The ECHL has awarded rookie, goaltender and plus performer for January
The ECHL has rolled out three of their monthly awards for January. Find out who made the cut in the full league releases below:
Brad Arvanitis of the Maine Mariners has been named the Howies Hockey Tape ECHL Rookie of the Month for January.
Arvanitis went 6-1-0 with a 1.62 goals-against average and a save percentage of .952 in seven appearances during the month.
The 26-year-old allowed two goals or less and made at least 30 saves in six of his seven outings. He allowed just one goal in four appearances and ended the month with four consecutive games of 30-plus saves.
A native of Holliston, Massachusetts, Arvanitis is 11-4-1 in 18 appearances with the Mariners this season and leads the ECHL with a .929 save percentage while he is tied for second with a 2.39 goals-against average.
Arvanitis has seen action in 27 career ECHL games with Maine, Rapid City, Tulsa and Wichita posting an overall record of 14-8-2 with a 2.60 goals-against average and a save percentage of .923. He also has 20 career appearances with Pensacola of the SPHL where he was 9-6-5 with a 2.71 goals-against average and a save percentage of .919.
Prior to turning pro, Arvanitis went 20-7-3 in 34 career appearances at Babson College with four shutouts, a 2.02 goals-against average and a save percentage of .933.
Ryan Bednard of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits has been named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Month for January. It is the second time this season he has received the monthly honor.
Bednard went 6-1-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average and a save percentage of .942 in eight appearances during the month. He allowed two goals or less in six of his seven starts while making at least 30 saves in five appearances.
The 26-year-old allowed two goals or less and made at least 30 saves in six of his seven outings. He allowed just one goal in four appearances and ended the month with consecutive games of 30-plus saves.
Bednard has seen action in 23 games for the Swamp Rabbits this season going 14-8-0 with one shutout, a 2.85 goals-against average and a save percentage of .916.
A native of Macomb, Michigan, Bednard has seen action in 141 career ECHL games with Greenville, Wheeling and South Carolina, compiling an overall record of 71-53-13 with nine shutouts, a 2.80 goals-against average and a save percentage of .911. He has also appeared in 17 career American Hockey League games with Belleville, Grand Rapids, Hershey, Syracuse and Springfield, going 7-8-1 with one shutout, a 2.83 goals-against average and a save percentage of .911.
Prior to turning pro, Bednard appeared in 68 career games at Bowling Green State University where he posted an overall record of 39-19-8 with seven shutouts, a 2.06 goals-against average and a save percentage of .918. He also saw action in 40 career games with Youngstown in the United States Hockey League.
Kansas City Mavericks’ defenseman Nate Knoepke is the AMI Graphics ECHL Plus Performer of the Month for January after leading the league with a plus-minus rating of +14 during the month.
Knoepke was even or better in eight of his nine games in January, including a +5 on Jan. 31 against Utah, +4 on Jan. 13 at Idaho and +3 on Jan. 10 at Idaho.
A native of Burnsville, Minnesota, Knoepke has a +11 rating to go along with 10 points (4g-6a) in 36 games with the Mavericks this season.
The 24-year-old has recorded 20 points (7g-13a) in 94 career ECHL games with Kansas City while also skating in four American Hockey League games with Rochester.
Prior to turning pro, Knoepke totaled 28 points (7g-21a) in 136 career collegiate games at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and the University of Minnesota and 26 points (2g-24a) in 98 career games with the U.S. National Team and Sioux City of the United States Hockey League.