Former Vipers Goaltender Walkaluk Commits To University Of Massachusetts:

Former Vernon Vipers goaltender Alex Wakaluk has committed to the University of Massachusetts for the 2013-14 season.  Wakaluk finished his second season with the  Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) Melville Millionaires last year going 28-15-3 with five shutouts and a 2.32 GAA. Wakaluk led all goalies in wins and was second in both minutes played and shutouts. Wakaluk faced more rubber than any other goalie in the SJHL, seeing an average of well over 32 shots a night.  On May 19th 2013 the Millionaires traded Walkaluk to the SJHL La Ronge Ice Wolves.  Walkaluk was a late addition to the Vipers 2011 pre-season roster but was released prior to the start of the 2011-12 BCHL regular season. Walkaluk signed with Melville on September, 27th 2011.

Alex Wakaluk's Player Profile:

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=145226

UMass head coach John Micheletto comments on Alex Walkaluk,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMfwh_ea7QY

This is posted on the UMass website:

UMass Hockey Signs Alex Wakaluk

The goaltender is the reigning MVP of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.

June 19, 2013

AMHERST, Mass. - Alex Wakaluk, a 5-9, 175-pound goaltender from Bellevue, Alberta, has signed a National Letter of Intent with the UMass hockey program, head coach John Micheletto announced on Wednesday. Wakaluk joins Marc Hetnik and Brandon Wahlin as the third player to join the Minutemen's Class of 2017.

"Alex Wakaluk, a southern Alberta native, played for coach Jamie Fiesel and the Melville Millionaires of the Saskatchewan Junior League," said Micheletto. "A durable and technically sound goaltender with great anticipation and quickness, he will certainly add to our talented goaltending corps. Alex comes from great bloodlines, his father, Darcy, played close to 10 years in the NHL and has worked as a goaltending coach since his retirement. We're certainly looking for good things out of Alex over the course of his career."

Wakaluk backstopped the Melville Millionaires to one of the best records in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) in 2012-13 en route to SJHL MVP honors in his second season with the squad. One of the league's busiest netminders, Wakaluk finished in the top-three in virtually every major statistical category as he was first in the SJHL in wins (28), second in save percentage (.930), saves (1,385), shutouts (five) and minutes played (2,721), while ranking third in goals-against average (2.32).

By virtue of his SJHL MVP recognition, Wakaluk was a finalist for the RBC Canadian Junior Hockey League Player of the Year award. In 13 SJHL playoff games this season, the goaltender logged a 2.22 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage with 397 stops.

In 2011-12, Wakaluk appeared in 26 contests for Melville and recorded a 2.97 GAA and a save percentage of .910. He is the son of former NHL netminder Darcy Wakaluk.