Hockey goalies are always looking for an edge in their ever-evolving craft.
And for the Okotoks Oilers new tandem of second-year shot stopper Alexander Scheiwiller and rookie netminder Christian Green that means incorporating tricks of the trade wherever they can find them.
“We’re from polar opposites, he’s from the States and I’m from (here),” Scheiwiller says. “But he’s one of the hardest working goalies I’ve met and we’ve really been pushing eachother in the gym or on the ice doing drills.
“And he’s always got some cool things he does and I’ve picked up on them.”
Namely, the virtual reality Sense Arena program which enables netminders to train remotely and without full equipment at their disposal.
“You get to see virtual shots from real shooters, there’s NHLers and European pros, all good shots,” Green says. “You can hone your skills away from the rink.”
In talking with the Oilers goaltending crew, Green then introduced the VR set to Scheiwiller, who was eager to get in on the off-ice impact.
“A couple of pros do it so he brought it up and showed me so I ended up getting one,” Scheiwiller says. “I’ve been using it pre-game whenever I can and it’s been helping a lot.
“It’s been awesome. It kind of replaces a morning skate, it gives me the feel for a puck in the morning for games and I’m able to work on my hand-eye away from the rink.”
Green, a 2004-born goalie, says the sets aren’t cheap and come with a yearly subscription fee in the hundreds, adding it’s a worthwhile investment if used consistently.
“It’s worth it if you continue to use it,” he says. “If you use it, it’s so much beyond that amount.”
That unquestionable thirst to get better is what helped solidify Green on the Green and Gold.
After being scouted by Oilers goalie coach Derek Purfield at the U.S. nationals, Green thrived during Okotoks training camps and passed his preseason with flying colours against tough opposition, leaving a lasting impression on the brass.
“He came to our camp, he intrigued us, he came to our next camp and we gave him that option, ‘Hey do you want to try and grind this out?’” says Oilers head coach Tyler Deis. “He took that option and he wanted to be part of this and we were upfront with him and we thought he deserved that spot.
“It’s the consistency, the work ethic, he wants to be a goalie and has a passion and obsession for it and is just one of those kids that works his butt off all of the time.”
That work ethic is manifested in everyday work, in both the physical and mental realm, the coach added.
“I just love playing hockey so working at it doesn’t seem like work to me,” says Green, a 5-foot-11 netminder. “I just do it all the time, it’s what I’ve done since I was six and what I’ve talked about since I was three, before I was allowed to actually play.
“And being a smaller goalie, I know I have to work way harder than if I was a bigger guy so that just motivates me and pushes me every day.”
Green grew up an L.A. Kings fan in Boothwyn, Penn., near the border with Delaware and across the river from New Jersey, and noted his new locale reminds him of Lancaster in Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country.
“It’s been real cool,” Green says. “Everyone has really welcomed me here, both the team and the town, the billets are good and it’s nice having everything real close in town here, it’s easy.
“Me and (Alexander), we get along from when I first met him. We have a good relationship already, we mess with each other, but also know how to push each other and have fun every single day.”
Scheiwiller, a 2005-born goalie from Calgary AAA Flames and NAX programs, has started brightly in his second season with four wins as of the end of October.
“He looked really good in preseason and has looked really good so far and we’re excited with the progression in his development right now,” Deis says. “Having a guy like Christian around him, he sees that work ethic and everything he does.”
Okotoks started the season with three goaltenders in the fold and ultimately decided on Green and Scheiwiller and traded 2003-born goalie Shane Shelest to Wellington in the OJHL.
“It was definitely weird coming into camp and not really knowing who my goalie partner was going to be,” Scheiwiller says. “We had three really good goalies coming into camp and it ended up being me and Christian.
“He’s been pushing me and I’ve been pushing him and it’s been awesome so far.”
Deis says all three goalies performed well with the younger Green and Scheiwiller better fitting into the team’s plans for both this and next season.
“Last year there were a couple of games that kind of got out of hand on me,” Scheiwiller says. “A year older, I’ve been in the league for a year now, so every game just trying to be calm in the net and trying not to worry too much about the end result.
“Just every shot, taking it one period at a time, 10 minutes at a time.”
Throughout their history, the Oilers have boasted elite AJHL goaltending talent from Bradley Eidsness, Michael Tadjdeh, Jared D’Amico, Nic Renyard, Riley Morris to Jack McNaughton and Parker Sawka over recent seasons.
Scheiwiller apprenticed under Sawka, known for his terrific on-ice communication, as a rookie last season.
“He’s been a lot of help,” he says. “Coming in as a rookie, he really helped and now he’s pushing me every day to be better.”
Deis and the coaching staff preach defence first and taking care of the other team’s score and with a D-corps featuring veteran aces Kade Turner, Logan Magowan, Brody Maguire, Rylan Brown, Ethan O’Halloran and impressive rookies Sam Hall and Ryder Dy Nys.
Scheiwiller says both netminders benefit from playing behind one of the top defensive units in the 16-team provincial loop.
Okotoks ranked sixth in goals against through the end of October.
“We’ve got tremendous (defence)” he says. “We’ve got six, seven great D-men that we love to have out there every night, they really make it easy on us if that’s communication or keeping guys to the outside and really limiting other team’s odd-man rushes and chances.”
