- The Queen's Golden Gaels hockey team without Ryan Gibb is like Earth, Wind and no Fire. It's like the Gang, without Kool. Queen's press release about their star goaltender signing with the Laredo Bucks of the Central league refers to it being "bittersweet," since he was such a big part of their program and is leaving after just two seasons. Thing is, and it's easy to rationalize when you're not invested in the program's fortunes, but if the Gaels had been told they'd be getting a goalie who would post a .922 save percentage while handling 38 shots per game, but they'd only have him for two seasons, they'd probably take the deal.
Brady Morrison, the former Frontenac and 67, didn't see much of the net toward the end of last season, but he had some good games early last season. One personal opinion is that university hockey, with the players jugging commitments with their course loads (right?), lends itself to a goalie platoon. - Having a Newfoundlander worked for the Detroit Red Wings, so the Gaels have added winger David Chubb, of Stevensville, N.L. He's the second newcomer from Atlantic Canada who played on a team that was in the RBC Cup national Junior A championship, although he missed much of his season with the Cornwall Colts due to injuries.
Our own Tyler King will be talking with Queen's coach Brett Gibson about Gibb going pro on Offsides, which airs Friday at 4 p.m. Eastern on CFRC 101.9 FM (cfrc.ca) in Kingston. The panel of Tyler, K-Rock 105.7's Tim Cunningham, Queen's SID Michael Grobe and some guy from a blog will have more to say.
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7 comments:
What on earth would a kid be doing leaving school to go play in the $%#@ing Central League? Can't his friends stage an intervention? Only a small number of players ever graduate from that league to the AHL, and almost none of those ever get to the NHL. Zamboni Rodeo should be required reading for these guys before they throw away years of their life riding a bus for no money in Laredo, Texas. Maybe a young guy could do it as the hockey version of backpacking through Europe for six months, but after that it is time to get on with the rest of your life.
Who knows... is Gibb forfeiting his educating package? Does he have an option to return if he doesn't make the team?
Great reference, Dennis... in my journalistic travels I've met more than few hockey people who know someone who was in Zamboni Rodeo.
Dennis, I agree with you almost entirely. If he wanted to come back he'd have burned at least 1 year of eligibility and have to sit out a year first.
Maybe there's more to it though.
Gibb's accomplished almost everything he can in the CIS in only 2 years. He's proved that he can be a top goalie in the CIS. This is his shot to go step up a level and try to prove that he can be a top goalie in the CHL, and then move up to the AHL.
While staying another year would definitely help the Gaels; it's not going to get him into pro hockey at any higher level.
We still have Brady Morrison who is a lot better than his record showed, and who would've taken at least a few starts away from Gibb (as he did this year).
As for coming back, I believe that if he chooses to return to Queen's, he can do so at any time without losing any eligibility, so why not take the shot?
Good points... but wouldn't Gibb have had a better chance of getting into the ECHL or AHL if he had bided his time? How many goalies are making it out of the CHL, anyway?
I'm not clear on the eligibility rules, but if you go pro, there might be a "365 days rule." But if he burns a year, he'd still have 2 left.
I'm not so sure that he would've had a better chance. What else could he have accomplished to prove to scouts that he should get a shot directly at the AHL?
He ran the show for 2 years in the CIS, what difference will 1 more year make? Meanwhile he gets into the CHL earlier and increases his chances at moving up from there.
I don't think he would have to burn a year of eligibilty to come back to Queen's, because professional players come from the OHL directly all the time...Billy Burke took a year off school a few years ago to go play pro in the OHL for 1 year then came back.
The Central League's not the 'A,' though.
As for the eligibility question, I don't know for sure, but remember, major junior hockey is not pro, in the CIS' eyes.
I believe if you're past your 21st birthday and start the season with a pro team, it costs you a year of eligibility. If you were called up to the ECHL or AHL after your junior team was elminated, that's a little different.
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