David LeNeveau of the AHL Utah Grizzlies - No. 20 Overall in the MLN FAB50 2005 Top Hockey Players - Best of the Best in the Minor Leagues

David LeNeveu
Goaltender

Height: 6-1

Weight: 187

Born: May 23, 1983

Hometown: Fernie, British Columbia

Class: AAA

League: American Hockey League (AHL)

Team: Utah Grizzlies

NHL Organization: Phoenix Coyotes

Last Years’ Fab50 Ranking: 18


Topping off the cream of the crop, our top twenty in the FAB50 Hockey 2005, is David LeNeveu, who first started turning heads in 2002-03, when he was a Hobey Baker finalist during his sophomore year between the pipes at Cornell University.

He set numerous NCAA records that season, including his miniscule 1.20 goals-against average, while leading his team all the way to the Frozen Four, college hockey's version of March Madness.

 A second round pick of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2002, David started his pro career last year with the Springfield Falcons, the Coyotes AHL affiliate at the time.

Although his record was under .500, LeNeveu played impressively in front of a poor Falcon defense, and was named to the AHL All-Star team as a rookie.

This season, while the Coyotes changed AHL affiliations from Springfield to the Utah Grizzlies, the result is pretty much the same for David.

He is standing on his head while being hammered with shots night after night, and receiving little offensive support. LeNeveu has played in seven games where the Grizzlies failed to score a single goal, and twice this season he was shutout 1-0.

We believe that the lackluster numbers have a lot to do with who's in front of LeNeveu, not David in front of the pipes. He is playing well and gaining valuable experience in the AHL, which can only help his development. He drops two this year in the FAB50, to number twenty, largely on the crowded pack of folks in strike holding patterns. Some help from the Grizzlies' D would go a long way towards giving him more of an opportunity to shine.

 

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