SATURDAY was clearly not just another day for Carter Hutton.
The Thunder Bay native began his journey by being recalled by the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League where he would serve as back-up to Antti Niemi’s and his 2-0 shutout over the Boston Bruins in an afternoon matinee at the TD Garden.
Following the contest he was quickly reassigned to the Sharks American Hockey League affiliate in nearby Worcester, Mass., where he would get the start that night vs. Boston’s AHL farm club, the Providence Bruins.
In that match-up Hutton would stop all 20 shots he faced to register his first professional shutout in an identical 2-0 victory.
The 25-year-old netminder capped off his whirlwind adventure by being named the game’s first star for his efforts.
Hutton, who was signed by San Jose in the offseason following a standout collegiate career at UMass-Lowell, has a respectable 5-3-2 record in his rookie AHL campaign with a 2.97 goals-against average.
BULLDOG BITES: While he may not have been the one most people were talking about after the game, Travis Oleksuk did make a vital contribution for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs in their decision Saturday over arch-rival Minnesota.
Just after having a goal disallowed following video review late in the third period Oleksuk would strike again scoring 31 seconds later, notching the game-winning marker, in an eventual 6-4 UMD triumph.
Of the 11 tallies the junior forward has netted so far this season, six have been the deciding goal, which leads the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and is a tie for the second most in the NCAA.
Most of the accolades after the game would however go to Oleksuk’s teammate Mike Connolly who would tie a nearly 40-year old school record by notching the other five goals in the contest, including an empty netter, to match the mark set back in 1972.
Meanwhile the Bulldogs women’s hockey program completed a two-game weekend sweep over Minnesota State-Mankato without the services of their leading scorer, Haley Irwin.
The standout junior forward and Olympic gold medalist has been out the UMD line-up the past four games as well as five of the last six with an undisclosed injury, but still leads the team in scoring with 37 points in just 19 games.
Despite her recent absence she also remains in the top 10 in nearly every offensive category in the WCHA’s women’s conference.
NHL NUMBERS: A number of local products competing in the NHL are closing in on some milestones.
Already in his seventh NHL campaign Eric Staal is just 19 points from the 500 plateau in his career with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Nine more points will also slide him into fourth spot all-time in offensive production among skaters from Northwestern Ontario who have played in the league over the years.
Patrick Sharp, another Thunder Bay product currently leading his club in scoring, is a mere eight points short of 300 and 30 games away from competing in his 500th NHL contest.
Also, New York Rangers defenceman Marc Staal is one game shy of the 300 mark in his career.