Former Cowichan Valley Capitals netminder Chris Rawlings was selected as the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
The North Delta, B.C. native helped Northeastern to its first victory under new coach Jim Madigan in shutout style, blanking New Hampshire, 4-0, on Friday night at Matthews Arena.
Rawlings’ shutout tied a Huskies’ career record as the 6-foot-5 backstopper matched another former BCHLer Brad Thiessen’s (2006-09) overall standard of nine shutouts. It took Rawlings only 69 appearances to tie Thiessen’s record. Thiessen recorded his ninth shutout in his 104th-career game, giving Rawlings the edge in reaching nine shutouts by 35-career appearances.
Monday’s award stands as Rawlings’ sixth Hockey East decoration for his career as the third-year netminder has collected Defensive Player of the Week laurels on four occasions.
Rawlings’ first shutout of the season stood as just the third-ever blanking of New Hampshire in program history and the first shutout over the Wildcats in almost 50 years.
In the BCHL, Rawlings played for Salmon Arm, Powell River and Cowichan Valley posting career marks of 87-59-4, a 3.31 goals-against average, .896 save percentage and eight shutouts in 160 games.
