-
file photo
Former Lakehead University Thunder Wolves goaltender Chris Whitley.
103.5 The ThunderHave Breakfast with Brent each weekday morning on The Thunder, Today's Country Music Station, 103.5 & 104.5http://www.thethunder.ca
All summer long, whenever Chris Whitley’s phone would ring, beads of sweat would start to form on his forehead.
Whitley, who starred in nets for five seasons for the Lakehead Thunderwolves, had a secret, one he wasn’t sure would ever come fruition. On Wednesday it did.
Whitley, 26, got a phone call from Jim Nill, the assistant general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, one of the most storied franchises in NHL history.
Nill, a former NHLer himself, asked Whitley if he’d like to come to Traverse City, Mich. in September and take part in the team’s development camp.
Whitley didn’t hesitate to say yes. After all, he’d waited most of the summer for the call to come.
“I’d heard some rumblings about it over the course of the summer and since nationals ended, but nothing was really confirmed until yesterday, so I’m pretty excited about it,” Whitley said.
His expectations are high, though at heart he’s a realist.
“Obviously my main goal is to try to make the Detroit Red Wings, but other than that I’m just going to try to play the best I can and gain a lot of experience. They’ve got an unbelievable organization there and a hall of famer in net in Chris Osgood,” the Oshawa native said.
His likely destination, should the Wings sign him, would be the American or East Coast Hockey League.
Whitley said he’d love to play well enough to earn a two-way contract from the Red Wings, a team one year removed from its 11th Stanley Cup championship and the defending NHL finalists.
His play in Traverse City will dictate the Wings future plans for Whitley, who posted an 81-48-7 record with 11 shutouts during a Thunderwolves tenure that included a pair of trips to the national title tournament.
“Obviously if I play well I’ll probably get the invite to the main camp. It really depends on how I play. Hopefully things work out for the best,” he said.
Whitley, a 2009 graduate of Lakehead’s teacher’s college, said after the 2009 nationals, former Thunderwolves coach Don McKee had told him there were a number of NHL scouts watching him play. Several, including representatives of the Wings and Florida Panthers, had asked a lot of questions about his character and play.
Hedging his bets, Whitley also signed with the Central Hockey League’s Allen Americans, where Thunder Bay’s Bill McDonald is an assistant coach and director of hockey operations. Whitley said he was up front with McDonald and let him know an NHL team or two might come calling.
One way or the other, he knew he wanted to play hockey for a living, knowing he can always return to teaching down the road.
“This is the time to do it,” said Whitley, who received offers to turn pro after winning the Royal Bank Cup with the Tier 2 Aurora Tigers six years ago, but decided to focus on getting a degree. “I’m looking forward to it and doing everything I can to prepare for training camp in September.”
As far as Whitley knows, only the University of New Brunswick’s Kevin Henderson received an invite to an NHL camp out of Canadian University Sport this year. Henderson signed an entry-level deal with the San Jose Sharks in April.
Rarer still are CIS players making the jump to the big leagues. Randy Gregg, Mike Ridley and Thunder Bay’s Steve Rucchin are three who immediately come to mind.
Thunderwolves coach Joel Scherban, a former teammate of Whitley’s, said he’s glad Whitley got the invite.
“Chris is extremely deserving of such a tremendous opportunity. He has made a great effort over the past five years to continue to develop his game to the point where he’s prepared to succeed at the professional level,” said Scherban, a 1998 pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Red Wings camp runs Sept. 13 to 15.