EVERETT — Thomas Heemskerk is a soft-spoken individual.
The new Everett Silvertips goaltender has a quiet manner about himself during conversation, almost shy in his delivery. And he tends not to say more than necessary.
But that’s fine as far as the Silvertips are concerned. So far, Heemskerk has let his play on the ice speak for him, and in that regard his voice has had the volume of a banshee’s wail.
Heemskerk has been everything the Silvertips could have hoped for since arriving in late December, bringing a renewed confidence in Everett’s goaltending.
“He’s stabilized things,” Everett coach John Becanic said. “He’s made some big saves early in games, and I think it’s important for our guys to have confidence in our goaltending again.”
Heemskerk’s numbers are modest since arriving in Everett via trade with Kootenay. In seven starts, the 18-year-old from Chilliwack, B.C., is 3-4 with a 3.00 goals against average and .909 save percentage.
However, those numbers don’t do his performance justice. Heemskerk has exhibited a sense of poise and confidence that’s been absent from between Everett’s pipes since Leland Irving tended goal for the Tips. He puts rebounds into corners and is active with his stick, poking the puck away from anyone who dares come near the crease. Not only has he made Everett’s net more secure, he’s made it easier for the rest of the Tips to concentrate on their jobs.
“I feel real comfortable playing in front of him,” Tips defenseman Graham Potuer said. “I know if I miss a blocked shot he’s going to make the save.
“That’s a really big part of being a defenseman,” Potuer added. “You have to be confident in your goaltender behind you because if you make a mistake, you have to have someone there you can trust to make the big save and keep you in the game. So far (Heemskerk) has been doing great for us.”
High praise for a player who supposedly lost his passion for hockey.
Heemskerk began the season as the heir apparent to Kootenay’s No. 1 goaltending position after performing admirably as the backup last season. However, it ended up being a 50-50 split with 17-year-old Nathan Lieuwen, and in early December he left the team. Statements from the Ice camp said that Heemskerk’s heart was no longer in the game.
It turns out his heart just was no longer in Cranbrook.
“(The Ice) reported it the way they wanted,” Heemskerk said. “I didn’t feel like playing there the way they treated us, and I didn’t think it was fair. Here it’s been great. The coaches are night and day different with the way they handle things. It’s definitely a better atmosphere playing.”
Heemskerk bided his time at home after leaving Kootenay, weighing his options and not joining a team at a different level. He had been off the ice for three weeks when Everett came calling.
The Tips seem to have had the correct finger on the pulse of the situation. When Everett made the trade for Heemskerk in late December, surrendering a 2010 third-round bantam draft pick, the team expressed no concerns about Heemskerk’s motivation level. So far he’s justified that lack of concern.
“We don’t know what went on in the locker room, we don’t know the dialogue between the organization and Thomas,” Becanic said. “But it doesn’t take much sometimes for a goalie to lose his confidence. We just try to show we’re confident in him, and when his team’s confident I think that helps put the passion back in pretty quick.”
In Everett, he’s become a true No. 1 goalie for the first time in his WHL career. Since making his debut on Jan. 3 in Seattle, he’s started seven of Everett’s nine games.
He’s also taken some of the pressure of 16-year-old Kent Simpson. The Tips wanted to ease Simpson into WHL life this season, but before Heemskerk’s arrival he was playing roughly 40 percent of Everett’s games.
And so far, Heemskerk is enjoying his time in Everett.
“It’s been good,” he said. “I’ve been given a lot of opportunity so far and I’m trying to grasp as much of it as I can.
“I feel like some games have been better than others, but it’s no excuse anymore that I was off.”
Heemskerk holds a large key to the remainder of Everett’s season. The Tips dealt away their biggest offensive weapon, Kyle Beach, at the trade deadline, leaving Everett with a very young team. However, a goaltender can impact games moreso than any other player, and if Heemskerk continues to play well he might more than counter the loss of Beach.
Said Becanic: “There’s areas where he has to get better, but he brings a confidence to the locker room — not that he’s confident, but his play brings confidence to the rest of the players.”
Slap shots: Everett center Paul Van de Velde has a concussion and will therefore be unavailable this weekend. He suffered the injury late in Wednesday’s 5-1 loss to Spokane when he was hit high by Blake Gal. Gal was assessed a major penalty for charging and a game misconduct. … With Van de Velde joining left wing Daniel Bartek (foot) on the injury list, Everett has just 12 forwards, including just three centers, available for this weekend’s games. … Defenseman Chris de la Lande is also expected to miss the weekend because of his groin injury.
Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog
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