Michael Leighton takes over Johnny Bower’s record for most career AHL shutouts

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Goaltender Michael Leighton has put his name in the American Hockey League record books, and knocked off a Hockey Hall of Famer to do so.

Leighton set the AHL record with his 46th career regular-season shutout on Saturday night, making 35 saves in the Rockford IceHogs’ 5-0 win over the Lake Erie Monsters.

Leighton surpassed Johnny Bower, who earned 45 shutouts during 11 AHL seasons between 1945 and 1958.

A 34-year-old native of Petrolia, Ont., Leighton is in the midst of his 15th professional season. He is 27-6-8 in 43 appearances with Rockford in 2015-16, posting a 2.38 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage and five shutouts.

Originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1999, Leighton has appeared in 439 regular-season AHL games, with a career record of 220-163-41 — placing him ninth on the all-time wins list.

He is a four-time AHL All-Star (including 2016), was named to the AHL all-rookie team in 2001-02 and won the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding goaltender in 2007-08.

Leighton also owns the AHL record for saves in a single playoff game with 98, set in a five-overtime loss on Apr. 24, 2008.

Leighton has played 105 regular-season games NHL games with Chicago, Nashville, Philadelphia and Carolina. He reached the Stanley Cup Final with the Flyers in 2010, going 8-3 with three shutouts in 14 games that post-season.