Goaltenders
The situation in the crease may appear on paper to be the most stable of any position, but in practice it may be the most complex. With the news this week that the Oil Kings have re-assigned netminder Rail Schollar to the Calgary Northstars U18 AAA, that leaves only 2 goalkeepers on the opening night roster. As many likely expected, the goalie duties will be shared by Ethan Simcoe and Parker Snell.
Simcoe is the elder of the two, and brings the WHL experience from last season with him. His numbers are serviceable, but consistency was an issue last year. He had shutouts on 3 different occasions, but contrasted that with multiple games allowing 3 or more goals, including one where he allowed 3 goals on 6 shots and was pulled in the first period. He played 5 of the 7 games in the playoffs, but saw his numbers drop each game as he started with 2 wins and then lost 3 straight with decreasing GAA & Sv% each game. His preseason finale then added more cause for concern, when he allowed 4 goals against the very Red Deer Rebels that they will face to open the season.
All of that said though, it’s not all doom and gloom with Ethan. He finished the season with a 13-6-1 record, a 2.68 GAA, and a .911 Sv%. Statistically speaking, his season was actually a Top 3 season all time for an Oil Kings rookie netminder. Simcoe’s combination with Worthington created a level of stability that the Oil Kings crease had not seen since Sebatian Cossa left for the pros.
The only thing standing between Simcoe and being a lock as the #1 goaltender this year is another rookie looking to shatter all of those Oil Kings rookie goalie records. Parker Snell is ready to make his arrival in a big way. Snell got a brief look last season, getting a single start and capitalizing on it with a 5-0 shutout and then relieving Simcoe when he was pulled for the aforementioned 3 goals on 6 shots and allowing 0 goals on 25 shots in the relief. All in all, he played 106 minutes of hockey, allowing Zero goals on the 54 shots he faced.
Snell spent most of last season in the CSSHL with the OHA Edmonton U18 Prep, where he was named the CSSHL U18 Top Goaltender and Most Valuable Player for the season, becoming the first male goaltender to ever win the CSSHL MVP Award. He finished his CSSHL season with a 9-10-1 record, a .922 Sv%, and a 3.19 GAA. If he can pickup this season anywhere close to where he finished last year, he will grab the #1 role from Simcoe in no time at all.
He has already started off hot, with 2 wins through 2 preseason games, a 1.80 GAA, and a .947 Sv% over 5 periods of play. His career is just getting started, and he has all the tools to join Cossa and Laurent Brossoit as an all-time great Oil King goalie.
Opening weekend being a home-and-home series would suggest each goaltender will play in a game, but who gets which night is anybody’s guess. Could we see Simcoe get a chance for atonement on Friday after losing the preseason finale against the same Rebels? Could Snell get the chance to do Friday what Simcoe couldn’t, and let Ethan have the back half at home? I think I’d lean towards the first option, giving Simcoe the road start and Snell the home-opener in front of a loud Edmonton crowd on a Saturday afternoon.