IT’S certainly rare for a goalie to score, but Paul Karpowich notched a hat-trick of his own, of sorts, over the weekend.
Firstly the 21-year-old Thunder Bay product signed a two-year, two-way contract with the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League.
Karpowich was originally drafted by the Blues in the seventh round, 185th overall, of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
Secondly the Blues have brought Karpowich up to join the team for the remainder of their playoff run to serve as an additional goaltender for practices and such.
The trip to St. Louis however caused him to miss the Clarkson University men’s hockey team banquet on Saturday where he capped off his trifecta of good news.
At that event Karpowich was named the Golden Knights most valuable player for a second consecutive season.
He finished as Clarkson’s all-time career save leader with 3,735 stops through 130 career games, including a school record for saves in a season with 1,092 this season.
Among his other collegiate achievements was being named a finalist for the ECAC’s Ken Dryden award for top goalie in the conference while earning ECAC goaltender of the month laurels once and league netminder of the week accolades twice.
Playing AAA hockey with the Thunder Bay Kings he becomes the second player on the 2005-06 major midget side coached by Doug Colbon to have signed a NHL deal in a matter of weeks, joining Travis Oleksuk who inked a contract with the San Jose Sharks.
That duo is just two of 10 players on the team that went on to play university hockey at some point either in the U.S. or Canada.
Under the guidance of goaltender coach Pat Suddaby on that Kings’ team, Karpowich and netminding partner Drew Strandberg both went on to receive scholarships at Clarkson and Wisconsin-Superior respectively.
Among the skaters on that squad who have or are playing intercollegiate hockey are Oleksuk (Minnesota-Duluth, WCHA), Michael Hartviksen (Wisconsin-Stout, NCHA), T.J. Ahvenniemi (Wisconsin-Superior, NCHA), Randall Hanlan (Northland, MCHA), Michael Thibert (Lakehead-OUA), Ryan Magill (Lakehead-OUA), David Fitzpatrick (Queens, OUA) and Graham Campbell. (Carleton, OUA)
BRONZED: Thunder Bay’s Matthew Murray is returning home from the IIHF World under-18 championship in the Czech Republic with a bronze medal in his possession.
Murray made 29 saves Sunday to help backstop Canada to a 5-4 victory over Finland in the third place game.
The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds netminder hopes to have raised his stock for the upcoming NHL draft in Pittsburgh this June.
He was tabbed 18th overall among North American goalkeepers in the final rankings released by NHL Central Scouting.
Murray wrapped up the U-18 tourney with a 3-2 record along with a 2.71 goals-against average and .909 save mark.
RBC UPDATE: Colin Dzijacky turned aside 18 of 21 shots fired his way helping the Humboldt Broncos double up the Portage Terriers 6-3 Saturday in game 2 of the Avanet Cup western region Jr. A championship.
The Royal Bank Cup host Broncos now lead the best-of-seven series 2-0 heading to game 3 in Portage Tuesday.
As Humboldt is the host team at the RBC, Portage has also earned a spot in the championship.
Of the five local products on the Terriers roster only captain Andrew Wiebe has managed a point. That was an assist in an 8-2 loss in the opener.