It's been quite the week for Dauphin's Zach Grouette as he didn't only help the Parkland Rangers to two wins, but he was named the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League's Player of the Week.
In three games this past weekend, Grouette helped the Rangers earn four of a possible six points.
On Friday, Grouette made 34 saves in regulation and was sensational in a 14-round shootout, as the Rangers beat the Thistles 4-3. On Saturday, Grouette made 42 saves as the Rangers swept the weekend matchup against the Thistles. On Sunday, playing in his third game in as many days, the Dauphin native made 30 saves, but the Rangers fell to the Winnipeg Thrashers.
"It's a big honour," said Grouette. "It was a team effort. The competition was really good all weekend, and overall, we just worked really hard to pick up four points. It means a lot to me."
The first year Ranger spent last season with the Dauphin Clippers of the Westman High School Hockey League but performed very well in Training Camp for the Rangers which locked him up a spot on the team.
"It's a big change for sure," said Grouette. "High School is a lot slower then Midget, and there is more competition here. I was pretty nervous in my first game with the Rangers against Brandon, that's for sure."
This is the first time Grouette was named Player of the Week in his young career, and he plans to use the award as a reason to push himself.
"I've proven that I can play to my full potential," said Grouette. "I just need to keep pushing it, and keep playing to my full limits at all times."
Grouette and the rest of the Rangers are 11-13-0-2 and are just one point behind the Southwest Cougars for the eighth and final playoff spot, and you can see Grouette and the team back on the ice this weekend when they play a pair of home games against Central Plains and Pembina Valley.