AHL Release (
theahl.com)
Brad Thiessen, Northeastern University goaltender from 2006-09, added another award to his repertoire after the American Hockey League announced both Thiessen and John Curry won the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award for the 2010-11 season. The Holmes Award is annually given to the goaltenders on a team that allows the fewest goals in the regular season.
Thiessen and Curry surrendered a scant total of 183 goals for the entire season between the pipes for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Penguins set a franchise record for wins (58) and points (117) in 2010-11, signing off on the regular season with a 58-21-0-1 mark. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's 58 wins were the second-most in AHL history.
With that sterling mark, Thiessen's club won its third East Division title and its first regular-season points championship.
On April 4, 2011, the Aldergrove, B.C. tabbed the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award winner. The decoration honors the AHL's most outstanding goaltender for the 2010-11 season as voted by coaches, players and members of the media in each of the league's 30 cities.
Thiessen finished the season with a 35-8-1 record in 46 appearances, leading the AHL in wins, placing second in goals-against average (1.94), tying for second with seven shutouts and ranking 10th with a .922 save percentage.
Thiessen's seven shutouts set a new standard for the franchise. The 5'11 netminder surpassed Marc Andre-Fluery's old benchmark of five on Feb. 18, 2011 and in two seasons, he set a new mark for career shutouts with 11 after overtaking Sebastien Caron's 10 shutouts that were constructed over a five-year span.
The Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award, which was first awarded in 1948 to the goaltender with the best goals-against average in the AHL, is named for Hockey Hall of Famer Harry “Hap” Holmes, a prominent figure in early professional hockey and an outstanding goaltender of his time.
While at Northeastern, Thiessen finished with an overall mark of 52-46-12 and was the defensive staple in the Huskies' NCAA Tournament run in 2009.
