AMARILLO, Texas — Everything with the Amarillo Gorillas is new this season. You can’t tell a Gorilla without a program this year, so here’s the scoop on the Nordic duo behind the masks who are going make their first appearance in the CHL with the Amarillo team. From the outset, Coach Coolen has said he wanted to build from the net out. In reaching back to his Euro connections, Coolen has selected two Nordic netminders to guard the pipes in the Panhandle of Texas. Amarillo’s first goaltender signed was Simon Nielsen, a native of Denmark. Nielsen comes with some great credentials in net, having played in the AL-Bank league in Denmark for the past four seasons. He backed the Bluefox squad to a league championship in 2004-05. Only months later, Nielson posted a 3-1 record in the World Junior Championships (Division 1) with a phenomenal 1.29 goals-against average, and a .943 save percentage. This will be his first season in North America having participated in three World Championships with the Denmark national team. Last season he led the Rødovre Mighty Bulls to an AL-Bank Liga regular season championship, posting a record of 16-10, and a goals against average of 2.20. Neilsen has tended net in 43 playoff games in his professional career in Denmark, and offers the Gorillas some experience well-needed in that category. Coolen’s second choice in net was Sebastian Jonsson, a 21-year-old from Helsingborg, Sweden. “He has the potential to move up to the elite level,” Coolen said. “Jonsson played in one of the highest leagues in Europe last year.” Jonsson is a 6’0″, 184-pound netminder who posted an impressive 2.64 goals-agains-average and a .903 save-percentage with Rögle BK in Sweden last season. Jonsson played against the legendary Eddie Belfour last season when he faced the Leksand IF club. This will also be Jonsson’s first season in North America. Both goalies have posted a win against the New Mexico Scorpions in pre-season play. Jonsson was in net for the first game and Nielsen blanked all shooters in the second game shootout. It can easily be said this will be the highest caliber pair of netminders in the Gorillas history, and they hope to repeat their stellar performances in the home and home openers against the Scorpions on the 17th and 18th of October. Contact the author at: rhudson@prohockeynews.com
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