SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Goaltender Michael Leighton has put his name in the American Hockey League record books, and knocked off a Hockey Hall of Famer to do so.
Leighton set the AHL record with his 46th career regular-season shutout on Saturday night, making 35 saves in the Rockford IceHogs' 5-0 win over the Lake Erie Monsters.
Leighton surpassed Johnny Bower, who earned 45 shutouts during 11 AHL seasons between 1945 and 1958.
A 34-year-old native of Petrolia, Ont., Leighton is in the midst of his 15th professional season. He is 27-6-8 in 43 appearances with Rockford in 2015-16, posting a 2.38 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage and five shutouts.
Originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1999, Leighton has appeared in 439 regular-season AHL games, with a career record of 220-163-41 — placing him ninth on the all-time wins list.
He is a four-time AHL All-Star (including 2016), was named to the AHL all-rookie team in 2001-02 and won the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL's outstanding goaltender in 2007-08.
Leighton also owns the AHL record for saves in a single playoff game with 98, set in a five-overtime loss on Apr. 24, 2008.
Leighton has played 105 regular-season games NHL games with Chicago, Nashville, Philadelphia and Carolina. He reached the Stanley Cup Final with the Flyers in 2010, going 8-3 with three shutouts in 14 games that post-season.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.