Stuart Skinner is living the dream of many young hockey players by playing for the hometown team he grew up watching.
“If you had told me this five or six years ago, I would have said you were crazy,” the 25-year-old goalkeeper said after the Edmonton Oilers advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals with a win over the Dallas Stars on Sunday night. For the first time in 18 years.
“Honestly, moments like this… “It’s so hard to talk about,” he said, struggling to find words to express the joy of that moment.
“It’s really cool. It’s beyond cool.”
Skinner was selected in the third round, 78th overall, in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Oilers. Before reaching the big leagues, he played four seasons in the Western Hockey League with Lethbridge and Swift Current.
Before that, Louis St. Attended the Hockey Academy at St. Laurent Catholic High School and Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s Hockey Academy in middle school.
The Oilers netminder saved 34 of 35 shots to help his team earn a 2-1 victory on home ice Sunday night.
For those who coached Skinner and watched him grow, Sunday night’s big win couldn’t have made them more proud, but at the same time, they weren’t surprised.
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Louis St. “When I first saw him, he was 13 and he was the same height,” said Jamie McCaig, Laurent’s head goalkeeping coach. He has been with the hockey academy since its inception over 10 years ago.
He said Skinner played for the school in the 10th grade until the then 16-year-old started as netminder for the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL.
“You definitely knew there was something special there. Good kid, good personality, hard working. I love being a goalkeeper, but I can’t say that for everyone.
“It’s definitely working out well for him now.”
Louis St. Laurent junior/senior hockey director Jaret Peel said Skinner was a dedicated student and driven to succeed both on and off the ice.
“Stuart Skinner is a product of hard work, ethics and good sportsmanship.” Phil said. “Have you ever noticed that some people have God-given abilities but don’t work on them? But he was working on it and it kind of paid off.”
Skinner was just 7 years old the last time the Oilers advanced to the final round of the playoffs. Like many hockey players, he had role models.
“Of course I was watching Rolly. The goalkeeper Rolly was my idol.” Skinner spoke about Dwayne Roloson, who led the Edmonton Oilers to their final Stanley Cup matchup in 2006. The game ended in a heartbreaking loss in Game 7. Carolina Hurricanes.
Now Skinner is an idol to a new generation of young hockey players from his hometown and alma mater.
“It’s pretty cool to know that someone who played at the same school or went to the same school as me is now where they are,” said seventh grade student Grayson Connors. “If you work the hardest, you will go the farthest.”
Parker Sneazwell, a student and goalkeeper at St Thomas More Hockey Academy, said Skinner was also his role model.
“Of course,” said the 9th grade student. “I’m trying to get a mustache like that and I want to be as good as him,” he joked.
“It’s great to have him playing for his hometown team.”
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