The Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs net minder was recognized for his work between the pipes.
The AJHL announced Pontiac Easton Hesse as the defensive player of the week for Sept. 23 to 29.
“It’s definitely nice to be recognized for that,” Hesse expressed.
The honour came after the Pontiacs walked away with two wins during the AJHL showcase, where Hesse made a total of 68 saves out of 71 shots on goal over the weekend.
“Honestly, it was just a team effort. Everyone made me better, and the whole team really did a good job this past weekend. I think my numbers and performance reflect that,” he noted.
When chosen for the accolade, Hesse was sitting with a .936 save percentage and had stopped 218 shots out of 233 made against him.
Head coach Rick Swan stressed Hesse has been a force to be reckoned with this season.
“He’s giving us a chance, not only to win, but he was our best player throughout the first seven games of the season. He knows that with a brand new group coming in, while they learn how to play at the Jr. A level within a structure, he’s taking the heavy lifting away from the coaching staff by making sure that he’s playing as well as he is,” he exclaimed.
This is Hesse’s second year as a Pontiac. Last season, he was the back-up goaltender to former teammate Colby Muise, who Hesse said he learned a lot from.
“Colby was a great mentor for me. He taught me how to be number one in this league, and he taught me some great things.”
While he didn’t know about the Pontiacs before joining the team, just having the privilege of playing in the AJHL is something Hesse is grateful for.
“We’ve got a great program here, a great group of guys, a great team, and a great club,” he expressed.
Hesse was first introduced to hockey when he was around three-years-old, and has been in love with the sport ever since. He became a goalie to follow in his dad’s footsteps, and hopes to one day play at the NCAA level.
Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Hesse has set the bar high for himself.
“I definitely want to try to be the best goalie in the league… I want to win a championship, and I know all these guys do as well,” he said.
Swan believes this is just one of the accolades Hesse is going to earn this year.
“If people don’t recognize that he’s one of the best goalies in the AJHL, they just have to look at his performance in the last few games. We’re real proud, and I don’t think that’s going to be the last notice that he’s going to get or exposure that he’s going to create for himself.”