The Ontario Hockey League has renamed its top goaltender award the Jim Rutherford Goaltender of the Year Award, the league announced on Friday.
The award is given annually to the OHL's best goaltender as voted on by the teams. The winner becomes eligible for the CHL's goaltender of the year award.
Rutherford is a two-time OHL Executive of the Year, winning the award as general manager and president of the Detroit Junior Red Wings in 1993 and 1994. He also won the OHL championship in 1988 with the Windsor Compuware Spitfires, and was once the OHL's Chairman of the Board.
Rutherford, a former goaltender, played three years of junior hockey in Ontario in the OHA Junior league with the Aurora Tigers and Hamilton Red Wings from 1966-69. He joined the Montreal Junior Canadiens (then a member of the OHA Junior league) for the 1969 playoffs, and led the team to a Memorial Cup win with a sweep of the Regina Pats in a best-of-seven series.
The most recent recipient of the OHL Goaltender of the Year Award is Sabres prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Notable past recipients include Mackenzie Blackwood, Jordan Binnington, Steve Mason, Andy Chiodo, and Ray Emery.
