AMARILLO, Texas – Okay, Gorilla fans, you can exhale now. After two weeks of the Gorilla goalie carousel, it looks as though the spinning roundabout has finally come to a stop. Thank goodness, because fans were beginning to get so dizzy keeping track of who was in net, they were falling out of their Jungle season seats. Fortunately, the overly-abundant padding those masked marvels wear cushioned the fall of bodies being flung worldwide. Catapulted back to the frozen hinderlands of the Swedish Elite league is Sebastian Jonsson after 2 losses earning a paltry .771 save percentage. Tossed back to Herning, Denmark after a single loss and a .750 save percentage, Danish goalie Simon Nielsen finds himself able to crunch some of those delicious tinned butter cookies fresh out of the oven. Ryan Scott, a Willamsville, New York lad fresh out of college, managed to nail a shootout victory and then squeeze out his second win against the rival Arizona Sundogs. Scott, who managed an over .900 average in his NCAA play, is quick and improving with each game played as a Gorilla netminder. Next the giant, French Canadian, Pierre-Oliver Girouard, was released after a single 6-3 loss to Arizona on October 31 to make room for a legend between the pipes in the Central Hockey League… (drum roll please)… former Odessa brickwall goaltender, Mike Gorman. Gorman was claimed off waivers by Amarillo from Rio Grande Valley on October 29. After seven seasons with the rival Odessa Jackalopes, Gorman will be suiting up for the Amarillo Gorillas in 2008-09, appearing in practice with the team Thursday. The signing solidifies Head Coach Tom Coolen’s situation in net, which had been rocky since the season began in mid-October. In eight seasons, the Nepean, Ontario native has never posted a save percentage lower than .900 or a goals-against average higher than 3.50. The 28-year-old goaltender will join rookie Ryan Scott in between the pipes for the Gorillas. Scott has won his last two games, posting a save percentage of .931 and a goals-against average of under 1.70 during that span. Gorilla fans will have to wait until game time to see who starts in net for Amarillo, but as consolation, for their last home game until November 28, they won’t have to dread seeing Gorman in net wearing that Jackalope crest. Contact the author at rushe.hudson@prohockeynews.com
Editor’s Note: Mike Gorman backstopped the Gorillas to a 6-3 win over the Rocky Mountain Rage in his first start. Gorman had 19 saves on 22 shots for the win.
