Last week, Jordan White was lifted out of hockey obscurity by the Vancouver media.
White, the UBC Thunderbirds goalie, filled the role of EBUG B次元官网网址� emergency back-up goalie B次元官网网址� for the San Jose Sharks when the NHL team was in Vancouver to play the Canucks.
At the ECHL level here in Victoria, Trevor Stead holds the EBUG role with the Victoria Salmon Kings.
At any given moment, the 22 year old is ready to step in against NHL prospects. The rest of the time he works a regular shift bartending and expediting at the Bard and Banker pub, while filling in for teams in the senior menB次元官网网址檚 Victoria Hockey League and the top tier of Hockey 101.
But itB次元官网网址檚 SteadB次元官网网址檚 daily connection to the NHL that makes life interesting right now. If either of the CanucksB次元官网网址� goaltending duo of Roberto Luongo or Cory Schneider suffer an injury, replacing them causes a trickle-down effect that leaves the Salmon Kings with one goalie. ItB次元官网网址檚 happened often over the years and Stead is ready to be there.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not in school. IB次元官网网址檓 just living it out, working and playing hockey. ItB次元官网网址檚 just a chance to continue playing hockey at the highest level, which I always wanted to do,B次元官网网址� Stead said.
Off and on throughout the season Stead has signed 24-hour, amateur-status contracts. HeB次元官网网址檚 just as likely to dress for the visiting team as he is for the home team, and was recently on the Las Vegas Wranglers roster for a day.
HeB次元官网网址檚 also did something EBUGB次元官网网址檚 donB次元官网网址檛 usually do when he travelled with the team to Alaska for a two-game series against the Aces on Dec. 8 and 9.
Regular goalie David Shantz played both games in net but the experience wasnB次元官网网址檛 lost on Stead.
B次元官网网址淓verything about travelling with a team is different. It was a real eye-opener about what itB次元官网网址檚 like to play at that level. Even going through customs is different when youB次元官网网址檙e a team going through together,B次元官网网址� he said.
Though heB次元官网网址檚 yet to register a regular season save, thereB次元官网网址檚 been plenty of calls from assistant coach Ryan Wade requesting SteadB次元官网网址檚 presence at practice. In that regard, SteadB次元官网网址檚 been the teamB次元官网网址檚 third-string goalie since pre-season training in the summer.
Stead has come a long way since playing his final year of junior B as a backup with the Victoria Cougars in 2008-09.
In the 2010 off-season, Stead enlisted in a free-agent pro camp held in Grand Rapids, Mich. Designed for scouts to get a peek at some off-the-radar players, the camp provided Stead with confidence moving forward.
He continued his summer preparation with (Jeff) ComptonB次元官网网址檚 Sports Training Systems, where he ended up in daily on-ice sessions taking shots from fellow Cougars alumni Brandon Wong of the ECHLB次元官网网址檚 Greenville Road Warriors as well as a long list of pros such as NHLers Ryan OB次元官网网址橞yrne and Jamie Benn. When the Salmon Kings pre-season training camp started without any goalies, Compton passed SteadB次元官网网址檚 name onto Wade.
For now, all Stead can do is watch.
sports@vicnews.com
