Johnstown Tomahawks goaltender Nick Avakyan has been named the NAHL East Division Star of the Week.

Serving as the star in the blue paint and in the East Division, Avakyan had one of his best weekends in the league. The ‘04 netminder from Glendale helped to lift his squad to fourth place over the New Jersey Titans in the East Division standings.

His dominant weekend between the pipes started on Friday night for Johnstown. He faced 25 shots in the game with 14 of them happening in the first period. The Danbury Hat Tricks were coming off a weekend sweep against the Maryland Black Bears and their hero and last week’s East Division Star of the Week, Brendan Boring, got the scoring started for the Hat Tricks. Heading into the second period, Avakyan gave up his last goal of the weekend to Danbury’s leading scorer, Niko Tournas. The Tomahawks walked away with a 4-2 victory.

Moving into Saturday night, Avakyan orchestrated a season first with his performance between the pipes. The first-year player turned away all 43 shots, making it his first and the Tomahawks’ first shutout of the season. This matchup featured the second-most number of shots he has faced by an opponent this season while notching his second sweep when he was in the blue paint during a series. Johnstown skated away with a 2-0 win and a step closer to solidifying a spot in the postseason.

Last weekend, Avakyan put together a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. Avakyan faced a total of 68 shots between the two games against the Hat Tricks. For the season, Avakyan spotlights an 11-4-1-2 record and a .933 save percentage over 20 games.

Head coach of the Tomahawks Jared Kersner shared more on what he has seen from the California native.

“Nick has had a great season since joining us,” Kersner said. “His calming presence in the net gives our team confidence, knowing he’s behind them. He reads the game at a high level and is an excellent skater, allowing him to stay in position for the first save. His rebound control and retention rate keep him steady on his skates and pads. He’s also an intense competitor and incredibly athletic, with the ability to make spectacular saves when needed.”

Back home, Avakyan played for the California Golden Bears, Los Angeles Jr. Kings and Anaheim Jr. Ducks.

— NAHL Staff

(March 18, 2025)