Robert Steeves has big skates to fill

With only 21 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League regular season games under his belt, the 18-year-old Moncton, N.B. native is being counted on to take over the number one goaltending job with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.  Steeves knows the role comes with a lot of pressure.  All eyes will be on him as the team heads into the 2011-2012 season, and that’s just the way he likes it.

“I like the pressure a lot,” he said.  “I find in games, for some reason I don’t get very nervous.  I love to be in there in that situation and I like having all eyes on me.  I know it can go bad, but when it goes good it is the best feeling.”

Steeves was selected in the third round of the 2009 QMJHL entry draft, 43^rd overall, by Acadie-Bathurst and spent last season adjusting to the junior circuit while backing up veteran netminder Olivier Roy, who was traded to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in the offseason.

“I definitely learned a lot from Olivier,” he said.  “I learned a lot about the league and stuff.  I know I can play, so I’ve been really excited to take the starting position.”

Steeves posted an impressive 11-5 record along with a 2.67 goals against average and a .914 save percentage with the Titan last season.  That included stepping in while Roy was playing for Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships.

“Steeves is my guy,” said Titan head coach Eric Dubois.  “I think he proved last year that he can start, or should start, as a number one (goaltender) this year.  He played really well as a backup, and he played really well when Olivier was gone at Christmas time, so he deserves to have the chance to be a number one and take the lead.  Having said that, I told him ‘you haven’t proved that you can be a number one in this league, so you still have to prove that and play well under those circumstances.’”

Dubois said he isn’t worried about Steeves buckling under the pressure.

“We call those kids Teflon kids,” laughed Dubiois.  “It seems like things bounce back off them.  It doesn’t stick.  It seems like he has that personality where not much affects him.”

“He can deal with pressure and forgets pretty quick a bad performance or a bad goal,” continued the coach.  “So he’s got that personality to be a good number one in the league.  Now, what’s left to be done is to prove it.  Instead of playing maybe 20 games a year, now you’ve got to play maybe 40 games or 50 games.  You’ve got to take care of yourself off the ice.  You’ve got to make sure you eat well, you sleep well.  I’m not worried about that with Robert.  I think he can do the job.  I expect him to do the job.”

Steeves said he worked hard this summer so he could show up at training camp in great shape, and is pleased with the way his preseason went.

“I feel really good this year.  The training over the summer was great so I feel really strong and ready to play,” he said, noting he worked out with a group of QMJHL players from the Moncton area over the summer.  “We worked out six times a week and we did everything.  It was really good.”

“He did really well on the fitness test,” pointed out Dubois.  “We had eight tests to do, it was tough for them, and I could see right away that his conditioning was good.  His aerobic test was really good and that is very good for a goalie.  I always tell the kids if you work hard you’ll be rewarded.  He worked hard and I think it is his time.”

Dubois said he was especially pleased with the way Steeves battled in his final preseason action, a 5-4 shootout win over the Saint John Sea Dogs at Harbour Station on Aug. 31.

“What I remember from the game, and what I told him, is ‘you’ll have games where it is hard, or you don’t feel like you are having a good game, but what I expect from you is to give us a chance to win at the end,’” said the coach.  “Remember (Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender) Grant Fuhr?  He gave up four goals a game, but at the end he would give a chance for the (National Hockey League’s Edmonton) Oilers to win every game.”

“That is what I remember from (Steeves) last (preseason) game,” continued Dubois.  “It was an okay game, but we had to kill a three against five penalty near the end of the game.  It was 4-2 at the time for them, and if we gave up a goal the game was probably over.  But he made some big saves in that situation, and gave us a chance to win, and we came back and eventually won the game.”

“I like his mentality. He’s got a fighting spirit inside of him, and I think he’ll get better as the season goes on.”

It’s a game Steeves won’t soon forget either.

“All they (the coaches) said was to give them a chance to win every night,” he said.  “Just like (my) last exhibition game for example.  I didn’t have my best game, but I thought I made the big saves in the third and the shootout to win. 

Steeves will face the Sea Dogs again on Sept. 9, this time at home, as the Titan open the regular season at the K. C. Irving Regional Centre in Bathurst against the defending MasterCard Memorial Cup champions.  He can’t wait for the game to start.

“I think our team is really good,” he concluded.  “I think with a bit more practice we can do just as good as last year, maybe better.   Everyone is bonding.  We have good chemistry.  I’m really pumped up for this year.  I’m ready to go.”