Penguins goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov was honored at the award ceremony for the Russian junior league on Friday.
Murashov, the Penguins' 19-year-old fourth-round pick in 2022, took home the award for the MHL's top goaltender after an outstanding second season as the starting goaltender for the Lokomotiv's MHL affiliate.
Murashov appeared in 42 games, posting a 1.65 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage. He recorded 11 shutouts, two shy of an MHL record. The Lokomotiv have two affiliates in the MHL, Loko (the stronger of the two) and Loko-76. Murashov went 24-7-5 with a 1.53 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage for Loko. All 11 of his shutouts came with Loko. Murashov played five games for Loko-76, posting a 2-2-1 record, a 2.04 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage.
Murashov led Loko to the third round of the MHL playoffs. He started every game as Loko eliminated their first-round opponent in four games in the best-of-five first round. They swept their second-round opponent in three games, then were swept themselves in the third round by the eventual MHL champions.
The Lokomotiv recalled Murashov straight to the KHL (skipping over the second league VHL) for one game. He made 18 saves on 19 shots in a win.
Murashov was also one of three nominees for the league's most valuable player award, but lost to Ivan Demidov, a top forward prospect for the 2024 draft who scored 19 goals and 43 assists in 41 games.
Murashov will remain in Russia for at least one more season. His contract with the Lokomotiv runs through the 2023-24 season.
