Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman got the start in Game 1 of a Stanley Cup playoff series for the first time in his NHL career and delivered 35 saves, the most he’s made in a playoff game.
His performance in Saturday’s 5-1 home-ice victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs earned him our Alaska Athlete of the Week honors.
Earlier in the week, the 25-year-old finished fifth in the league in regular-season save percentage (.916) and eighth in goals-against average (2.53). He also won a career-high 25 games in the regular season.
Also receiving votes:
- Liam Beerman – The Anchorage Wolverines go-to goaltender spun a 33-save shutout in a 4-0 playoff win Friday against the visiting Minnesota Wilderness and followed the next night with 32 stops in a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory – a .984 save percentage on the weekend.
- Aiden Ray –The Dimond High baseball player recorded 13 strikeouts in six innings and finished with a 1-hitter to lead the Lynx to a 10-1 victory over Wasilla in a non-league game. Ray issued three walks and an unearned run while throwing 103 pitches.
- Hailey Williams – The sprinter from Delta Junction had a stellar showing at the Wake Forest Invitational. The Duke senior collected a pair of personal bests and top-4 finishes, clocking 23.95 seconds in the 200 and 56.12 seconds in the 400.
- Jeff Young – The masters runner from Anchorage again proved he is among the fastest runners anywhere in his age group. Young, 65, placed 3rd among 483 finishers in the men’s 65-69 age group Sunday at the London Marathon in 2 hours, 59 minutes and 53 seconds.
The Alaska Athlete of the Week is selected by a panel each Monday
Have a candidate in mind? Email us your nomination: info@alaskasportshall.org.