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Goalie Issue 2019
There are no players more interesting than the men and women who patrol the crease, and that's why we've dedicated our latest issue to them: The Goalie Issue. Inside you'll find stories on Andrei Vasilevskiy, Henrik Lundqvist, Philipp Grubauer, David Rittich, Carter Hutton, Petr Mrazek, Joonas Korpisalo, Amanda Leveille and many others. Also, stories on why backup goalies are more important than ever, Jordan Binnington Vs. Matt Murray, the top goalie prospect for all 31 NHL teams, and our Editor At Large, Ronnie Shuker, takes you along on a three-week coast-to-coast hockey road trip.
NEW POWER ON THE SCENE
FOR THE PAST FEW years, the Brooks Bandits have dominated the conversation in the Alberta Jr. A League. Having Cale Makar on the roster helped, as did their run to a national championship last season. And while the Bandits are once again riding high in 2019-20, there’s another team to keep an eye on: the Sherwood Park Crusaders. Led by 2020 NHL draft prospects Michael Benning and Carter Savoie, the Crusaders are serving notice to the AJHL’s reigning powers that a new challenger is emerging. And they’ve done it through savvy recruiting. The AJHL does not have a draft, so enticing top talent to join your program is key. A team can only have four (non-Canadian) imports and a maximum of four players with more than 40 games of WHL experience.…
SPOTTING AN ARTFUL STOPPER
FIND ME A MORE dichotomous position in sports than “NHL goaltender.” I’ll wait. Actually, I won’t, because you won’t. On one hand, we’ve long known the adage, “the goalie is a team’s most important player.” Of the 54 Conn Smythe Trophy winners as playoff MVP, 16, or 29.6 percent, are goaltenders, which is a monstrous chunk of the pie considering the skater-to-goalie ratio on any given night is 18 to 1. On the other hand, we have the new idea that “goalies don’t matter, because they grow on trees.” Jordan Binnington went from AHLer to Stanley Cup champion last season. Matt Murray won two Cups while he still had Calder Trophy eligibility. Jonathan Quick fought his way up from the ECHL. Pekka Rinne and Henrik Lundqvist were eighth- and seventh-round picks, respectively.…
PASSED OVER AND POWERED UP
THE UNDERDOG STORY IS an oft-spread saga in sports, chronicling a player who was once overlooked but eventually fought his way to glory. While the vast majority of underdogs slip quietly into the night, Providence College left winger Jack Dugan is ready to make some noise. After posting 53 points in 49 games in his first year at Northwood Prep in Lake Placid, N.Y., the 6-foot-2, 192-pounder was disappointed when all 30 teams passed on him at the 2016 NHL draft. The following year, he drastically improved his output with 80 points in 47 games, yet he garnered just a smidgen of attention from scouts. He waited until 142nd overall before being selected in the fifth round by the Vegas Golden Knights in the organization’s first draft. In 2017-18, a 19-year-old Dugan…
SAVE AFTER SAVE
MIKAEL KINGO LIKES TO be different. When the Vaughan (Ont.) Kings minor midget AAA goaltender takes the ice for a game, your eyes are instantly drawn towards his gold-colored catching glove with a bullseye graphic. Before that, he had a bright red glove to go with his solid black pads. Not exactly the makings of an award-winning getup in the goalie world, but it certainly catches your attention. Kingo wouldn’t have it any other way. Style points aside, Kingo has become a top goalie prospect for the 2020 OHL draft due to his athleticism, speed in the crease and quick glove hand. If you were to know him for just his on-ice skill – and his unique equipment setup – you’d think he’s a typical teenage stopper looking to make a career…
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