Tipped Off
10-25-2006, 11:23 AM
In heat of battle, Irving burns cool
By JIM RILEY
Special to The Seattle Times
Leland Irving is a swirl of contradictions that when baked under the intense heat of the Western Hockey League have made him the league's best goaltender.
In normal conversation, Irving speaks in tones so hushed and measured you get the sense it's taking place inside a library.
Combine that calm with a dogged determination that speaks at a high decibel level when there's a loose puck in front of the net, and it's easy to see why he was the first pick of the Calgary Flames (26th overall) in June's National Hockey League draft.
Since being drafted, Irving has lifted his game to a level where he leads the WHL in wins (8), save percentage (95.1), goals against average (1.19) and shutouts (3).
He's also the leading candidate to be the goaltender for Team Canada in the World Junior Championships in Sweden beginning in December.
Although his future is bright, Irving is simply focused on winning every game.
"At the end of the night, the key thing is that we score more goals than the opposition and we get the two points," Irving said. "That doesn't mean I'd be completely satisfied with an 8-7 win, but of all the stats there are, it's wins that concern me the most."
Irving, 17, said his competitive spirit comes naturally and was honed by his older brother, Kirk, who is a 20-year-old goaltender for the Spruce Grove Saints in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
"He's a great athlete and so competitive that it was something I had to adopt," Irving said. "Whether it was street hockey or in the basement, I learned to just never give up. Now I'm using that attitude at a little different level."
Irving's game has been at a higher level than expected ever since he arrived in Everett at 16 and made the team as a backup. He became the starter last season and led the WHL with 3,791 minutes played, while picking up 37 wins.
"He has a burning desire to be the best," Everett's General Manager Doug Soetaert said. "He has the ability to rise to the challenge. His demeanor is just right for a goalie — he never gets too high or too low. His body language stays the same, and that's not true of all goaltenders. Leland is never going to give up."
Soetaert worked for the Flames last season and said the organization thought so highly of Irving that they considered trading up to make sure they got him.
"We thought he was the best goalie in the draft and it was a great pick for the Calgary Flames," Soetaert said. "He leads by example and is always working to get better and rise to the challenge."
Irving faced a challenge last week when the Tri-City Americans came to town with first place on the line last week.
Playing against goalie Carey Price, the fifth overall pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2005 draft, Irving was flawless until Everett built a 4-0 lead in what became a 4-1 win.
Irving will be competing with Price to lead Team Canada, and the opportunity to make a statement wasn't lost on Irving.
"He's a phenomenal goaltender and it was fun to compete against him," Irving said. "I can't take all the credit. All the guys played very well in front of me."
That's typical Irving, quietly sharing the glory when the team plays well, but more than willing to step up and take the responsibility when things don't go well.
"I like to stay cool and calm in between whistles," Irving said.
"But when the puck drops I'll do absolutely everything I can to keep it from getting into the net."
By JIM RILEY
Special to The Seattle Times
Leland Irving is a swirl of contradictions that when baked under the intense heat of the Western Hockey League have made him the league's best goaltender.
In normal conversation, Irving speaks in tones so hushed and measured you get the sense it's taking place inside a library.
Combine that calm with a dogged determination that speaks at a high decibel level when there's a loose puck in front of the net, and it's easy to see why he was the first pick of the Calgary Flames (26th overall) in June's National Hockey League draft.
Since being drafted, Irving has lifted his game to a level where he leads the WHL in wins (8), save percentage (95.1), goals against average (1.19) and shutouts (3).
He's also the leading candidate to be the goaltender for Team Canada in the World Junior Championships in Sweden beginning in December.
Although his future is bright, Irving is simply focused on winning every game.
"At the end of the night, the key thing is that we score more goals than the opposition and we get the two points," Irving said. "That doesn't mean I'd be completely satisfied with an 8-7 win, but of all the stats there are, it's wins that concern me the most."
Irving, 17, said his competitive spirit comes naturally and was honed by his older brother, Kirk, who is a 20-year-old goaltender for the Spruce Grove Saints in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
"He's a great athlete and so competitive that it was something I had to adopt," Irving said. "Whether it was street hockey or in the basement, I learned to just never give up. Now I'm using that attitude at a little different level."
Irving's game has been at a higher level than expected ever since he arrived in Everett at 16 and made the team as a backup. He became the starter last season and led the WHL with 3,791 minutes played, while picking up 37 wins.
"He has a burning desire to be the best," Everett's General Manager Doug Soetaert said. "He has the ability to rise to the challenge. His demeanor is just right for a goalie — he never gets too high or too low. His body language stays the same, and that's not true of all goaltenders. Leland is never going to give up."
Soetaert worked for the Flames last season and said the organization thought so highly of Irving that they considered trading up to make sure they got him.
"We thought he was the best goalie in the draft and it was a great pick for the Calgary Flames," Soetaert said. "He leads by example and is always working to get better and rise to the challenge."
Irving faced a challenge last week when the Tri-City Americans came to town with first place on the line last week.
Playing against goalie Carey Price, the fifth overall pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2005 draft, Irving was flawless until Everett built a 4-0 lead in what became a 4-1 win.
Irving will be competing with Price to lead Team Canada, and the opportunity to make a statement wasn't lost on Irving.
"He's a phenomenal goaltender and it was fun to compete against him," Irving said. "I can't take all the credit. All the guys played very well in front of me."
That's typical Irving, quietly sharing the glory when the team plays well, but more than willing to step up and take the responsibility when things don't go well.
"I like to stay cool and calm in between whistles," Irving said.
"But when the puck drops I'll do absolutely everything I can to keep it from getting into the net."