It has always been Julien Ellis's aim, as with just about every other goalie in the business, to have something in common with Roberto Luongo.
Now Ellis does. But it isn't fame and a big-time contract. Not yet, anyway. But as Luongo will now have to go through, Ellis has had to endure an injury this season.
After two mercurial seasons with the Victoria Salmon Kings, both times as an ECHL all-star game selection in the nets, this is the final season of Ellis's three-year contract with the parent Vancouver Canucks and he was looking to either make the jump to the AHL or have a highly-noticed impact season with the Salmon Kings that could have set him up for next season.
Then came a setback he least expected. It happened in Camrose, Alta., during an exhibition game Sept. 15 pitting Canucks prospects against Flames prospects.
"I heard something snap in my ankle and it suddenly felt numb," said Ellis, as he relaxed yesterday in his Victoria apartment.
He hasn't played since receiving that serious high-ankle sprain.
"It was really hard to take, and maybe more emotionally," said Ellis, the Canucks' sixth-round draft pick in 2004 out of the Shawinigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior League.
"It's getting toward Christmas and I haven't played a
regular-season game . . . I can't wait to play."
He won't have to wait much longer. Ellis comes off the injury tomorrow in time to join Todd Ford as the Victoria net tandem on a seven-games-in-14- nights road swing, which begins tomorrow at the E
Center in Salt Lake City against the Islanders-affiliate Utah Grizzlies.
The timing of Ellis's return couldn't have been better or more uncanny. It comes just after fellow QMJHL goaltending grad Jonathan Boutin was called up from the Salmon Kings to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL to replace Cory Schneider, who in turn was called up to the Canucks to replace Luongo.
Without the Luongo injury, the Salmon Kings would have had a difficult decision to make between Ellis, Boutin and Ford in the nets, where that old saying three's a crowd especially holds true. That day of crease reckoning for the
S-Kings, however, has been pushed back pending the return of Luongo from a groin injury.
As a Canucks contracted player, Ellis's position appears more secure over Ford, who is on a season AHL Moose contract, and Boutin, freshly inked to a Moose contract this week. There are now 10 Salmon Kings on either Canucks or Moose contracts, with the former obviously in a more commanding position. But Ellis is a fiercely-driven individual who isn't about to rely on just his contract status to gain his place on any team.
"I know I can be dominant in the ECHL and I worked hard through my rehab and I'm working hard right now with [Victoria hockey training guru] Jeff Compton," he said.
Even league commissioner Brian McKenna has said he would like to see prospects move up to the AHL after three seasons at most in the ECHL. There are no shortage of examples for Ellis to look to this week alone -- former Idaho Steelheads ECHL Kelly Cup MVP goaltender Dan Ellis of the Nashville Predators was named NHL weekly third star and former ECHL Stockton Thunder goalie Devan Dubnyk AHL goaltender of the week.
Ellis has shown tantalizing flashes over the past two seasons of potentially reaching that level, although consistency has been a problem.
"They say it takes longer for a goalie to develop," he noted. "Even if it takes four years in the 'E,' I'll do whatever it takes. It's a great league in which to develop and I've loved my years in Victoria -- it's a fabulous city and I feel at home here. But I'll be ready for the next level. I played on the Under-18 [Canadian] team with Dubnyk and I know I'm as good as he is."
Because he has yet to play this season, Ellis said there was never any doubt either Boutin or Ford were to get the call to Manitoba ahead of him to replace Schneider.
"I wasn't expecting to get called up and Jonathan has played well the past three weeks and deserves it," said Ellis.
"Now it's up to me and Todd to work to get the next call-up, if it happens."
Ellis realizes practice shape is not game shape and practice timing is not game timing. There is work ahead.
"The ankle is sore the first five minutes but after I get warm, it's fine," he noted. "My therapist says it might feel like that the rest of the year. It's nothing I can't handle and I'm happy to be returning. It was a setback but now I feel I'm back home. I want to do great here."
