With two hard-fought wins over the Medicine Hat Cubs over the weekend, the play of Gens veteran goalie Erik Garber didn't go unnoticed by the Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL).

He has been named the league's first star of the week.

On Feb. 8, Garber turned away 33 shots. Just one shot slipped by him with four seconds remaining when the Cubs pressed with a six-man attack.

Sunday, the Cubs came hard again. He was perfect on all 34 shots to earn his fourth shutout of the season.

Garber says he didn't prepare any differently for the weekend series and tried not to overthink the game.

"I felt really good in the net this weekend, calm, relaxed and composed. When the team plays great in front of you it helps with your confidence, too. Yeah, it felt good for sure."

The third period was particularly stellar when the Cubs attempted a comeback.

"They didn't give up at all throughout the game. They had 17 shots in the third period, alone. They outplayed us there a little bit in the third, but we held them back and we were able to get the win."

This is the first time he'll be enjoying a first-round bye. 

"It's going to be nice to have a weekend off and rest up to get ready."

Gens head coach Kurtis Jones praised Garber for his playing, believing they were his best since early in the season. 

Garber recently surpassed Ty Robinson with the most starts by a Gens goalie.

The 20-year-old Kirkland, Washington native played 11 games for the Banff Academy Bears before joining the Gens in the 2017-18 season. 

While he's been honoured several times in the past by the HJHL, this is the first time he has been awarded the first star in the new approach the league is taking to honouring outstanding performances.