Wingate's 50th Shutout

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Riga -- In Game 35, the Riga Reign outshot the Toronto Legion 35-20, but the Legion were still able to pick up the victory 3-0. How so? It was another spectacular performance from Hans Wingate, who has been on fire since, ironically, leaving the Reign. With the victory, Wingate picked up his eighth win in eight games, and already his second shutout on the season.

 

Interestingly, though, the game puts Wingate at another round milestone: 50 shutouts. Entering the season, Wingate was tied with Hall-of-Famers Daisuke Kanou and the recently inducted Brick Wahl with 48 shutouts, good for eighth on the all-time list. With this shutout and one against Cologne, though, Wingate is now alone in eighth.

 

It wouldn't be a stretch to say that Wingate could be sixth in shutouts all-time by the end of the season. After all, seventh-place Satan has 51 shutouts to his name, and sixth-place Aidan Shaw has 52. Past that, however, it may be a climb to get into the top five as he enters the twilight of his career. Fifth-place Tuomas Tukio has 62 shutouts; Alexander Labatte leads all goalies with 69. To reach the 70 mark, Wingate would need 20 shutouts in his final 120 games, or an average of one shutout every 6 games.

 

"I have to say it would be cool to at least reach the top five, just because I'm a student of the VHL and its history," Wingate told reporters after the Riga game. "And if I challenge Labatte, CAL G or Szatkowski [tied in second at 68], that would be even better. I'm just along for the ride, man, and every day I get to play is fun for me."