WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, in conjunction with the American Hockey League, announced today that Eric Hartzell has been selected as CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month for January.

Hartzell made 10 appearances during the month and allowed two goals or fewer in each of them, posting a record of 5-2-0 with a 1.33 goals-against average, a .944 save percentage and one shutout.

Hartzell began January with a 23-save performance in a 4-1 win over Binghamton on Jan. 5, then made a couple of relief appearances before his next start on Jan. 18, when he made 27 saves in a 4-2 win at Portland. Hartzell made a season-high 33 stops and shut down Providence, 5-1, on Jan. 19, and matched that total before denying all eight shootout attempts to preserve a 2-1 win in Norfolk on Jan. 25. Hartzell earned his third shutout of the season on Jan. 29, making 20 saves in a 4-0 win over Syracuse.

For the season, Hartzell is 9-5-1 in 19 appearances with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and leads the AHL with a 1.85 GAA while ranking sixth with a .925 save percentage. A rookie from White Bear Lake, Minn., Hartzell signed as a free agent with Pittsburgh on Apr. 16, 2013, following a four-year collegiate career at Quinnipiac University, where he was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award while backstopping the Bobcats to the school’s first-ever Frozen Four appearance and a berth in the national championship game in 2012-13.

In recognition of his achievement, Hartzell will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Penguins home game.

Hartzell becomes the eighth Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goaltender to earn this honor, joining Sebastien Caron (2000), Marc-Andre Fleury (2005), Dany Sabourin (2006), Nolan Schaeffer (2007) John Curry (2007 & 2010), Brad Thiessen (2010, 2011 & 2013), Jeff Zatkoff (2012).