Blue Jackets prospect Gardner shutting down shots, supporting youth with diabetes in sophomore season

Saskatoon, Sask.- Evan Gardner is all about the details.

The Saskatoon Blades netminder spends his practices digging into the little things, whether it’s working on transitions and post bumps or overlap situations and play reads.

That meticulous nature also extends to his work off the ice.

Gardner, who was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes when he was 11, has used his platform to become a strong advocate for diabetes awareness.

As a rookie, he stepped up to partner with Diabetes Canada for numerous events, including the Lace Up to End Diabetes initiative and the Unite the Circle Challenge, which saw Blades fans walk the concourse of the SaskTel Centre to raise money for Diabetes Canada.

This season, he pored plenty of personal touches into a special mask that was auctioned off to raise money for Diabetes Canada.

“I kind of had a bunch of things on it that are not only diabetes-related, but a lot of things related to autism as well,” Gardner explained. “That’s something near and dear to my heart. So just small details around the mask with logos for autism being puzzle pieces, stuff like that. Then for diabetes, I snuck some of the things that I use for my diabetes, like my pumps, on the minions that I have on the side of my helmet and also the logos for diabetes.”

You can bid NOW on Evan Gardner's custom diabetes awareness mask that he will wear tonight!

All proceeds go to Diabetes Saskatchewan

BID 🤑 | https://t.co/botWohjBft pic.twitter.com/iR3L4jbfpU

— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) November 29, 2024

The minion characters are also a nod to his brother, who has made the movies a staple in the Gardner household.

Gardner’s mask has been auctioned off for $4,650, with the money going towards Diabetes Canada’s Camp Kornder in nearby Christopher Lake, Sask.

Camp Kornder gives kids living with diabetes a chance to enjoy a traditional camp experience in a medically accommodating environment while helping them gain independence in managing their condition and letting them know they’re not alone in their journey.

Gardner says that it was important to him that the money be used locally.

“The morning that the auction was ending, it started going crazy,” Gardner added. “It’s something super special to me, so to see that cheque was pretty cool.

I love that it’s going towards youth with diabetes. It’s just a super positive thing that I was very lucky to be a part of.”

Gardner and Blades rookie forward Zach Olsen, who lives with type-1 diabetes as well, were also driving forces behind the teams’ ‘Stick it to Diabetes’ night on November 9, 2024.

Evan Gardner has donated $4,650 to @DiabetesCanada with money raised from our #diabetesawareness game on November 29

The proceeds are guaranteed to stay in Saskatchewan pic.twitter.com/vzlvwQPXqL

— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) January 29, 2025

It’s a positive boost for Gardner, who has embraced an increased workload and more pressure backstopping a young Blades squad.

The 19-year-old is 18-12-3-1 with a 3.03 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage and one shutout while facing the sixth-most shots (1,101) of any goaltender across the WHL. He was also named WHL Goaltender of the Month for December of 2024.

“I’ve already played a few more games than last year, but it’s fun,” Gardner said. “Just enjoying every day and working every day to get better, and not taking it for granted just taking care of yourself off the ice. I’ve really taken a lot of pride in that this year- making sure I’m doing the right things off the ice, after games, before games, after practices and stuff like that. Just the keeping the body fueled and ready to go.”

In 2023-24, Gardner posted a sterling 1.91 GAA and .927 save percentage in his first season, stole the starting job in Saskatoon, helped the team record its first 50-win season since 2010-11 and earned nominations for WHL Rookie of the Year and WHL Humanitarian of the Year.

The Columbus Blue Jackets selected Gardner with the 60th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft.

He’s one of only four Blades goaltenders to be drafted in the 21st century and stands as the highest draft pick since Stanley Cup Champion and Vezina Trophy winner Braden Holtby was drafted by Washington in the fourth round of the 2008 draft.

Blades Goaltending Coach Jeff Harvey says Gardner stuck out as a special talent from his first scouting report, and believes he’s stepped up with a heavier workload behind a younger team.

“I still have the email saved that I sent our scouts,” Harvey recalled. “‘Wow, this is the guy. The ’06 draft group was deep, but Gards just caught my eye with his elite skating ability and his athleticism. I just hadn’t seen anything from a kid that age come across my desk at all.

“He’s expected to be the guy every night. Adjusting to that is a work in progress and I think Gard’s game has progressed. The numbers obviously are different than last year, but in terms of that, I would say he’s a much better goaltender at this point this year than he was last season… We were doing a video session the other day and one of the clips I had was like, ‘This isn’t normal for a 19-year-old.’ The way he can transition into his post, get into a reverse track, bump off his post. He’s so fluid in his operations, entering so clean and exiting so clean. He’s doing stuff that guys at the pro level in the National League aren’t even doing.”

The Gardian of the Goal reigns supreme. @BlueJacketsNHL prospect Evan Gardner tops the player survey charts as the favourite to win the Del Wilson Memorial Trophy!

📝 | https://t.co/aAIUSA2Pud@BladesHockey | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/esdYITtPa3

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) December 23, 2024

Consider that music to the Blue Jackets’ ears.

The Columbus brass has kept close tabs on Gardner’s development and staff tend to check in with him after most games.

Blue Jackets Goaltending Development Coach Brad Thiessen is even slated to travel to Saskatoon this week for some on-ice sessions with the highly-touted prospect.

“They gave me smaller things to work on,” Gardner added. “Movements around the crease that I’ve started to integrate into my game, being more efficient in moving around, getting to your spots better, just stuff like that, to get ahead of the game because the higher the level you go up, the faster that puck moves around.”

He admits he’s set some lofty goals he still wants to achieve at the junior level.

Beyond a WHL Championship, Gardner says his biggest goals are to earn an NHL contract, represent Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship and get a shot at WHL Goaltender of the Year.

The ‘Gardfather’ and the Blades (25-16-3-3) are back in action on Friday, February 7 as they visit Philadelphia Flyers prospect Carson Bjarnason and the Brandon Wheat Kings (25-16-3-3).