An athlete doesn’t get too many days like the whirlwind Thursday that Dylan Garand experienced.
The goaltender from Langford signed a three-year entry-level contract with the New York Rangers in the morning and suited up as the starter for sa国际传媒 in its 6-4 victory in the evening in a pre-tournament game against Russia. Since it was sa国际传媒’s lone exhibition game against another national side ahead of the 2022 world junior championship, it gave every indication that coaching staff has Garand as sa国际传媒’s No. 1 goaltender.
Garand allowed only one of the Russian goals in stopping 14 of the 15 shots he faced in playing the first half of the game. Sebastian Cossa, who plays for the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL, stopped only eight of 11 shots he faced in allowing three goals. The tournament gets going for real on Sunday with sa国际传媒 taking on the Czech Republic.
There was some debate after some media outlets rated six-foot-seven first-round Detroit Red Wings draft pick Cossa as the best of the three Canadian goaltenders in last week’s games against the U Sports all-stars in Banff. The third Canadian goaltender is Brett Brochu of the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League.
A big plus in Garand’s favour is experience. The Islander is among only three returnees from the 2021 silver-medallist Canadian team along with defenceman Kaiden Guhle of the Oil Kings and forward Cole Perfetti of the pro Manitoba Moose of the AHL.
“We got the experience of last year and all the attention this tournament gets in sa国际传媒,” said Garand.
“We’ll be looking to finish the job this year.”
Even though the Islander backed up starter Devon Levi of Northeastern University of the NCAA last year, Garand was still there and that is a rare back-to-back player in the world juniors and counts for a lot. But Garand knows he can’t take his status as a returnee for granted.
“There is still a lot work to do and a lot of work ahead of me. I’ve got to keep going and working hard [to earn the No. 1 position in the crease],” he said.
Even though he’s a returnee, leadership mantles don’t fall naturally on to the shoulders of goaltenders.
“I’m not really that vocal. I speak sometimes,” said Garand.
Garand has been a literal wall this year for the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL with a 15-4 record, league second-leading 1.85 goals-against average, league-best .932 save percentage and two shutouts. Selected 58th overall in the third round by Kamloops, the Juan de Fuca Minor Hockey Association product was one of the steals of the 2017 WHL draft and has made 110 regular season appearances with the Blazers with a 71-26-6 career record, 2.31 goals-against average, .918 save percentage and 10 shutouts.
Garand can make a maximum of $925,000 US per season on a standard entry-level contract with the Rangers, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL draft. But the deals are two-way, meaning he can only make that if he plays in the NHL. He will make AHL salary if he plays with affiliate Hartford.
Garand is looking to become the fourth double medallist from the Island in the world junior tournament and first since Kent Manderville won back-to-back world junior golds in 1990 and 1991 before becoming an NHLer and Olympic silver medallist in 1992 at Albertville. Former Victoria Cougars WHL forwards Mark Morrison and Port Alberni’s Paul Cyr were the first Islanders to pull the medal double with gold in 1982 and bronze in 1983.
Other Island-associated players to medal in the world juniors for sa国际传媒 were former Victoria Grizzlies captain Alex Newhook with silver last year, Mel Bridgman of Victoria and the late Rick Lapointe of Esquimalt with silver in 1975, Jamie Benn of Central Saanich with gold in 2009, former Victoria Royals blue-liner Joe Hicketts gold in 2015, mobile blue-liner Tyson Barrie of Langford silver in 2011, Victoria Cougars forwards Curt Fraser and the late Gary Lupul with silvers respectively in 1978 and 1979 and Matt Pettinger of Victoria bronze in 2000.
There have also been notable non-medallist Islanders who represented sa国际传媒 in the world junior tournament. Stanley Cup-champion captain Rod Brind’Amour of Campbell River and former NHLer Russ Courtnall of Victoria played in the world juniors but did not reach the podium.
