FAIRBANKS – Junior goaltender
Gustavs Davis Grigals has been named to the Watch List for the Mike Richter Award, given annually to the top goalie in men's NCAA DI hockey since 2014. The Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) announced the original list of 28 on Jan. 20 before upping the list to 32 on Feb. 17.
Grigals is a junior from Riga, Latvia, and is on his first Mike Richter Watch List. He is the lone Independent goalie on this year's list.
Grigals has started in all 25 of his appearances this season, leading the Nanooks to an 11-16-1 record, including their current five-game winning streak. He holds an 11-13-1 record between the pipes, posting a .920 save percentage and a 2.42 goals-against average. He has recorded two shutouts on the season. He currently sits in 12
th in NCAA DI for total saves, making 681.
Head coach
Erik Largen felt he was deserving of this honor, "Gustavs has been a consistent presence for us all season long. He is deserving to not only be on the watch list, but to be mentioned amongst the best goaltenders in the NCAA."
A committee of voters — made up of a cross-section of coaches, administrators, scouts, and media — will pare the list down to approximately 15 names and then ultimately choose the winner who will be announced in April during the NCAA Frozen Four.
Past Richter Award Recipients: 2014 - Connor Hellebuyck, UMass Lowell; 2015 - Zane McIntyre, North Dakota; 2016 - Thatcher Demko, Boston College; 2017 - Tanner Jaillet, Denver; 2018 - Cale Morris, Notre Dame; 2019 - Cayden Primeau, Northeastern; 2020 - Jeremy Swayman, Maine; 2021 - Jack LaFontaine, Minnesota.
2021-22 Richter Award "Watch List"
Atlantic Hockey
Gavin Abric, Army West Point (SO – Hayward, WI)
Jacob Barczewski, Canisius (JR - O'Fallon, MO)
Evan DeBrouwer, Bentley (GR - Blenheim, ON)
Big Ten
Ryan Bischel, Notre Dame (JR — Medina, MN)
Justen Close, Minnesota (JR – Kindersley, SK)
Drew DeRidder, Michigan State (SR – Fenton, MI)
Jakub Dobeš, Ohio State (FR- Ostrava, Czech Republic)
Matthew Galajda, Notre Dame (GR — Aurora, ON)
Jared Moe, Wisconsin (JR - New Prague, MN)
Erik Portillo, Michigan (SO — Gothenburg, Sweden)
CCHA
Dryden McKay, Minnesota State (SR - Downers Grove, IL)
Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech (JR - Howell, MI)
ECAC Hockey
Ethan Haider, Clarkson (SO – Maples Grove, MN)
Connor Murphy, Union (JR — Hudson Falls, NY)
Yaniv Perets, Quinnipiac (SO – Dollard Des Ormeaux, PQ)
Ian Shane, Cornell (FR — Manhattan Beach, CA)
Clay Stevenson, Dartmouth (SO – Port Coquitlam, BC)
Hockey East
Gabe Carriere, Vermont (SO — Ottawa, ON)
Drew Commesso, Boston University (SO – Norwell, MA)
Darion Hanson, UConn (GR — East Bethel, MN)
Devon Levi, Northeastern (SO — Dollard Des Ormeaux, PQ)
Matt Murray, UMass (GR – St. Albert, AB)
Owen Savory, UMass Lowell (JR — Cambridge, ON)
Jaxson Stauber, Providence (JR - Plymouth, MN)
NCHC
Dominic Basse, Colorado College (SO — Alexandria, VA)
Brandon Bussi, Western Michigan (JR — Sound Beach, NY)
Magnus Chrona, Denver (JR — Stockholm, Sweden)
Zach Driscoll, North Dakota (SR – Apple Valley, MN)
Ryan Fanti, Minnesota Duluth (JR – Thunder Bay, ONT)
Dávid Hrenák, SCSU (GR - Povazska Bystrica, Slovakia)
Isaiah Saville, Omaha (JR – Anchorage, AK)
Independent
Gustavs Davis Grigals, Alaska (JR – Riga, Latvia)
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks hockey team, follow @NanooksHockey on Twitter and Instagram, or like the Alaska Nanooks Hockey team page on Facebook.
