Snider ready for top job
By Kristen Odland, Calgary Herald
Michael Snider has paid his dues.
Now, after two years with the Calgary Hitmen, he will get the chance to shoulder the responsibilities of being the team’s No. 1 goaltender this coming Western Hockey League season.
“It’s still a coaching decision, but they said I’d get the opportunity and I just have to prove myself,” the 19-year-old De Winton native said before the Hitmen veterans checked in Friday at the Don Hartman Northeast Sportsplex.
“It’s right there for me, so I’m ready to take it.”
Understand, Snider has worked his tail off for this chance. He also knows there are a few more weeks of sweating before he can step between the pipes. But most importantly, he knows what lies ahead as the defending Ed Chynoweth champion Hitmen kick off their WHL regular season.
“The expectations are really high because we just won a WHL championship,” Snider said. “And we’re expected to do well again. I’m looking at it the same as you would any year. There’s defi-nitely pressure — and I like the pressure, for sure.
“I’m excited about getting in there.”
And given the experience he’s had the past two seasons, he should have piles of confidence already. Snider has been the understudy for Martin Jones — the 2010 WHL goalie of the year, top goalie and all-star at the Memorial Cup, and silver medallist with the Canadian world junior team.
So, with Jones fully expected to turn pro with the L.A. Kings this fall, Snider feels ready to fill his skates.
“It’s been awesome being behind Jonesy,” Snider said. “I’ve learned a lot. He is really composed and so calm in the net. I wanted to kind of implement that into my game.”
The Hitmen are well aware of the differences between Snider and Jones, an obvious distinction being their size. Jones is listed at six-foot-four while Snider is five-foot-nine.
“Marty was just such an imposing figure in the net,” Hitmen goalie coach Darcy Wakaluk commented. “He could look over top guys and part of him was always in the shooting angles. He was very calm and relaxed.”
“Michael,” he continued, “is a very energetic, left-handed catching goalie. He plays with his heart on his sleeve a lot of nights.”
For example, Snider impressed during a stretch at the beginning of the 2009-10 season when Jones went down with a high ankle sprain. Including his first WHL career shutout — a 34 save performance against the Regina Pats — Snider went 5-1 in six starts.
All year, he was 16-5-2 with a 2.54 goals against average and a .901 save percentage.
“Michael came in and conducted himself very well and kind of proved to a lot of people in this league that he can play a number of games in a row and win some big hockey games,” Wakaluk said. “He was a big part of our success last year and he’s going to be relied upon to play the majority of the games this year and win the vast majority of them.”
Snider checked into the veterans’ fitness testing on Friday night and hits the ice today for main camp. He’ll be joined by prospective
No. 2 goalie Juraj Holly from Slovakia and a handful of other goalies the Hitmen brass are observing.
The team is also eyeing Matt Hrynkiw, an 18-year-old from the Saskatoon Contacts of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA League, and their 2009 WHL bantam pick Brodie Burdeny of Richmond, B.C.
But Hitmen general manager Kelly Kisio didn’t hesitate with his opinion on Snider.
“We’re not looking at options other than Michael Snider, we’re looking at guys that can play,” Kisio said. “He’s paid his dues and he’ll get a chance to be the No. 1 guy.”
Notables
After three days of sweating it out through rookie camp, around 25 players advanced to the Hitmen main camp today . . . The veterans were put through the paces of fitness testing on Friday . . . Cody Beach dominated the beep test, getting to level 12.5. Newcomer Neil Landry, who spent last season with the Humboldt Broncos of the SJHL, was tops in bench press (155 pounds) reps (23). Ben Wilson led the group in chin-ups (20). Cody Sylvester dominated the broad jump (272 cm). Kris Foucault was tops in sit-ups (84) . . . Main camp continues today with scrimmages beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Don Hartman Northeast Sportsplex (5206-68th Street NE).
