It's been an intriguing journey for Ty Young ever since he started playing hockey. Highlights include being selected in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL entry draft by the Vancouver Canucks, signing a three-year, entry-level deal with the organisation, and completing a strong training camp ahead of this season.
Now, Young has yet another highlight to add to his collection, after making his professional debut on Sunday afternoon. The special moment came in the ECHL for the Kalamazoo Wings, at home to the Cincinnati Cyclones.
An outstanding debut
Making the moment even better, was how the 20-year-old performed between the pipes for the Wings in a 3-1 win. He stopped 38 of the 39 shots he faced in a full 60 minutes of action, subsequently taking home the First Star of the Game.
This was an important game for Young, as he looks to show the Canucks more of what he's capable of. As one of six goalies in the organisation, he has plenty to do in order to move up the ranks.
The number of goalies in the Canucks system is why the Coaldale, Alberta native is in the ECHL with the Wings. Ideally he would have preferred to be in the AHL right now in Abbotsford, but he just wouldn't have gotten enough action to justify such a move.
Young will get his opportunities with the Wings
As a result, Young is instead in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he will get plenty of chances to play and with the early returns looking extremely promising. Certainly the talent is there, for a goalie who has excellent balance and composure, along with an innate ability to make himself seem bigger than he actually is.
What helps the Canucks prospect, is that he is able to respond well to adversity. For example, take last season, when he lost his role as number one for the Prince George Cougars in the WHL.
Despite this setback, Young buckled down and still played a pivotal role in helping the Cougars finish first in the WHL Western Conference standings. He completed the 2023-24 regular season with a whole host of personal career bests, including 23 wins, a .903 save percentage and 2.79 Goals Against Average.
Of course Young still has plenty of goals to aim for, including getting a chance to play in Abbotsford. Given everything he has accomplished so far, it sure seems like it will be a matter of when as opposed to if this happens.