OILERS DRAFT CANES’ SKINNER
LETHBRIDGE GOALTENDER GOES IN THIRD ROUND
Netminder joins Connor McDavid and company in the City of Champions —
The hometown boy just made good at the National Hockey League draft. As the NHL Entry Draft was headed into its final day Saturday in Chicago, Lethbridge Hurricanes goaltender Stuart Skinner heard his name called out.
Turns out, the NHL team calling his name was right from Skinner’s own backyard as the Edmonton Oilers selected the 18-year-old in the third round and 78th overall.
Skinner was the first WHL goaltender taken in this year’s draft and becomes the fourth goaltender in Hurricanes franchise history to be drafted into the NHL.
He joins a list that features Logan Koopmans (2012, Detroit), David Trofimenkoff (1993, New York Rangers) and Jamie McLennan (1991, New York Islanders).
Skinner becomes the second-highest drafted Canes goaltender, only McLennan at 48th overall in the third round was higher.
The product of Edmonton just finished his third season with the Hurricanes.
In 2016-17, he played in a career-high 60 regular season games with a record of 34-18-32, a 3.26 goals against average, a .905 save percentage and two shutouts.
Skinner then dressed in all 20 Hurricanes playoff games, helping the team to it’s first Eastern Conference final since 2008 with a 3.09 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage.
He played his minor hockey at the South Side Athletic Club in Edmonton and was drafted in the first round and 17th overall by the Hurricanes in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft.
Skinner is the leader in Hurricanes franchise games played (151) and saves (4,462), setting both of those records last season.
In his 151 career regular season games he has a 74-51-6-5 record to go along with a 3.28 GAA, a .909 save percentage and six shutouts.
Skinner has been invited to take part in the Hockey Canada Summer Showcase as one of four goaltenders competing for a spot on Canada’s national team for the 2018 World Junior Championship Tournament held in Buffalo, NY starting on December 26th.
Two other Hurricanes, Jordy Bellerive and Ryan Bowen, were in the Canadian Hockey League rankings, but were not drafted.