He Earned His Shot

For as rare as goalie goals are, NHL teams are getting better when it comes to managing their goaltending needs so that zamboni drivers aren't needed to win games. However, there are still circumstances where EBUGs are needed, and if you don't recognize the Edmonton Oilers goaltender to the left that's likely because you're not watching enough Canada West hockey. Tyler Palmer is normally wearing the colours of the Alberta Golden Bears when stopping pucks, but he got a call today when Chloe Skinner, wife of Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner, went into labour with their second child. Palmer normally would have been preparing for a weekend clash with the Trinity Western Spartans this weekend, but he grabbed his gear and headed down to Rogers Place as the Oilers needed a goalie in quick fashion for tonight's contest!

As stated above, Palmer should have been on NHL radars based on his season and career stats. The former Victoria Royals and Everett Silvertips netminder was solid in the WHL where he played 140 games, posting a 66-56-8 record, a 3.24 GAA, and a .902 save percentage. While those numbers don't jump off the page at you, the Fernie-born netminder had an incredible 20 year-old season with Everett where he was 30-9-5 with a 2.57 GAA and a .907 save percentage in 47 games.

While Palmer attended Seattle Kraken training camps, the University of Alberta called Palmer with an offer as the Golden Bears wanted him to stop pucks for them. They saw the talent he possessed, and he's brought that in spades to Canada West as Palmer is 11-4-0 with a 2.21 GAA and a .912 save percentage as Alberta is one of the top teams in the Canadian university conference again. Those numbers were certainly good enough for the Oilers to give him a quick look, though, and they signed Palmer as their EBUG in Skinner's absence!

Being named an EBUG is certainly an honour, but getting to wear the jersey on the bench is the big attraction as there's a chance the EBUG could play. So the question has to be asked: did Tyler Palmer make his NHL debut tonight for the Edmonton Oilers?

Well, the Seattle Kraken, who were visiting the Oilers tonight, gave Tyler Palmer the "star treatment" with a cool piece they produced!
While EBUGs have been given mentions on broadcasts before, it isn't often that a Canadian university's hockey program is mentioned on US TV. Palmer's experiences with the Kraken led to a cool intersection in his career, though, so I'm glad the Kraken gave Palmer his credit for almost being a goalie in their system. Perhaps he still could be one.

In any case, Tyler Palmer didn't play tonight despite him looking like a professional goalie in his #40 Oilers jersey. He was part of the Oilers' 4-2 win over the Kraken, though, and he got to fist-bump Connor McDavid following McDavid's goal to make it a 2-2 game. Calvin Pickard made 26 saves to earn the win, and he had some high praise for the young netminder when talking to reporters.
The world usually has to shift for a former Seattle Thunderbirds netminder to compliment a former Everett Silvertips goalie, but it was cool to see Pickard give Palmer some praise after knowing how often Pickard bounced between the AHL and NHL for so long. That's not to say that Palmer will have the same success as Pickard, but that was a classy move by Pickard to build Palmer up a little.

Obviously, all the best go out to Stuart and Chloe Skinner on their family getting a little bigger as that's always a special occasion, but that absence allowed Tyler Palmer a pretty incredible moment in his career. If you're heading down to Clare Drake Arena this weekend for the weekend series between the Golden Bears and Spartans, there's a better-than-good chance you'll see an NHL goalie in between the pipes for the home side as Tyler Palmer will be back with the team and looking for more success at the Canada West level!

Might we see an invitation to Oilers training camp for Palmer in the future? Based on his play this season, I wouldn't rule it out!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!