National Post

MEET THE NHL’S HOTTEST GOALIE

From minors to saving Blues for Binnington

- MICHAEL TRAIKOS mtraikos@postmedia.com twitter.com/Michael_Traikos

Jordan Binnington, the goalie who has singlehand­edly saved the St. Louis Blues’ season, used to have The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air painted on the side of his mask.

It was an odd choice for someone who wasn’t even born when the TV show first went on the air. But considerin­g the main character’s rags-to-riches storyline, it now sort of makes sense.

Think Will Smith’s life was changed after he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Bel-Air? Take a moment to consider Binnington’s own meteoric rise.

One day, he was sitting at home in Richmond Hill, Ont., after refusing a demotion to the ECHL.

A year later, after being plucked from the minors, Binnington’s the sole reason why the Blues have jumped eight spots in seven weeks and become one of the best teams in the NHL.

But don’t call the 25-yearold rookie, who is 12-1-1 with a .937 save percentage since being called-up in January, a flavour of the month who’s riding one heck of a hot streak.

He’s not an overnight success. He’s paid his dues. Boy, has he ever. A one-time OHL goalie of the year who represente­d Canada at the world juniors, Binnington began his pro career with the Kalamazoo Wings in the ECHL.

Four years later, having played just one game with the Blues, he was so far down the depth chart that he was loaned to the Boston Bruins’ farm team in Providence.

In other words, no one was expecting him to take over the starting job from Jake Allen. Few within the organizati­on even gave him much of a thought.

“I don’t think they were too interested in me about two years ago,” Binnington, speaking of the Blues, said in a phone interview last Friday. “I was there the longest. And then you see other goalies come in and take your thunder and people are now looking at them more. It gets frustratin­g. For anyone who has been following closely, it’s definitely a change of events.”

Two years ago, Binnington was fifth on the team’s depth chart, behind Allen, Carter Hutton (now with the Buffalo Sabres), Pheonix Copley (now the backup goalie in Washington) and Ville Husso. After an average year in the American Hockey League, the organizati­on wanted to demote him to the ECHL. Binnington refused.

So he returned home, while the Blues figured out what to do with a goalie who it seemed they no longer had any use for.

“I just tried to stay quiet and work on what I can control and see where it takes me,” said Binnington.

“I think coming out of junior, I was goalie of the year, so I knew I had a lot of potential, but I kind of got on the wrong path.”

Eventually, a solution was found. With the Bruins lacking minor-league depth, Binnington was loaned to the team’s AHL affiliate in Providence. On the surface, it was hardly an ideal situation.

Boston had nothing invested in Binnington, so he played whenever the team wanted to rest its own goalie. But when he did get in, Binnington made the most of it.

“I think it was a blessing in disguise,” said Binnington, who went 17-9-0 with a .926 save percentage last season.

“It was nice to get a fresh start, some fresh eyes on you and a new respect from a different organizati­on. It was a great year there. It was an interestin­g year for me. I started 10-1 to start the season; that’s kind of where I kept believing in myself.”

It wasn’t just Binnington who became a believer.

“You knew he was going to be good,” said Chicago Wolves goalie coach Stan Bubicki.

“The talent has always been there. The way he bends and moves, most guys would pull hamstrings. He’s so flexible. His legs are so quick. He’s like a Cirque du Soleil goalie. It’s just good that nobody ever gave up on him.”

With the season fading away, Binnington was called up to the Blues before Christmas and got into a couple of games in a relief role.

On Jan. 7, he made his first start and stopped 25 shots in a shutout win against the Flyers.

Since then, he’s lost just once in regulation and posted three more shutouts to take over the starter’s job.

Heading into Tuesday night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Binnington has gone 127 minutes and 16 seconds without allowing a goal.

In the process, he’s resurrecte­d the Blues from the dead. This was the worst team in the Western Conference on Jan. 1. Today, after winning 10 consecutiv­e games, they now have the sixth-best record in the Western Conference.

“I think it says a lot with how much your room likes your goaltender,” said Nick Bootland, Binnington’s coach with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings. “It’s one of those positions where if you’re a likable or respectful guy, the rest of the guys are going to compete for you and battle for. The players want him to achieve and do well. From my chair, that’s what it looks like. This is Binnie’s chance. He’s a guy who’s taken a long time to get there.”

Indeed, this didn’t happen overnight. It took five years and playing in four different cities for Binnington to get to his version of Bel-Air. Now that he’s finally here, there’s no way he wants to go back.

“I’ve been feeling prepared and working hard for it,” said Binnington. “I can tell you I’m definitely becoming more confident in my game. But it takes time and experience­s for you to learn.

“It’s been a good ride so far.”

 ?? CHRIS O’MEARA / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Jordan Binnington has carried the St. Louis Blues back into the playoff picture after it looked like the club had no chance. Binnington is 12-1-1 with a .937 save percentage since being called up in January.
CHRIS O’MEARA / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Jordan Binnington has carried the St. Louis Blues back into the playoff picture after it looked like the club had no chance. Binnington is 12-1-1 with a .937 save percentage since being called up in January.
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