Blades give ex-Silvertip Goethals a long look and a fresh beginning
Once a high-powered scorer in midget circuit, winger tries to rebuild confidence
Bradly Goethals is happy for a fresh start.
A former top scorer in the Manitoba Midget Hockey League, Goethals wasn’t exactly lighting it up with the Western Hockey League’s Everett Silvertips while seeing limited playing time and a somewhat restricted role.
He’s now getting yet another chance in the WHL, this time with the Saskatoon Blades.
“It’s a great opportunity — I was looking for a fresh start in the offseason and they’re sure giving me one here,” Goethals said Tuesday after the Blades’ Blue and White intrasquad game.
“I’m really enjoying it now.” Goethals is getting a long look at training camp, where he has been lining up with the highly skilled 16-year-old scorer Kirby Dach and veteran winger Gage Ramsay.
“(Dach) and Rammer have been really good,” said Goethals, a 6-foot1, 170-pound right-winger. “We seem to jell pretty well and we’ve got quite a bit of points throughout the camp. (Dach) is unbelievable for 16. It’s been awesome.”
Last season wasn’t so awesome. Goethals, a 1998-born forward, had three goals and three assists for six points in 23 games with Everett after he was acquired last fall from the Brandon Wheat Kings for a seventh-round draft pick in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft.
During the off-season, the Blades acquired Goethals from Everett for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2019.
“Bradly has done a good job,” says Blades head coach Dean Brockman. “He wants to be here. He wants to be in a position to succeed and, when you’re playing with Kirby Dach (and Ramsay), it certainly helps. We really liked what we saw of him. Again, when we’re playing with real bullets, that’s when the test will tell the tale.”
Goethals was the leading scorer in the Manitoba Midget Hockey League with the Eastman Selects with 42 goals and 74 points in 43 games. In 83 career midget AAA games, the two-time MMHL firstteam all-star racked up 73 goals and 129 points along with 15 points in 16 playoff games.
However, he did not seem to be a good fit in Everett under coach Kevin Constantine.
“I’m not going to make any comments about that,” offered Goethals, “but, yeah, I’m just looking for a fresh start here and they’re sure giving me one playing with Kirby and Rammer.”
The key, he says, will be getting his confidence back.
“I lost a lot of it last year playing four minutes a game on the fourth line, dump-and-chase — that’s not really the player that I am. Hopefully I can get my confidence up and start contributing pretty good here.
“I feel I can do that when my confidence is up. Whatever they need me to do, I’m open to whatever.”
A native of Iles-des-Chenes, he’s also open to living closer to his Manitoba home.
“It’s a lot closer to home, for sure,” noted Goethals. “I think we play in Brandon four times, so I’d be able to get the family out there to watch. They (Blades) phoned me right away and welcomed me. They made me feel at home right away. I was excited to come here and get things started.”
BLADE BITS: Team Blue beat the Team White 5-1 in Tuesday’s intrasquad game. Ethan Mack paced Blue with a pair of goals. Michael Farren, Cameron Hebig and Kyle Crnkovic added singles. Cole Johnson replied for White … Blades overage D-man Evan Fiala has been invited to the NHL Detroit Red Wings’ main camp. He leaves Sept. 14.
Bradly has done a good job. He wants to be here. He wanted to be in a position to succeed ... (we) really liked what we saw.