Carter Gylander named AJHL goaltender of the year

Some much needed good news for the Red Wings organization — 2019 draft pick Carter Gylander has been named the top goaltender in the AJHL for the 2019-20 season. Gylander, 18, was selected in the 7th round by the Red Wings in last June’s draft. He responded with a dominant season in the Junior-A league.

Backstopping Sherwood Park, the AJHL’s best team, the Colgate commit posted a .924 save percentage and a 2.07 GAA, all the while going 34-6-0 across 40 starts. Only Daniel Allin finished higher in save percentage (.944) in the league, however, Gylander played over 1500 more minutes.

Additionally, alongside top goaltender honors, the tandem of Gylander and backup Jordan Frey were named the Top Team Goaltenders. Other notable award winners on Sherwood Park included Arjun Atwal as league MVP and Michael Benning as top defenseman.

Sherwood Park now heads into the postseason as the No. 1 seed and will have a first round bye. They will return to play no later than March 13. Playoff hockey should make for very valuable experience for Gylander, as he looks to lead his team to a championship.

Moving forward, Gylander will play his college hockey at Colgate University. The collegiate level will be the real test of his abilities. Junior-A hockey is known to be lacking in genuine NHL talent. In a similar position once, fellow Red Wings prospect Filip Larsson enjoyed a dominant, award-filled season in the USHL two years ago. Larsson went on to have a solid freshman season at Denver and has since struggled with adjusting to the pro game.

Turning pro is a ways away for Gylander, but, at the very least, his strong draft-plus-one season was a success. Having the next four years to develop at Colgate, he will be an interesting prospect to follow.