It was quite the Lloydminster Bobcats debut for recently acquired goaltender Bailey Brkin.
In his first two career starts as a member of the Lloydminster Bobcats, Brkin went 2-0 with a 1.00 GAA and a .971 Save%. Those numbers were good enough to earn him AJHL Defensive Player of the Week.
In his Bobcat’s debut on Wednesday, the Sherwood Park native stopped 34 of 35 shots in a 4-1 win over his hometown team, the Crusaders. Then on Saturday, Brkin nearly replicated the performance exactly. He stopped 33 of Fort McMurray’s 34 shots in a 3-1 win over the Oil Barons.
“I don’t think there is a single thing else we could have asked out of Bailey in his first two games,” said Bobcats Head Coach and GM Travis Clayton. “He played extremely well and gave us a chance to win both games, and that’s all you can ask for out of your goalie. It’s awesome to have him get recognized like this. He certainly deserves it.”
Brkin had spent time with the Swift Current Broncos, Kooteney ICE and Spokane Chiefs of the WHL earlier this season prior to joining Lloydminster.
“I feel very grateful to receive the AJHL Defensive Player of the Week,” said Brkin. “The boys in front of me are a big reason why I’m getting (Player of the Week) though. In both games, they helped clear pucks in tight, they blocked shots and kept a lot of pressure to the outside. At the end of the day, we went 3-0 this week and that’s most important.”
The Bobcats resume their schedule on Saturday with a trip to Bonnyville to take on the Pontiacs.