2017-18 FUEL PERFORMANCE REVIEW: ÉTIENNE MARCOUX
#1 | GOALTENDER | LAVAL, QUEBEC
2017-18 STATS: 38 GP, 22-12-2, 2.94 GAA, .918 SV%
Going from a tryout contract to playoff starting goaltender all in one season. The feat sounds more like an achievement in the EA Sports NHL Series than something you see in real life, but rookie netminder Étienne Marcoux did just that in 2017-18. After attending training camp on a tryout basis, the product of the University of New Brunswick earned a spot on the Fuel's Opening Night roster, providing puck-stopping depth behind Collin Delia and Matt Tomkins.
When injuries up the organizational ladder sent Delia and Tomkins to Rockford, Marcoux had a chance to make a splash, and he certainly delivered. The rookie started 13 straight games from Dec. 27 to Jan. 26, posting an 8-5 record and a pair of league recognitions - being named Rookie of the Month for December and earning a spot in the CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic in Indianapolis.
Marcoux continued to backstop the Fuel during their second-half run up the Central Division standings, leading Indy to the first Kelly Cup Playoff berth in club history by picking up wins in eight of his last 10 starts in the regular season. The rookie's phenomenal play carried over into the Fuel's first round series against the Toledo Walleye, which quickly became a goaltender's duel between Marcoux and veteran Pat Nagle. Even though Indy eventually fell in four games to the Walleye, Macoux finished his first playoff appearance with a .924 save percentage and a 2.61 goals against average.
In the process of setting a new Fuel single-season win record, Marcoux earned four different American Hockey League call-ups over the course of the season. After stints with the Laval Rocket and Springfield Thunderbirds that ended without any playing time, the rookie made his AHL debut with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on March 3, stopping 19 of 21 shots in a 3-1 loss to - as luck would have it - Delia and the IceHogs.
"ET was a pleasant surprise for us. We knew what we were getting, and he fell into the numbers game to start the season. When he went in, he stole the net and showed why I think he's a number one goalie in this league, and an AHL goalie. [ÉT] won us a lot of games and gave us a chance to win every night." - Head Coach Bernie John
Rookie Behavior? Not quite.@IndyFuel Etienne Marcoux showing off in his #KellyCupPlayoffs debut pic.twitter.com/vCpirap4xD
— ECHL (@ECHL) April 14, 2018
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