As a part of a brand new collection on THN, we determined to mirror on a special player each week and provides a background as to how they made their mark at the WHL and finished their adventure to the professionals. Staying within the (NHL) Eastern Conference is Montreal Canadiens up-and-comer Kaiden Guhle, who’s discovering his footing as a most sensible pairing defenseman on a promising staff.
WHL profession at a look:
5 seasons
207 video games performed
3.22 objectives towards reasonable
.908 save share
Stuart Skinner, referred to now around the NHL as “Stu” or “the man with a legendary mustache”, was once decided on seventeenth general through the Lethbridge Hurricanes within the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft. Hailing from Edmonton, Alta. Skinner performed his under-18 hockey with the South Side Athletic Club AAA program. Upon getting drafted, Skinner made his means into 4 video games for the Hurricanes in his first style of the WHL. As maximum younger goalies do, he struggled a bit however sooner than getting despatched again to his minor hockey membership.
Then, he flipped a transfer.
Coming into his first complete marketing campaign, Skinner made 43 appearances for Lethbridge- posting a three.69 GAA and a .909 save share. While his staff didn’t make the postseason, Skinner was once no longer about to let that deter him from succeeding. In the 2015-16 season, the then-17-year-old posted a career-best 2.73 GAA and a .920 save share with 3 shutouts whilst keeping up a 27-10-1 document. Things had been taking a look up for Stu.
Plus, he etched himself into WHL historical past through scoring a function all through himself:
Having entered the 2016-17 season with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder, Skinner’s numbers took a little bit of a dip within the common season however amped up within the playoffs. Now being trusted because the starter, Skinner post a .916 save share en path to a third-round go out courtesy of the Regina Pats.
On January 9, 2018 Lethbridge was once taking a look to shake issues up in function. With Skinner having a down season, the Hurricanes dealt him to the Swift Current Broncos as a part of a seven-player transfer that incorporated a first-round pick out, which might later turn out to be present Edmonton Oil King Cole Miller. Upon arriving in Swift Current, Skinner would shape a powerful tandem along now-fellow NHLer Joel Hofer and finally end up getting rid of his former Hurricanes within the 2018 Eastern Conference Final. The Broncos can be sipping Stu the entire strategy to the WHL Championship, in addition to a good Memorial Cup look.
In the summer season of 2017, Skinner was once drafted 78th general to his place of birth Edmonton Oilers. After a turbulent begin to his skilled profession, bouncing between the ECHL and AHL for his first two seasons, the third-rounder made his debut within the 2020-21 season enjoying only one recreation for the Oilers. From there, Skinner did not glance again. The following season he post a good .913 save share in a backup function over 13 video games, and succeeding his first actual NHL season was once a much-increased workload for 2021-22 the place he made 50 appearances and completed with a .914 and a 2.75 objectives towards reasonable.
Although his first NHL playoff run didn’t cross the way in which he had was hoping, suffering thru maximum of it and getting swept through the Vegas Golden Knights in the second one around, Skinner would jump again and within the 2024 playoffs would backstop Edmonton to recreation seven of the Stanley Cup Final. Ultimately, the Oilers did drop the overall recreation to the Florida Panthers, but it surely was once an enjoy Skinner won’t ever fail to remember.
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