Lamoureux honored as ECHL's best

Instead, the Alaska Aces' rookie likes to just be one of the guys, which is probably why an all-star teammate in junior hockey once told him, "You're probably the most normal goalie I've ever met in my life.''

And lately, Lamoureux is the ECHL's most decorated goalie. Wednesday, he was named the circuit's Goaltender of the Year in a vote of league coaches, which added to his honors earned last week as the first-team All-ECHL goalie and the All-Rookie tender.

"It's certainly nice, and humbling, to get league awards, especially when they're voted on by coaches, who know the league and the players so well,'' Lamoureux said.

Lamoureux, 24, set a league record with eight shutouts and went 33-16-2 to lead the league in wins and backstop the Aces to the second-best record (44-24-3). He also ranked tops in save percentage (.923) and second in goals-against average (2.29), games played (51) and minutes played (3,071).

The former North Dakota standout will start Friday night, when the Aces entertain the Utah Grizzlies at Sullivan Arena in Game 1 of the West Division semifinals playoff series.

"I think I'll go out on a limb with him,'' Aces coach Keith McCambridge said, deadpan.

About the only peculiar thing Lamoureux does -- and this hardly rates as freakishly eccentric -- is take particular care of his equipment between periods. He likes to place his glove and blocker on a dryer, dry his chest protector with a fan and wipe down his pads.

"I prefer my gear a certain way,'' Lamoureux said. "I like it fresh, crisp and hard. I like kind of feeling bulky in the net.''

Lamoureux has one other tendency that stands out, and it's one fans witness. When a goalie loses his stick during play and his lumber is out of reach or things are too hectic to retrieve it, a defenseman usually will give his stick to the goalie. But Lamoureux prefers the blueliner keep the twig.

"J.P.'s read is, 'Hey, if the puck comes to the defenseman, now he has a stick to clear the puck,' " McCambridge said.

Find Doyle Woody's blog online at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.