Alec Dillon is going to tackle his next challenge like he鈥檚 taken on the rest.
The former Victoria Grizzlies鈥� goaltender and Los Angeles Kings鈥� draft pick was introduced as the Edmonton Oil Kings鈥� next netminder on Monday in the Alberta capital as he joins the 2014 Memorial Cup champion Edmonton Oil Kings.
Dillon, 19, has advanced from the VIJHL鈥檚 Westshore Wolves to the BCHL鈥檚 Grizzlies to the Tri-City Storm of the USHL. He was expected to play for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers in the ECAC of the NCAA, but uncommitted.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no bad route to take,鈥� the fifth-round selection of the Los Angeles Kings said Saturday. 鈥淭hey are two pretty incredible paths. Not many kids in the world are offered full-ride scholarships and not many get their rights traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings.
鈥淚 think I made the right choice for myself. This is my choice.鈥�
The six-foot-five and now 185-pound goaltender is coming off an outstanding season in the USHL, named to the all-rookie team and a second-team league all-star.
鈥淭he Kings obviously had some input, but I told them this is what I wanted and they stood behind me, not swaying me either way,鈥� said Dillon, who left the Grizzlies following the 2013-14 season to join the Storm. There he posted a solid 23-11-4 campaign with a 2.27 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a class-A type opportunity,鈥� Dillon said of heading to the Oil Kings, where he will join close friend Dysin Mayo, also of Victoria. 鈥淚鈥檝e talked to Dysin and I have some big shoes to fill [replacing goaltender Tristan Jarry and before him, Laurent Brossoit].
鈥淸Dysin] didn鈥檛 sway me one way or the other either, he left it alone,鈥� Dillon added of Mayo, who turns 19 in August and was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes.
The Oil Kings traded for Dillon鈥檚 WHL rights in November of 2013, shipping defenceman Stephen Schmoorkoff to Swift Current in the deal.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a talented goaltender,鈥� said Oil Kings general manager Randy Hansch, a former netminder with the Victoria Cougars of the WHL. 鈥淥bviously, there will be a transitional phase for him because it is another level up. But it鈥檚 a good opportunity for for Alec to continue his development.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a good-sized goaltender with a pretty controlled style. He had very positive numbers and that was an attraction, too. He鈥檚 responded everywhere he鈥檚 played.鈥�
Jarry is a second-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins and expected to play in the minors this season. His backup last season, Patrick Dea, 18, played 21 games for the Oil Kings with an 11-5-1 record and a 2.57 average and will be back.
