Player Bio: Bridges

WHL player bio: Bryan Bridges

In a shootout with ...

Bryan Bridges

From the Seattle Times

Age: 20

Height: 5 feet 11

Weight: 165 pounds

Position: Goaltender

Number: 1

Key stats: Bridges set the Western Hockey League record with 13 shutouts last season, and his goals-against average was 1.79.

Key fact: He is a free agent who just returned from training camp with the Chicago Blackhawks.

First shot: Which WHL barn is the toughest to play in?

Answer: "One of the loudest and most annoying places to play is Everett. Their fans are always right into the game and ready to heckle you if you do something they don't like. While I'm playing, I don't hear a thing. But once the whistle goes, if I hear something funny from them I'll laugh about it before I focus back in."

Second shot: With the shootout in effect to break ties this season, how good are you at stopping breakaways and penalty shots?

Answer: "Good. I didn't allow any goals on penalty shots last season. It's something we practiced all last year just as a fun thing. On a breakaway, penalty shot or in a shootout, I give the advantage to the goalie anyway. A player can either miss the net or make a mistake stickhandling when he's trying to make a move."

Third shot: What's a good shootout save percentage?

Answer: "You want to stop absolutely everything and it's possible to do, but definitely way more than half. Each team starts with three shooters, so out of nine shots a reasonable goal would be to let in only one or two — three at the max."

Jim Riley