Meditation has helped calm the Victoria Royals crease this season.
Spencer Michnik, named WHL goaltender of the week on Monday, reads books on the subject and attributes that to much of his early-season success in allowing only one goal in his two starts this season for Victoria, including his first career WHL shutout in a 3-0 win over the Wild in Wenatchee on Saturday.
“It definitely helps your mindset and to relax you,” said Michnik. “It helps you to focus. You can see the results on the ice.”
The league certainly did in rewarding Michnik for his downright stingy 0.50 goal-against average and .980 save percentage. Michnik, who turned 18 on Monday to have two reasons to celebrate, has the only shutout so far in the WHL season.
The six-foot-one native of Sylvan Lake, Alta., was acquired in an off-season trade with the Seattle Thunderbirds: “I was surprised. No one expects to be traded. But it’s worked out well for me.”
That might be the understatement of the young WHL season as Michnik has thrown himself blocker-first into the hunt to be Victoria’s starter. Returning Royals goaltender Jayden Kraus has received four of Victoria’s six starts but there is clearly now a battle in progress. It’s a hockey goaltenders’ tale as old as the sport.
“Both of us are competing for the [starting] job,” said Michnik. “But that doesn’t change our relationship. We treat each other well.”
One thing is for sure, Michnik’s and Kraus’ jobs just got harder in the B.C. Division with forwards Tij Iginla, the sixth overall selection in this year’s NHL draft, and Andrew Cristall late returnees to the Kelowna Rockets from the respective NHL training camps of Utah HC and the Washington Capitals, forwards Koehn Ziemmer and Riley Heidt to the Prince George Cougars from the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild, and defenceman Harrison Brunicke to the Kamloops Blazers from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Royals host Wenatchee on Friday and Saturday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
