After a stellar rookie campaign with the Battlefords North Stars, goaltender Joel Grzybowski is moving up to the Western Hockey League.
It was announced on Monday that the 18-year-old from Hafford had made the opening night for the Saskatoon Blades, who will begin their regular season at the SaskTel Centre Friday night against the Swift Current Broncos.
Grzybowski, who was an 11th round pick by the Blades in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft, was locked in a battle for the backup position with highly touted 16-year-old netminder Nolan Maier of Yorkton.
He suited up in two exhibition games and had a 1-1 record with a 2.69 goals against average and a .900 save percentage.
Joining Grzybowski in between the pipes is overage player Logan Flodell, who had a 22-20-4 record last year with a 2.81 goals against average and a .912 save percentage after being acquired from the Seattle Thunderbirds prior to the start of the season.
Maier, meanwhile, was sent down by the Blades Monday and will either play for the SMAAAHL’s Yorkton Maulers or the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers.
In his lone season with the North Stars, Grzybowski had a 21-4-1-0 record with a 1.66 goals against average, which was the second best in the entire SJHL behind teammate Taryn Kotchorek.
His .935 save percentage was the third best in the league and his six shutouts had him in a tie for second with Zac Robidoux of the Flin Flon Bombers.
After putting up a 3-0 record and a 2.09 goals against average in the playoffs, Grzybowski got the starting role through the Western Canada Cup after Kotchorek suffered an injury shortly after the North Stars won the SJHL title.
At the tournament in Penticton, B.C., Grzybowski was the team’s top performer as he had a 1-3-1 record, a 2.77 goals against average, a .914 save percentage and picked up a shutout as the North Stars finished in fourth place.
