Broncos goaltender Skinner gets another shot at playoff nemesis
Stuart Skinner insists he’s not masking his true feelings about the Regina Pats.
Regardless of how many bad memories they might stir, the former Lethbridge Hurricanes goaltender has nothing negative to say about the team that sent him packing each of the past two seasons and hopes to do it again in the first round of this year’s WHL playoffs.
“I’m happy we’re playing against them,” offered Skinner, now with the Swift Current Broncos.
“Obviously, the last two years the outcome hasn’t been what I wanted against Regina. Both (times) they took me out of playoffs, but every year is a different year. I think it’s going to be a really good series.
“No matter what the memories are from playing against them, I think it’s going to be fun.”
Skinner was part of a Lethbridge team that won 46 games in 2015-16 before suffering a first-round upset at the hands of the 36-win Pats, who won that best-of-seven series in just five games.
Regina took its turn as the favourite in last year’s Eastern Conference final. Despite some early heroics by Skinner, Lethbridge fell in six games.
“Regina was always better than us the two years,” noted Skinner, a third-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers. “Last year, in playoffs we were kind of the underdog team that did well, and the year before we were a really good team and they kind of took us down. But I’m not too worried about it (now).”
Skinner will cross paths with several familiar faces in this year’s series, including fellow Edmonton products Josh Mahura and Sam Steel. Skinner also knows Calgary native Aaron Hyman and played with Liam Schioler last fall in Oilers rookie camp.
“One year I trained with Sam,” Skinner said. “I know Josh from playing against him basically my whole life. Same with Sam. It’s a team that I know well. I consider a lot of guys on that team my friend, but obviously on the ice you put that aside. I don’t know if they’re going to try to get into my face or what, (laughs) but we always say ‘hi’ on the ice. I love playing against friends. It kind of makes the game a little bit more fun.”
Speaking of fun, Skinner has relished his brief time with the Broncos, who acquired him in a blockbuster deal before the Jan. 10 trade deadline. He was accompanied by two other former Hurricanes: forwards Giorgio Estephan and Tanner Nagel.
“The guys here have been absolutely fantastic; right from the first day that I got into Swift Current it felt like family,” said Skinner, who went 16-6-1-1 after the deal with a 2.68 GAA, .914 save percentage and two shutouts.
“It was really hard leaving Lethbridge. I was there for four years. It’s part of the business, though. I think it was all for the better and gives me a better chance to do something pretty awesome for playoffs.”
Skinner helped the Broncos compile the WHL’s second-best record this season (48-17-5-2). They’re hoping to enjoy a long playoff run, but first have to get past the Pats.
“I think we can go all the way,” Skinner said. “At the same time … I’ve never seen a playoff like this before with this many highend teams. It’s really exciting. I’m looking forward to doing our best as a team and hopefully we end this year the right way.”
NOTE: Broncos F Andrew Fyten will miss Game 1 on Friday to complete a two-game suspension.