Pickard living the dream as Oilers reach Stanley Cup final

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This article was published 05/06/2024 (476 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Calvin Pickard has spent a lifetime dreaming of the moment he’s about to experience.

The Moncton-born and Winnipeg-raised backup goalie with the Edmonton Oilers is on the phone from the City of Champions, days after his team eliminated the Dallas Stars in six games to advance to the Stanley Cup final.

The ringing in his ears from the roar of the crowd might have subsided, but Pickard’s circuitous path to this point has allowed him to relish each step of the journey, which continues Saturday when the Oilers face the host Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena in Game 1.

“It felt different coming in for Game 6 with a chance to head to the Stanley Cup final,” Pickard told the Free Press. “We hung on for dear life, but it always had that winning feeling, even though we were getting outplayed. With 20 seconds left, we chipped the puck out and the crowd went absolutely bananas.

“You watch the Stanley Cup get handed out every year and you get so jealous of everybody being able to win it — and you just want to be that guy. There are only two teams left and I firmly believe we have a really good chance to win it if we play well.”

When Pickard walked into the rink in Bakersfield, Calif., on Nov. 7, he had no way of knowing his life was about to change this dramatically.

Originally a second-round pick (49th overall) of the Colorado Avalanche in 2010, Pickard hadn’t seen any NHL action since March of 2021 when he was a member of the Detroit Red Wings organization.

He was reaching the point in his career where he was viewed more as an insurance policy. He could mentor young prospects while sharing the load and providing quality starts in the minors, though a return to the NHL on a full-time basis seemed unlikely.

The beauty of goaltending is sometimes, an unexpected opportunity arises.

With Jack Campbell placed on waivers and assigned to the American Hockey League after he cleared, Pickard was recalled by the Oilers to share the crease with Stuart Skinner.

“No, I don’t think I would have expected this whole thing to happen,” said Pickard. “It was a few games into the year and the Oilers were struggling at the time. I kind of just packed for a couple of weeks. I think they were just going to swap us for a bit.”

The Oilers got things turned around under new head coach Kris Knoblauch — who took over from Jay Woodcroft on Nov. 12 — and, suddenly, Pickard wasn’t just a spectator.

“I started to get my feet under me, getting more comfortable playing behind our team. I didn’t play in the NHL at all (during the 2022-23 season), and just kind of sporadically over the last four or five years or whatever it was,” he said. “This is definitely the best team I’ve played behind, so that makes a difference, too.”

The initial plan of a quick reset for Campbell gave way to Skinner establishing himself as the No. 1 guy and Pickard settling in nicely as a backup who could be counted on. He posted a 12-7-1 record, with a 2.45 goals-against average and .909 save percentage in 23 appearances for Edmonton.

After the Oilers eliminated the Los Angeles Kings in five games, they found themselves down 2-1 to the Vancouver Canucks in the second round.

Skinner was pulled in Game 3, allowing Pickard to make his Stanley Cup playoffs debut in relief. In Game 4, Knoblauch made one of his many bold decisions and gave Pickard the start.

With his parents in the stands, Pickard made 19 saves as the Oilers evened the series.

“An exciting opportunity for me,” said Pickard. “I didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself. As a backup goalie, you always have to be ready. You never know when you’re going to get the shoulder tap. There are breaks in the season when I didn’t have a start, but no one is going to feel sorry for you. You’ve got to go out and perform.

“I embrace that mindset. It was definitely rewarding to play in the playoffs.”

Pickard was back in the crease for Game 5 and played well in a 3-2 defeat, stopping 32 of 35 shots, but with the Oilers down 3-2 in the series and facing elimination, Knoblauch went back to Skinner, who has steadied himself nicely and just outplayed Jake Oettinger in the Western Conference final.

It’s no secret the Oilers are led by captain Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but the supporting cast has shown it’s ready for prime time this spring.

“I feel like we’ve won in so many different types of ways,” said Pickard. “Everybody has played their role and different guys have stepped up each night.”

Speaking of stepping up, the Oilers top-ranked penalty-killing unit has been elite, erasing 28 consecutive opportunities.

Former Winnipeg Jets defenceman Mark Stuart oversees that unit as an Oilers assistant coach.

“I don’t know if you could say enough good things about (Stuart),” said Pickard. “He’s been unbelievable for our penalty kill. They’re going out there right now and not thinking about anything. Mark has them really prepared every single game. He demands a good work ethic. He’s the best.”

With the Oilers in the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 2006 and trying to become the first Canadian team to win since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993, Pickard has been feeling plenty of support, especially from his home town.

For a guy who started 50 games for the Avalanche in 2016-17, was chosen first overall in the expansion draft by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017 but never played for them, helped Canada earn a silver medal at the 2017 IIHF men’s world championship, this season has been a magic carpet ride.

“You never think you’re going to be playing for a Stanley Cup,” said Pickard, who played his minor hockey with the Winnipeg Monarchs program and spent one season with the Winnipeg Wild of the U18AAA league before graduating to the Western Hockey League. “It’s in your dreams, but it’s such a long road that you don’t want to look too far ahead. Now that we’re here, there’s definitely more work to do.”

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

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