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Salmon Kings Stacked In Net

January 9, 2009

By Cleve Dheensaw
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2009

VICTORIA, British Columbia - Roster depth in minor-pro hockey can prove to be a deceptive and moveable feast. Sometimes you have it with re-assignments but you can lose it just as quickly with call-ups.

The Victoria Salmon Kings are currently in a roster bull market. Not only are they on a 13-game ECHL winning streak, but they are deeper than the snow which covered the Island this winter with forwards Olivier Labelle, Dan Gendur and Scott Howes sent back to Victoria over the past week from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.

Nowhere, however, is the current depth more reflected than in the goal crease. Todd Ford this week was named ECHL goaltender of the month for going 6-1 with two shutouts and a goals-against-average of 1.72 in December. But he won't even dress for Friday’s game against the Ontario Reign at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. Jonathan Boutin is expected to get the start with Julien Ellis as back-up.

"It's definitely different," said Ford, selected in the third round of the 2002 NHL draft, 74th overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The crease proliferation began when prospect Cory Schneider proved not ready for prime time and was sent back to the Moose when the Vancouver Canucks traded for former ECHLer and B.C. native Jason LaBarbera. That kicked Canucks draft-pick Ellis back from Manitoba to Victoria, where Ford and Boutin had been playing well.

"We had a meeting with [Salmon Kings GM and head coach Mark Morrison] today and he said he's sticking with three goalies," said Ford, who added there's nothing to be done except be philosophical about the situation.

"We have three great goalies. It's a matter of waiting your turn to play and then making the most of it when you get in the nets. We'll rotate and see how it goes. You just have to go with the flow in a situation such as this."

Ford was named goaltender of the month for the first time in his pro or junior career.

"It's a nice honour but it's just as much a team accomplishment" he said.

"I've never been on a team that has won 13 games in a row."

That thought was echoed around the Salmon Kings' room yesterday as the 24-9-2 club prepared for the two-game set against a tough Ontario team (19-12-2), which is owned by the same company which owns the parent Los Angeles Kings.

"We came close once with a nine- or 10-game winning streak when I was in junior with the Calgary Hitmen but never 13," said the Salmon Kings' ECHL all-star defenceman Dylan Yeo.

"It's a big achievement. We would love to keep it going. But we know teams will be coming hard after us every night to try and break the streak, so we have to play harder every night and leave it all on the ice."

The Salmon Kings' 13-game winning streak is tied with Las Vegas from 2006-07 as the fourth longest in ECHL history. If Victoria wins tonight, it will tie Knoxville from 1993-94 and Louisiana from 2001-02 for the second-longest winning streak in ECHL history at 14 games. The ECHL record is 17 games, set last season by the defending Kelly Cup-champion Cincinnati Cyclones.

Meanwhile, almost buried beneath news of the Salmon Kings winning streak and goaltending situation was the announcement yesterday that Victoria all-star forward Wes Goldie was named ECHL player of the month for his league-leading 14 goals in December, including three game winners.

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