Leamington goalie signs with NHL team
Wall opted to secure college education after being drafted out of junior hockey
Leamington’s Tyler Wall was an NHL prospect before he even arrived on campus at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
The New York Rangers made Wall a rare selection out of junior hockey when hey took the young goaltender in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft. That came after Wall posted a 27-2-1 record in 31 games for the Leamington Flyers with a 1.49 goals-against average and .940 save percentage. Now, after four seasons of growth and development at Umass Lowell, the 22-year-old Wall has signed an entry-level contract with the Rangers.
“Getting drafted four years ago was something I was always working toward,” the 6-foot-3, 214-pound Wall said. “It was the goal I was working toward and it’s pretty surreal.”
Because he chose the NCAA route, the Rangers had four years to sign Wall, as opposed to the usual two years given to a prospect taken out of junior hockey.
“That’s a big thing for a goalie,” said Wall, who earned a degree in mechanical engineering. “People say goalies peak a little bit later compared to other players. In that respect it was nice, and I always had the option to leave early, but it was important for me to stay and get my degree.”
It might have been a different ending if Wall had made the cut with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, who took the Sun County Panthers minor midget prospect in the seventh round of the 2014 OHL Draft.
“I think everything happens for a reason,” said Wall, who spent less than 48 hours in the Sault. “I remember getting cut the first year going to the Sault. At first, when I was coming up in minor hockey, my goal was the OHL and then the NHL. As things came along, I started looking at my options, and it seemed the NCAA route was a better route for me.”
Another Leamington native, Cameron Ellsworth, recruited Wall to Umass Lowell and served as his goalie coach for his first two years with the River Hawks before moving on to become head coach at Norwich University.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Wall said when he arrived at the Massachusetts school. “A kid from Ontario, you see most go to the OHL.
“Getting a chance to go to college was a big opportunity for me. I went out and tried to take advantage of it, have fun and get better every year.”
He was phenomenal as a freshman, posting a 2.06 goals-against average and .918 save percentage in 37 games. His 26 wins broke current Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck’s school record for victories by a freshman as he helped Umass Lowell capture the Hockey East title, earning all-tournament recognition along the way.
“Every goalie’s dream is to be the starter and run with it,” Wall said. “I’ve loved being the guy the team relied on.”
He struggled in his second season and appeared in just 12 games, but rebounded to play 22 games in his third season, and was dominant as a senior in 32 games to help the River Hawks finish the season as the No. 12-ranked team in the NCAA before the season was shutdown by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For whatever reason, I came out of the gate slow (my second year) and the goalie with me (Christoffer Hernberg) was lights out at the start,” Wall said. “There are things I change every year, but the mental edge and just the different cues to make my game more consistent has been big for me.”
His 58 career victories broke Dwayne Roloson’s school record of 51 wins as Wall closed out his senior season by allowing two goals or fewer in 22 of his 32 starts. He made 30 or more saves in half those starts. On top of that, he was the first goalie since Roloson in 1993-94 to sport an alternate captain’s A on his jersey.
In his senior season, Wall was nominated for the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’S top player, and was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Mike Richter Award as college hockey’s top goaltender while earning team MVP honours for the River Hawks.
“Tyler is an exceptional young man who truly embodies the word student-athlete,” Umass Lowell head coach Norm Bazin said in a release. “We’re excited for Tyler and wish him well as he enters the next chapter of his hockey career. He will soon join a long list of NHL goalies to come out of Umass Lowell.”