Young goalie loves the spotlight
The shot is fired from the left wing, sending the puck off the goaltender’s left pad and flipping it over his left shoulder.
As it floats toward the net, end over end, Elvis Merzlikins recovers beautifully. He spots the puck, reaches back and nimbly swats it away with his catching glove — denying a sure goal and sending the action away from HC Lugano’s net in Switzerland’s top professional league.
One player is visibly enthused, even as play continues. It’s the guy who made the save, who drifts backward and bobs his head like he just threw down a monster dunk.
“I am not real goalie,” says Merzlikins, a flamboyant, supremely confident
25-year-old Latvian with a chance to replace Sergei Bobrovsky as the Blue Jackets’ top goalie. “I mean, goalies, we know they are special. They are living in their own world, and they are thinking in their own world. So, I am more the guy … if I’m gonna make a huge save, I’m gonna pump it up myself, for sure.”
Hence, his bent knee, reverse fist pump after shootout wins, resembling a rock star finishing a killer guitar riff.
Hence, his victory dive into a netless crease, pretending to reach an imaginary football across the goal line.
Hence, his openarmed, palms-up pose to fans behind his net after making a fantastic, sprawling save to thwart a breakaway.
Are you not entertained?
“I’m gonna dance”
Nothing will be given to Merzlikins, other than a fair chance.
His main competition to replace Bobrovsky, who joined the Florida Panthers as a free agent last week, is Joonas Korpisalo, the Jackets’ backup the past four seasons.
Korpisalo is also good-natured and is nearly identical in size (6 feet 3, 182 pounds) as Merzlikins (6-3, 183), but that’s where the similarities end. Elvis is, well, Elvis. Aside from being one of the world’s top goalies outside the NHL, he is unique.
He blocks more pucks than he absorbs, using outstanding athleticism, and off the ice he is gregarious and charming. He is also unapologetically eager to play in the world’s top professional circuit.
After joining the Blue Jackets to conclude last season, Merzlikins, along with his girlfriend, got a small taste of NHL life. They lived out of a hotel downtown, explored the area, and Merzlikins worked on adjustments to his form in 1-on-1 sessions with Blue Jackets goalie coach Manny Legace.
He also attended games at Nationwide Arena, which is a much bigger place than he’s used to playing.
“Now that I watch the game, I’m liking the songs that are in the arena, so I’m gonna dance, for sure, on them,” Merzlikins said, when asked if he plans to temper his antics in the NHL. “I’m gonna try to steal energy. The fans, the arena, the music — and in Switzerland the fans, when they’re singing — it’s kind of a gift the fans are giving to you. That’s a free energy that you can take.”
Challenge the stars
Merzlikins’ plan is to take full advantage of it.
“I’m more the guy who is taking that energy, and I love to challenge players, especially superstars,” Merzlikins said. “That’s my job, and I love it. Of course, there (will be) times when (they beat) me, but that’s hockey.”
One of those times was a game for Latvia in the 2018 world championships, held at Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, Denmark. It was a game in Pool B against the U.S., which had a roster headlined by Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane.
Other U.S. stars included Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau and the Blue Jackets’ Cam Atkinson, but Merzlikins prepared most for Kane.
“I wanted to see how he’s playing and what are his main things, how smart he is,” Merzlikins said. “For me, the most important thing was to not get (scored on) by him. All 60 minutes, and more with overtime, (I focused) on him, looking at him. After that game, I saw that I’m ready, that I can jump over (to the NHL) and try the big hockey.”
Latvia lost in overtime, with Atkinson scoring the winner, and Merzlikins reportedly took out his anger on Latvia’s locker room. Prior to the outburst, though, he was named player of the game for making 30 saves — including some great stops against Atkinson, Gaudreau and, yes, Kane.
“I think I’m crazy”
Merzlikins’ recollection of that game was filled with anecdotes, such as his plan to draw the U.S. into penalties by whining to the officials whenever they touched him.
It nearly worked, too. “I think I’m crazy,” he said, “and a little bit different than other goalies, right?”
Yes, he is different — on the ice and off. You see, when talking with Merlikins, here’s no predicting where the conversation will go, which was evident during his first interview after arriving in Columbus.
He shared that his father, who died when Elvis was 3, named him after Elvis Presley, the legendary singer and musician. He said that his girlfriend is half Swiss, half Polish and is studying for a bachelor’s degree in media management. She is also, apparently, a great cook — learning the culinary arts from her stepfather, a Swiss chef.
Merzlikins also said he met a friendly Uber driver named Robert, who became his personal chauffeur and educated the young goalie on local sports interests, especially the Jackets and Buckeyes.
“At least I have a friend now,” Merzlikins said, laughing.
Oh, and about that first name … in case you’re wondering, Elvis only likes a couple Elvis’ songs. Elvis also has nothing on the original’s gyrations.
“When I was a kid, I’m honest, I tried to dance like him,” Merzlikins said, smiling. “But it’s not good.”
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bhedger@dispatch.com @Brianhedger