Wedgewood
gives Whalers
enviable depth between the pipes
BY ED WRIGHT
Jan. 19, 2010, 10:15
p.m.
Scott Wedgewood sits in the second-best seat in the house during most
Plymouth Whalers hockey games.
His comfortable chair rests at ice level or "In the front rooow!" as Bob Uecker
would say, so close to the ice surface that he can can hear a tooth
break during a particularly physical fight.
While the easy-going 17-year-old native of Brampton isn't
complaining about his current seat in the Whalers' goaltender
hierarchy, he's itching for the days when he can get the full-time No.
1 shot.
"The toughest part about being the back-up is not playing, but
Matt Hackett's great guy to be underneath," said
Wedgewood.
"He's one of the best goalies in the OHL and one of the best I've ever
partnered with. He helps me out a lot. We both go hard at practice."
Wedgewood said he and Hackett mesh well off the ice.
"We room together on the road," he added. "We learn from each
other and we're good friends now."
Wedgewood has been ultra-solid when given a chance to guard the
net this season, registering a 3-3 record, 3.52 goals-against average
and .909 save percentage.
He recorded his first career shutout Dec. 12 when he stonewalled
all 35 shots Saginaw fired at him. His first career win came Sept. 17
at Windsor when he redirected 39 shots.
The early days of Wedgewood's hockey career were spent as a
defenseman -- and a pretty good one.
"I was a player until the age of 9 and I was an assistant
captain, so I was O.K., I guess," he said. "But one week, my team's
starting goalie went on vacation and we didn't have a goalie, so my
dad, who was the coach, said 'Strap on the pads!' I was up for it, I
turned out to be pretty good, I guess, so here I am now, eight years
later..."
What's Wedgewood's favorite part about playing one of the most
demanding positions in all of sports?
"I like being able to get the opportunity to make the big save,
to save a game," he said. "I like being the last line of defense with
everyone's hopes on you."
Wedgewood's schedule is comparable to that of a substitute
school teacher. He could get called on back-to-back nights; or he could
go two weeks without strapping on the blocker.
"It all depends on our schedule, who we're playing, how Mike
feels about the matchups; there are a lot of factors that go into when
I play," Wedgewood said. "When I'm not playing, I just try to stay calm
and stay focused on the game, concentrate on the play and anticipate
what could happen."
Other than screened shots that goalies never see, what's the
toughest scenario for Wedgewood to deal with when he's working in the
crease?
"Every shot has a 50-50 chance of going in, depending upon how
you set your self up and how you position yourself," he said. "There
are a lot of things that come into play. If you set your self up like
you should, it lowers the chances of the puck going in the net."
Before he entered the Whalers' lockerroom last Wednesday
afternoon to get ready for practice, Wedgewood offered some golden
technical advice for young net-minders who may want to follow in his
skate tracks some day.
"I'd definitely say you want to line your body up to the puck
draw a line from the puck to the middle of the net and make sure it
goes through you," he said. "I'd also say to challenge the shooter. The
more you come out, the less they can see."
Ed Wright
can be reached at (734) 453-1980 or info@plymouthcantonsports.com.
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