MADISON, WI – Imagine one moment sitting on the couch watching the hockey draft and dreaming of being a pro hockey player, and the next moment you’re in the NHL.
That’s exactly what happened to Garrett Metcalf. “I was in Pittsburgh training with my goalie coach Shane Clifford,” Metcalf said. “We were in his living room watching the draft on TV and following it on my phone. As I was holding it, the phone rang in my hand. It was my family adviser telling me I was just drafted to the Ducks.”Â
It was June 27, and Anaheim had just selected Garrett as their sixth round selection; 179th overall. “There are no words to describe how I felt,” said the 19 year-old Salt Lake City native.  “I thought I might have a shot at going in a later round, but I still don’t think it has really sunk in. We went out to dinner that night to celebrate.”
“I’ll never forget the look on his face,” recalled Clifford, who began working with Garrett in the summer of 2014. Shane Clifford has trained some notable goalies like Pittsburgh’s Stanley Cup champion Marc-Andre Fleury and John Gibson, a Pittsburgh native who has spent time in the net with both Anaheim and their affiliate the AHL San Diego Gulls.  Gibson stands a good chance of being Metcalf’s future teammate.
“Garrett is a big, tall player that fills up the net but also moves well,” Clifford said. “Those qualities combined are key ingredients of a NHL goalie.” Metcalf showed well in Anaheim’s prospect development camp and spent some time with his idol, goaltender Frederik Andersen. He will become the fifth Salt Lake City native to have ever played in the NHL, alongside two-time Stanley Cup champion Trevor Lewis of the Los Angeles Kings.
Metcalf played the 2013-2014 season with the Colorado Rampage of the CCYHL, a small league with Tier 1 and II teams in Central Colorado. He landed a spot with the Madison Capitols last season after trying out and showing strong in their training camp, playing 33 games with a 3.26 goals-against average. Metcalf’s focus is on the Capitols again this season, then on to UMass Lowell in 2016. After two years of college, he will likely start his pro career in 2018 with Anaheim or one of the affiliate teams. Metcalf’s landing a spot with the Capitols, his UMass scholarship, and his NHL draft selection have all happened within the span of a year.
“It feels good to be drafted by an NHL team,” Metcalf said. “And to know they think I have the potential to play at that level one day.”
Photos courtesy of Emma Quinn Collins and Garrett Metcalf
Follow the author on Twitter @RonnaReporter
You must be logged in to post a comment.