The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) has named Spokane Braves goalie Quintin Barton as its Rookie of the Week for the period ending Jan. 4.
Barton was strong between the pipes for the Braves in wins over the Nelson Leafs (3-1 on Dec.29), Castlegar Rebels (3-2 OT on Dec.31) and Grand Forks Border Bruins (6-3 on Jan.3), stopping 73 of 79 shots for a 1.96 goals against average and .924 save percentage.
Braves head coach Jason Greenwell praised Barton’s performance last week.
“His dedication and hard work showed throughout the week,” says Greenwell. “I felt great about his performance. He was very steady and continued to make timely saves.”
Barton liked his consistency and ability to read the play in those games.
“My strongest game was in Nelson,” he says. “I was able to hold out in the third with some big saves (13 total) for an important win. The game against Grand Forks was good. I had to fight through adversity in the third with a bad bounce, but fought back with a couple good saves. The team effort and support was extremely helpful.”
The Braves led 5-1 going into the third period when the Border Bruins scored twice in 45 seconds, but then Barton shut the door stopping 10 of the 12 shots he faced.
In eight KIJHL games Barton has five wins with a 3.36 GAA and an .878 SP.
Read about the latest Rookie of the Week.
