The ECHL has announced that Adirondack Thunder Goaltender Vinnie Purpura has been named the league’s Rookie of the Month for December 2023. Purpura went 6-0-1 last month with a 2.18 GAA and .932SV%, including a career-high 40 saves at Trois-Rivires on December 20th. The 25-year-old netminder is 9-1-2 on the season with a 2.35 GAA and .923SV%, which puts him in the top ten for GAA and SV% this season among ECHL goalies. Purpura is in his second year with Adirondack and is their only goalie on an ECHL contract and heading into this season, he was expected to be the third goaltender but has seen a lot more time than a third goalie would due to injuries and call-ups.
Adirondack was without Tyler Brennan for most of the month, which gave Vinnie Purpura the opportunity to get a few more starts, and he’s obviously taken advantage of it. Adirondack does expect Brennan to be back before the All-Star Break. Brennan has only played in four games this season, going 1-2 with a 3.64 GAA and .898 SV%, and has already been pulled once this season. He is on an Entry-Level Contract with the New Jersey Devils.
