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Mario Petit dealt to Kootenay Ice for conditional bantam pick

Published 1:30 am Thursday, May 25, 2017

By Jesse Geleynse Herald Writer

EVERETT — The Everett Silvertips announced Thursday they have traded Mario Petit to the Kootenay Ice for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2018 bantam draft.

The pick is on the condition that Petit, who turns 20 this summer, makes the Ice roster next fall. The Ile-Des-Chenes, Manitoba, native served as the backup to two-time WHL Goaltender of the Year Carter Hart each of the past two seasons.

“He’s been a real good Silvertip here, obviously played a backup role, but he was a solid, solid player for us when he got the opportunity to play,” Everett general manager Garry Davidson said.” An outstanding citizen and just epitomizes everything you want in a Silvertip.”

Sporting a record 14-8-7-1 in 37 career appearances with the Silvertips, Petit also recorded a save percentage of .892 and a 2.89 goals-against average. The 5-foot-11, 180 pound netminder was at his best during the Everett’s first-round playoff series sweep of Portland in the 2016 playoffs when he was 3-0-0 with a shutout and a .953 save percentage while filling in for the injured Hart. Petit won WHL Goaltender of the Week honors that week.

“There’s no question that Mario is a quality person and because he is he was able to deal with (being the backup) and play through the adversities he faced being behind the CHL goalie of the year,” Davidson said.

Petit also saw extensive time this past season with Hart absent for stretches due to NHL training camp and World Juniors.

“I think that’s why people will look at him and say he has an opportunity if you give him a chance and he might be the answer to their short-term need for goaltending,” Davidson said.

The Tips signaled their commitment to California-born netminder Dustin Wolf as their goaltender of the future when they inked Wolf to a WHL standard player agreement in January. Everett also has 1999-born Dorrin Luding under club control. Luding backed up Petit during Hart’s trip to World Juniors and the pair combined for a shutout in Luding’s lone appearance.

WHL teams are allowed only three 20-year-old players and the Tips still have eight players under club control eligible to return. Noah Juulsen is expected to play professionally in the Montreal Canadiens organization next year. That leaves forwards Patrick Bajkov, Matt Fonteyne, Cal Babych, Keith Anderson and Devon Skoleski, and defensemen Kevin Davis and Mackenzie Dwyer still on Everett’s protected list.

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