Shawn Szydlowski named ECHL player of month; Broncos alum Gill earns top goaltender

By @MichaelCaples –

Shawn Szydlowski was the best player in the ECHL in December, the league announced today.

The St. Clair Shores native and forward for the Fort Wayne Komets was named the ECHL Player of the Month.

Szydlowski recorded 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points and a +7 rating over the month – leading his Komets squad in all categories.

The right winger – an Erie Otters (OHL) alum – had nine multi-point months, posting at least three in five different occasions.

He is currently tied for second in the ECHL with 26 assists and 45 points.

Named the ECHL All-Star Classic on Jan. 18, Szydlowski has been the Komets’ leading scorer the last two seasons.

Meanwhile, Western Michigan alum Riley Gill of the Allen Americans was selected as the ECHL’s Goaltender of the Month for December.

Gill, 32, posted a 7-2-0 record with three shutouts, a 1.70 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage during the final month of 2016.

He topped Red Wings prospect Jake Paterson (Toledo Walleye, 8-1-1, 2.16 goals-against, .923 save percentage) for the award.