Former Quinnipiac standout Garteig rejuvenates career in ECHL
Michael Garteig couldn’t hear himself think as the final seconds ticked off the clock at a jam-packed arena Tuesday night in the farflung Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
There were 6,500 delirious hockey fans standing and screaming themselves hoarse. When the final horn sounded they just about blew the roof off the joint.
Garteig excitedly threw down his stick and gloves before disappearing into a swarm of onrushing teammates. Minutes later, to the delight of the masses, he hoisted the Kelly Cup, a stainless steel trophy resembling a slightly smaller version of the Stanley Cup and presented annually to the ECHL’s champions.
Tonight, weeklong celebration continues. Garteig, a former superstar Quinnipiac goaltender, will ride the city streets of downtown St. John’s with teammates atop a parade float.
“I can’t even put the feeling into words,” Garteig said by phone Thursday. “It’s a small, tight-knit community with passionate hockey fans. To win it here was so cool.”
His stellar postseason performance — 16 playoff victories, including three shutouts to lead the firstyear Newfoundland Growlers to the Kelly Cup — is already reopening doors. Several AHL offers are anticipated. A lucrative deal in Europe is also an option.
“I almost feel like I’m back at Quinnipiac, being a free agent picking a place where I’m going to play,” Garteig said.
The successful season has even rekindled his NHL dreams.
In his first full season as a pro he’d once dressed as a backup for the Vancouver Canucks. But the previous two years had been nothing but frustrating. He shuffled between Utica of the AHL and ECHL outposts in Anchorage and Kalamazoo, sporadic playing time keeping him mostly on the bench and dulled the fire of his NHL intentions.
At the end of last season he mulled retirement. He signed a one-year minor league deal with Toronto. But when it became apparent in training camp he was destined for an ECHL backup job, the thought crossed his mind again.
“I was so close to not playing,” Garteig said. “The previous two years weren’t very fun. If you’re not happy playing hockey, for me, I’ve got an education I can utilize for a life outside of hockey. That’s always in the back of my mind.”
Though he made a couple of trips to the AHL this winter and played well, Garteig rediscovered himself in Newfoundland, the easternmost point in North America despite harsh weather and the remote location.
Every road game required a flight; none were easy. The nearest division rival, Portland, is 1,357 miles away. Playoff games were held in Toledo and southwest Florida. St. John’s is closer to Portugal than both.
Yet Garteig fell in love with the city, located on a beautiful and expansive harbor. Even more enjoyable was the chance for regular playing time. Goalie partner Eamon McAdam, on an NHL contract, was recalled to the AHL and returned several times over the course of the season. He was summoned away just prior to the start of the ECHL playoffs.
Garteig, the job his alone, excelled. He would play every game for the Growlers during a grueling 23-game postseason run, even after McAdam was sent back to Newfoundland during the playoffs. Garteig had a 2.19 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in the playoffs. He shutout Florida three times in the Eastern Conference finals, twice in a row to close out the series.
He’d never played a postseason game as a pro, but is no stranger to playoff caliber hockey, winning a Canadian Junior ‘A’ national championship and in 2016 leading Quinnipiac to a record 32 wins and the Frozen Four, where it lost to North Dakota in the championship game.
“It reminded me of those days, and the grind of playoff hockey,” Garteig said. “I think we played 98 games or something this year, which is mind-blowing. But for me, I feel like the bigger the game the better I can play. I had a good regular season but in the playoffs elevated my game. Obviously, there was a very good team in front of me, and I can’t do what I do without them.”
Garteig, at 27, knows the window is still open, but closing fast. His next career move could be his final shot to get to the NHL. Exit meetings with Toronto management were positive, and he could wind up back in the organization. Other opportunities might provide a better path to the big show.
Rejuvenated, Garteig is ready to build on his professional momentum.
“Spending the year here, getting my rhythm and playing every day again, it makes you believe anything is possible,” Garteig said.
It’s true. There’s a parade in Newfoundland today as proof.