Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Proving he only gets better the bigger the stage with mind-numbing numbers in leading the Brooks Bandits to back-to-back Centennial Cup national championships,
goaltender Ethan Barwick is bringing his clutch game to MacEwan.
After a season at NCAA Div. I Lindenwood University, the 6-foot-3 St. Albert product is coming home, set to kick off a promising U SPORTS career with the Griffins in 2024-25, men's hockey head coach Zack Dailey announced Monday.
Barwick should be well-known to hockey fans near and far after his big-time performances were streamed into living rooms across the country on TSN as he led Brooks to national championships in both 2022 and 2023.
"I think Ethan will help us out, for sure," said Dailey. "He obviously comes from a winning program. He's played in big games and has had really good performances in important games.
"We're very excited to add him to our roster."
The Bandits were so dominant over Pickering in the 2022 final that Barwick only faced 11 shots in a 4-1 win, but still finished with tournament-leading numbers (1.67 GAA, .915 save percentage).
In 2023, though, he was relied on heavily as he posted shutouts in his final two junior games, leading Brooks to another Centennial Cup title with a 30-save goose-egg in a 4-0 win over the Battlefords North Stars. His numbers in that tourney were otherworldly (0.67 GAA and .968% - stopping an astounding 120 out of 124 shots).
Ethan Barwick had incredible numbers during his time with the Brooks Bandits (Courtesy, Brooks Bandits).
Dailey expects those clutch performances to transfer to MacEwan where the Griffins need big-time goaltending to compete with several traditional powerhouses in Canada West.
"Where we're at with our program, we're going to be in close games a whole bunch," he said. "So, being able to handle pressure is definitely an attribute we're looking for and I think he fills that."
Among Barwick's other accolades include being named AJHL Playoff MVP in 2023 and combining to win the AJHL's CCM Top Team Goaltenders award in both 2021-22 and 2022-23. In his final junior season, he posted a 45-4-1 regular season mark, tied the franchise record for the most shutouts in a season (7) and topped the Bandits' career shutout mark (14).
"Good positionally, competes and is a good teammate – that's kind of the report on him," said Dailey. "That fits right in with what we're looking for. Obviously, he's a big goalie.
"He cares about getting better, cares about winning. He's somebody who's going to help our program."
Barwick will join veteran addition Brett Epp and returning third-year goalie Eric Ward in the battle for minutes in MacEwan's crease following the graduation of two-time Griffins Male Athlete of the Year Ashton Abel and dependable, popular backup Thomas Davis.
He comes in with some familiarity with a few current MacEwan players as he grew up playing with Tyson Kowaluk in St. Albert's elite hockey system, and was a teammate of both Ethan Mercer and Liam Hughes in Brooks.
