From waiver wire to brink of the playoffs, Canes’ McElhinney enjoying the ride
Goalie Petr Mrazek was terrific in net Tuesday for the Carolina Hurricanes, but it might have been fitting had Curtis McElhinney been the starter against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Leafs, having clinched a playoff spot, had Garret Sparks in net in the 4-1 loss to the Canes. It was Sparks that the Leafs decided would be their backup goalie to Frederik Andersen after training camp, putting McElhinney and goalie Calvin Pickard on NHL waivers.
With goalie Scott Darling ailing, the Canes claimed McElhinney on Oct. 2. Few, if any, would have guessed that one personnel move would help set the course of the season for the Hurricanes while giving McElhinney, at 35, the chance to join Mrazek in carrying Carolina to the brink of its first playoff berth since 2009.
That McElhinney was nominated for the Masterton Trophy by the Carolina chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association is no surprise. While the annual award often recognizes a player who has overcome an extreme physical or deep personal hardship, it also is given to those who have shown perseverance and dedication to the sport.
That’s McElhinney.
“It’s one of those things you hang around long enough and put in your time and people recognize that work,” McElhinney said.
McElhinney is the consummate journeyman pro, his work not always recognized. Calgary, Anaheim, Ottawa, Arizona, Columbus, Toronto ... there were a lot of stops before Carolina. Different teams, different coaches, different goalie coaches.
McElhinney played a career-high 32 games, with 28 starts, for the Blue Jackets in 2014-15. He played in 32 games, combined, the last two seasons with the Maple Leafs and had impressive numbers -- 2.15 goals-against average and .934 save percentage -- last year with Toronto.
“I was more than content to be in the role of the backup goalie and play under 25 games on a regular basis,” he said. “I felt like I had kind of figured that role out and I was able to do it very well. But ...”
But he had to fill a big need for the Canes, take on a major role in his 11th NHL season. He has gotten 32 starts, winning a career-high 19 games while posting a 2.57 GAA and .912 save percentage, with two shutouts.
The Canes have found waiver-wire help before -- picking up forward Sergei Samsonov in 2008, for example. McElhinney was a goaltending godsend.
“Goal-tending has put us where we are right now, with a chance to make the playoffs,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said of the McElhinney-Mrazek tandem. “Those guys have just bought in to playing for the team.”
When claimed off waivers, McElhinney had to quickly pack up and leave his family behind in Toronto, not sure how long his stint with the Canes might be. He said his two young kids at first treated his absence as akin to a long road trip for their dad, only to have the weeks turn into months when it became apparent Darling would not be remaining with the Canes.
“Another challenge, another thing to embrace and I’ve tried to make the most of it,” he said. “But I can jump into a new locker room and I get 22, 23 new friends right away and my life’s pretty easy. It’s the people who get left behind who unfortunately have to bear the brunt of it.”
McElhinney was able to move his family to Raleigh after New Year’s. That gave him more peace of mind. And it never affected his play. While Mrazek shows his emotions on the ice, McElhinney is more the Cool Hand type.
“Polar opposites,” Canes goaltending coach Mike Bales said. “Both have been successful but in different ways.”
The two are friends. There’s competition between the two but the goal is the same: give their team a chance to win.
“You have to be on your game every day,” McElhinney said.
The Canes play their last home game of the regular season Thursday against New Jersey at PNC Arena. There was no practice Wednesday and the starting goalie for the Devils game won’t be known until Thursday.
McElhinney? Mrazek again, coming off the win in Toronto? For Brind’Amour, and Bales, an interesting choice.
Or as Brind’Amour said Wednesday, “It’s a nice luxury.”
