SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Sebastian Cossa of the Grand Rapids Griffins has been selected as the AHL Goaltender of the Month for December.
Cossa posted a record of 7-0-1 with a 1.76 goals-against average, a .929 save percentage and two shutouts in eight starts in December as Grand Rapids continued to set new benchmarks for the best start in league history. He becomes the first player to garner consecutive AHL Goaltender of the Month awards since Logan Thompson in February and March of 2021.
Cossa began the month with a 30-save performance in a 4-1 win over Cleveland on Dec. 3, and he made 20 stops in a 1-0 shutout of Rockford on Dec. 13. He also turned aside all 26 shots he faced – and registered his first assist of the season – in a 3-0 victory at Milwaukee on Dec. 27 for his 10th consecutive win in net. The Griffins closed out December on a 16-game points streak and with an overall record of 26-1-1-1, the best mark by a team through 29 games in the 90-year history of the American Hockey League.
A first-round choice (15th overall) by Detroit in the 2021 NHL Draft, Cossa is now 15-1-1 in 17 starts this season and leads the AHL in wins, goals-against average (1.65), save percentage (.936) and shutouts (4). The 23-year-old native of Hamilton, Ont., has made 101 career appearances with Grand Rapids, going 59-26-15 with a 2.37 GAA, a .913 save percentage and seven shutouts. Cossa has played one game for the Red Wings, earning the win in his NHL debut on Dec. 9, 2024, at Buffalo.