Starter named
Grametbauer to start Game 1 for Islanders
Mark Grametbauer will be the Charlottetown Islanders starting goalie for Game 1 of their playoff series with the BaieComeau Drakkar.
Mark Grametbauer gets the crease for the Charlottetown Islanders in Game 1.
“It means a lot to see the coaches and the team has confidence in me,” he said after Tuesday’s practice. “I just have to stick to what I’ve been doing these past few games . . . and I know the team will help me out as well.”
The Islanders open the playoffs Friday at home when the Baie-Comeau Drakkar come to town for the first of two games in the best-of-seven Quebec Major Junior Hockey League first-round series. Game 2 is Saturday. Both contests are 7 p.m. starts. Grametbauer, an 18-year-old Halifax native, started the season with the Gatineau Olympiques. He had a 3.71 goals-against average and a .888 save percentage in 23 games before the Islanders acquired him, along with 19-year-old defencemen Nicolas Meloche and Jean-Sebastien Taillefer, in December.
“He’s really taken off and has asserted himself as a No. 1,” Islanders head coach Jim Hulton said.
Grametbauer had a 2.46 goalsagainst average and a .910 save percentage while splitting time manning the Isles cage with Matthew Welsh.
“It was tough decision,” Hulton said. “Both guys have played really well, but I just really like Mark’s game. He seems to be at the peak of his confidence. I really like how calm and composed he’s been in high-pressure situations here in the last six weeks.”
The Islanders enter the series after scoring a league-high 303 goals while the Drakkar scored 203, the third fewest. Charlottetown allowed the sixth fewest goals (214) while Baie-Comeau
(230) allowed the seventh fewest.
Hulton said the Drakkar likes to dump and chase, so Grametbauer’s puck-handling skills could be key. Grametbauer is described by his head coach as an even-keeled player.
“I think the biggest thing is just to stay focus and not get caught too high or too low at any point,” Grametbauer said. Grametbauer said he has been fortunate to have good goalies and coaches to work with during
his career. This list includes Jacob Fancy, the Dalhousie Tigers goalie, who was Grametbauer’s teammate with the Truro Bearcats junior A team in 2014-15.
“I learned a lot from him during those times,” Grametbauer said. “Goalie coaches around the league, they always told me focus on my game and not focus on things I can’t control.” Grametbauer attended goalie camps with Welsh while they were growing up in Halifax.
There is a competitive nature between the two.
“(We’re) trying to help ourselves and push each other to become better goalies,” he said.
While the goalie is important, Hulton said shutting down teams in the playoffs would take a concerted effort from all the players.
“Our job is to try and make our goalies’ life easier, that means letting them see the puck, clearing rebounds and limiting grade A chances.”