Ty Edmonds had his baptism of fire in the Prince George Cougar nets as a 17-year-old rookie last season.
Forced into action a lot more than most WHL freshmen, he came out of it a much better goalie than when he started wearing the Cougar jersey and for that reason Edmonds has earned the right to be the Cats' designated starter in 2014-15.
Matt Kustra and Tavin Grant didn't play junior hockey last season but were just as valuable to their respective midget teams. Now they're locked in a battle to stick with the Cougars as the backup.
The Cougars cleared the way for them when they sent 20-year-old Adam Beukeboom back to the AJHL with the Grande Prairie Storm.
A long-term groin injury to goalie Brett Zarowny left Edmonds on his own for most of the month of December and early January and he started 16 straight games, which drained him physically and emotionally. But there were plenty of highlights along the way. He was the CHL goaltender of the week in October, allowing just one goal with two shutouts after facing 82 shots in those three games. He played well enough to be one of four goalies invited to play in the CHL Prospects Game in January in Calgary.
Edmonds played 2,947 minutes of hockey in 55 games last season, compiling a 3.85 goals-against average and .887 save percentage on a Cougars team that finished with the third-worst defensive statistics in the WHL. He finished the season with a 19-19-2-4 record but was unable to get the Cougars into the playoffs and they missed out for the third straight season. That won't happen again if Edmonds has any say in the matter.
"I'm feeling good, lots of pressure, but I know I can handle it and I know the team will be up to the challenge," said Edmonds. "I know all that experience last year may have been hard but I'm already seeing the benefits and that will help me out this season. It was challenging but it was fun at the same time and it definitely helped me get to where I am today."
Edmonds, 18, was disappointed he didn't get picked in the NHL draft and is using that as motivation.
"One day doesn't determine your whole career so you just have to keep going," he said. "My main goal is to get the team into the playoffs and just go from there. We have a strong team and we'll definitely be a team to watch this year."
The Cougars have liked what they've seen from the six-foot-two, 180-pound Winnipeg native so far in the preseason.
"We've got three guys battling for the net and obviously Ty, with the experience he's got, has an edge," said Cougars head coach Mark Hoilick. "But at the end of the day it's a three-horse race and we've got only two jerseys.
"Ty played a lot of hockey for us last year and sometimes we maybe didn't want to have to get him in there, but with injuries we had no choice. It was tough on him at times but I think he got stronger and benefited from it. He came back in great shape, has a great attitude and hopefully will continue to push forward and get better."
Kustra, 17, was an eighth-round pick of the Cougars in the 2013 bantam draft. He backstopped the Notre Dame Argos to the Saskatchewan midget triple-A league playoff title and got them to within a goal of winning the final of the Telus Cup Western regional championship. The five-foot-nine, 180-pound native of Yorkton, Sask., has been around for three Cougar training camps and is enjoying the ride.
"I think it's lots of fun, all three of us are getting better because of this battle, working this hard for a month to make the team," said Kustra.
"I like how everyone comes to the rink every day, ready to work. We work hard in our workouts and I love to see how everyone is improving. I feel like I've pushed through a lot of adversity and my camp's going pretty good. I'm smaller compared to most guys in the WHL but I feel I'm a lot more athletic and I'm able to make that second and third save."
Kustra let in two goals on 21 shots playing half the game a week ago against Edmonton. Against Red Deer in exhibition play Aug. 30 he helped seal a 6-4 win, allowing two goals on 15 shots.
The Cougars signed the undrafted Grant prior to his final midget season with the Vancouver Northwest Giants and he went on to post a 15-2-2 record in the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League, finishing with a league-best 2.04 goals-against average.
"He came into camp and I didn't know a whole lot about him beside his numbers but he's got a strong work ethic," said Holick. "He's a character kid who wants to play and it's still preseason but he's certainly a guy who's impressed us."
The 16-year-old from Burnaby has been feeling a lot more confident in his second WHL training camp and it's showed in his play. Grant gave up three goals on 13 shots coming in to relieve Edmonds in the Cougars' first game against Edmonton last Friday. Prior to that he played the second half of a 6-5 overtime loss to Medicine Hat, Aug. 31, giving up three goals while facing 23 shots.
"I went pretty far [in training camp] when I was 15 and it's nice to get back to playing this high-level hockey," said Grant. "I just try focusing on the positives and every ice time trying to get better. "Playing against Medicine Hat was my first taste of a WHL game and the speed was ridiculous but I think I can get used to it. The overtime goal was a stinker, it hit our d-man's shoulders and hit his shinpad and the post and then my pad and it went in. You get unlucky sometimes."
