thiessen (2011, 2013), John Curry (2011), Jeff Zatkoff (2013, 2015), Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers (2014), Eric Hartzell (2014), Jeff Zatkoff (2105) and Matt Murray (2015).
The Penguins are preparing for the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, where they’ll take on the Providence Bruins. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton kicks off its postseason schedule next Friday, Apr. 21, at Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will return for its first home game of the playoffs on Thursday, Apr. 27.
Individual game tickets for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton home playoff games go on sale this coming Monday, Apr. 17 at 10:00 a.m. and can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza box office, through all Ticketmaster outlets, or by contacting the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.
Penguins postseason ticket packages, which include tickets to every home contest during the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs, are on sale now. With the purchase of a postseason ticket package, fans will receive a $6 food/merchandise voucher for every home game in the playoffs, as well as their same seat guaranteed. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton fans can secure their seats for every home game on the Cup run by contacting the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.
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