|
Mike Murphy Named OHL Goaltender of the Year
Belleville Bulls netminder Mike Murphy was named the 2007-2008 OHL Goaltender of the Year on Thursday. Murphy becomes just the second Bulls goaltender in franchise history to win this award, joining Jeff Fife who did so during the 1989-1990 season.
 |
The award is one more achievement in what has been a truly outstanding season for Murphy to date. In his first season as the Bulls starting goaltender, the Inverary, Ontario native finished the regular season with a 36-7-3-1 record along with a 2.24 goals against average and .929 save percentage while also adding three shutouts. Murphy led the league in both GAA and SV% while his 36 wins were second best in the OHL and a new Bulls franchise record. He also set new team records for best GAA and SV% in a season.
|
Murphy represented the Eastern Conference at the 2008 OHL All-Star Classic in February and was twice named the OHL’s Goaltender of the Month. He was also selected as the ‘Most Improved Player’ in the annual Eastern Conference Coaches Poll. Murphy’s terrific regular season helped the Bulls set new team records for most wins (48), points (102), and fewest goals against in a single season (175).
The OHL Goaltender of the Year is awarded to the league’s most outstanding goaltender as selected by OHL coaches and general managers. Teams were not permitted to vote for a goaltender from their own hockey club. Goaltenders received five points for a first place vote, three points for a second place vote and one point for a third place vote.
Murphy received 54 points in the voting process, followed by Steve Mason of the Kitchener Rangers, who received 47 points. Thomas McCollum of the Guelph Storm finished third with 39 points.
Murphy will be formally presented with the award during the 2007-08 OHL Awards Ceremony, which will be held on Wednesday June 4 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
In other Bulls award news, General Manager and Head Coach George Burnett finished third in the OHL Coach of the Year voting.
Photo: Jeff Boyce
|
