Kevin Armstrong can be excused for not being in a rush to vacate the crease.
The overage goaltender was acquired by the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League in the summer after riding shotgun with the Memorial Cup champion Spokane Chiefs.
Despite being a year older than Dustin Tokarski, the Chiefs’ starter, Armstrong was forced to watch the parade to the championship from the bench, an experience that has stuck with him this year.
"Last year seeing all those games from the bench gives you motivation to stay in there and play as many games as you can," he said.
As disappointing as it was for Armstrong not to start for the Chiefs, he remained upbeat, realizing he could help his teammates with a positive mental attitude and giving them another strong goalie to shoot against in practice.
"I talked to both of his coaches after we made the trade and both of them raved at how hard he worked and how hard he kept himself focused and ready to go and kept guys honest in practices," said Cougars head coach Drew Schoneck. "That’s huge because you can go one of two ways: you can sulk about it and not do what’s required or you can keep working and he kept working and that’s how he’s been here."
Armstrong has since been one of the main factors in the Cougars’ impressive turnaround. After missing the playoffs a year ago, the Cougars have been one of the pleasant surprises this season, opening their season with a 6-1 record.
Schoneck acknowledges it was very disappointing for his team to miss the playoffs last season, leading to his coaching staff and general manager Dallas Thompson to look for solutions. One of the main areas they targeted was in goal where they felt a veteran goaltender would help spark a turnaround.
"(Armstrong has) been everything that we’ve wanted and more," Schoneck said. "He’s stopped all the pucks that he needs to stop and stopped the ones that other teams thought he wouldn’t stop."
But as valuable as his play has been on the ice, so too has his temperament off it. Armstrong has ingrained himself as one of the team leaders and provided a mindset that teammate Dana Tyrell says is rubbing off on the rest of the team.
"We stopped short of throwing an assistant captain on him," Schoneck joked, referring to the Vancouver Canucks’ decision to name goaltender Roberto Luongo team captain. "Having had that experience of winning the ultimate championship there with the Chiefs only makes him more valuable in the dressing room."
"I learned a lot about leadership seeing the older guys take charge," Armstrong said.
In addition to Armstrong, the Cougars also acquired a pair of veteran defencemen in Cameron Cepek and team scoring leader Dallas Jackson.
As Tyrell points out, the trades the team made to improve were certainly noticed by the returning players who could feel a different atmosphere within the team.
"We wanted winning players with winning attitudes and those are the kind of players we got and those are the kind of players coaches and management traded for so that’s the message they sent," he said. "I haven’t had this feeling with Prince George in a long time. It’s great to know that everybody wants to work hard and win."
Although the team has enjoyed a great deal of early success this season, Armstrong and the other new additions have yet to experience one of the more memorable aspects of playing for British Columbia’s northernmost team.
With their nearest road game a six-hour bus ride away, Armstrong and his new teammates are embarking on their first long road trip of the season, Friday.
To compensate for the long hours on the road, the Cougars’ team bus features bunk beds.
"He’ll probably have one of the best bottom bunks on our bus and rightfully so, he’s a veteran," Tyrell said.
"I guess being a 20-year-old you get your choice of where you want to sleep on the bus so it’s obviously pretty big," Armstrong added.
The final game of their nine-game trip through B.C., Alberta and the United States is one Armstrong has had marked on his calendar since the schedule was released: his first game back in Spokane.
"Obviously we’ve got eight other games ahead of that one so you have to take it one game at a time," he said. "When the time comes we’ll definitely want to be winning that one."
As the team prepares for that game against Spokane on Oct. 25, there’s no question who will be manning the pipes that night in the Cougars end of the rink and through most of this season.
"It’s definitely a good thing to get a fresh start up here in Prince George and get an opportunity to play in my last year," Armstrong said. "I’m thankful for it."
