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RALEIGH, NC - The National Hockey League today announced that Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic and UNC REX Healthcare senior registered respiratory therapist Deepika Malhotra have been named the NHL's "Rookies of the Month" for March.

Nedeljkovic, 25, registered a 6-1-1 record, 1.85 goals-against average, .934 save percentage and one shutout in eight appearances during the month of March. He has posted an 8-3-2 record, 2.05 goals-against average, .927 save percentage and two shutouts in 13 games with the Hurricanes this season. Among rookie NHL goaltenders, Nedeljkovic ranks first in goals-against average and save percentage, and he is tied for first in shutouts. In 19 career NHL appearances with the Hurricanes, Nedeljkovic has earned a 10-5-3 record, 2.19 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and two shutouts.

Alex Nedeljkovic's best plays from March

The 6'0", 189-pound netminder won the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL's most outstanding goaltender during the 2018-19 season with Charlotte after posting a 34-9-5 record with four shutouts, a 2.26 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. During the Checkers' Calder Cup championship run in 2019, he earned a 10-4 record, 2.34 goals-against average, .916 save percentage and one shutout. Nedeljkovic registered an 88-45-11 record, 2.57 goals-against average, .904 save percentage and 14 shutouts in 153 career AHL games with Charlotte. The Parma, Ohio, native was drafted by the Hurricanes in the second round, 37th overall, of the 2014 NHL Draft.
Malhotra, who has more than 17 years of experience as a respiratory therapist, joined UNC REX Healthcare in Raleigh, N.C., in September 2019 - just months before the start of the pandemic. She is involved in every step of a patient's journey in fighting COVID-19, which attacks the lungs and respiratory system. Malhotra is an expert in helping coronavirus patients breathe, adjusting oxygen and providing treatments to ease discomfort. She also is involved in caring for patients who cannot sustain normal respiratory function and require mechanical ventilation.