An 0-2 start to the 2012 RBC Cup for Michael Garteig and the Penticton Vees was just the humbling experience the Pacific Region champs needed to kick-start them to the championship.
"To go 0-2 was a blessing in disguise," said Garteig, who developed in the Prince George Minor Hockey Association. "It was something we needed. We kind of came in with a swagger and a cockiness that we were the best here and we got a wake-up call early."
Any swagger the Vees entered the 42nd Canadian national junior A championship with in Humboldt, Sask., last week likely resulted from the team's 54-4-0-2 regular-season record in the British Columbia Hockey League, including a Canadian record 42-game win streak.
The Vees fell 2-1 to the Soo Thunderbirds in the tournament opener despite out shooting the Central Region team 45-15 and then lost to the host Broncos 3-2 in overtime.
"From then on it was a do-or-die situation - like Game 7 every game - and that was perfect because we just played so much better," said Garteig. "We just played with that extra will to win."
Penticton finished the round-robin portion of the tournament with a 2-2 record after a 2-1 win over the Woodstock Slammers (Maritime league) and a 3-1 win over the Portage Terriers (Manitoba).
Garteig posted a 20-save 3-0 shutout in a semifinal win over the Thunderbirds to earn a spot in the final against the Slammers.
"It was probably our best team effort of the whole tournament," said Garteig about the semifinal. "We got on them early and we just kind of never looked back."
In Sunday's final, the Vees fell behind 3-2 to the Slammers but tied it up with less than 10 minutes to play before Joey Benik potted the winner on a power play with 51 seconds left.
"It was just a sigh of relief when he scored that goal," said Garteig. "We didn't want to go to overtime, obviously, because anything can happen. To get that with under a minute left was such a relief because we know we can kill that off and we did it really well."
Garteig said he was "on top of the world" at ending his junior A career as a Canadian champion. It's even sweeter for the 20-year-old, who is slated to attend Quinnipiac University, an NCAA Division 1 school, in September, after two years of settling for second best in the BCHL with the Powell River Kings, losing in the league final to the Vernon Vipers.
"It's unreal because I was so close in Powell River and I honestly do hope that [coach] Kent Lewis and the Powell River Kings do get a chance at winning someday," said Garteig. "He deserves it. He's a good coach and I don't have anything but good things to say about Powell River.
"It was heartbreaking losing two years in a row like that," he added. "It's hard. We were only kids. And then coming here and having nothing but highs, except for the injury, which was obviously a low, but there were not many lows."
The injury was a high-ankle sprain with about a 70-80 per cent tear in some of his ligaments that caused Garteig to miss the end of the Vees' regular season and all of the BCHL playoff games. Garteig returned to the Vees' net in Game 2 of the Doyle Cup in which he shut out the Alberta champion Brooks Bandits 1-0.
"I was still playing with pain throughout the Doyle Cup and until now," said Garteig. "I'm pretty happy that I have the summer to rest now - I need it, my ankle's pretty sore."
In the 2011-12 season, Garteig posted a 41-4-0 record in the Vees' net with a .927 save percentage. In three BCHL seasons he had a 92-23-2 record with a .921 save percentage.
After beating out the other 133 teams in Canadian junior A hockey, Garteig said it's time to treat himself to a little fun in the sun.
"I'm going to Mexico. I think I deserve it," he said.
