Monteith a valuable addition to Oil Capitals roster

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This article was published 13/04/2022 (1498 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While he’s not sure exactly why he wanted to go in between the pipes, Virden Oil Capitals netminder Bailey Monteith might have been destined for the role.

The 20-year-old from Kamloops, B.C.’s parents mentioned when he went skating for the first time, he immediately fell to the ice and worked his way towards the crease.

“I have no idea if it was a subconscious move or what it was, but I guess I always going to end up being a goalie,” Monteith laughed.

After a whirlwind last couple of years, Monteith is now showcasing his talents to everyone in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

Following stints with the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League’s Kerry Park Islanders, plus the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and the Trail Smoke Eaters of the British Columbia Hockey League, he was dealt to the Oil Capitals at the January 10 trade deadline.

“I didn’t mind the chaos to a certain extent and I’ve loved everywhere that I’ve been, but I owe a lot to (Oil Capitals head coach and general manager) Tyson (Ramsey),” Monteith said. “He’s given me a chance to be the guy and I’ve been fortunate to have a great team in front of me on a nightly basis.”

In his new locale, Monteith posted a 12-5-1 record with a 3.27 goals-against average, a .903 save percentage and a shutout to round out the regular season.

He followed that up with four straight wins, a 2.90 gaa and a .917 save percentage in Virden’s quarterfinal sweep of the Waywayseecappo Wolverines.

“I’ve tried to not be as technical with my game as I’ve had in the past and I’ve just wanted to have more fun out there,” Monteith said. “I find I’m at my best when I’m reacting to the play on the ice and not trying to play a certain way.

“I love to make the big save and if I have to put myself in a certain spot in order to make a play…that’s what I’ll do. If I can keep things loose and play my game, I know I can be successful for the boys.”

When asked what the difference was in the series against Waywayseecappo, Monteith believes that it was the Oil Capitals’ depth that gave them the upper hand against their West Division rivals.

“We were rolling all four lines most games and it was working,” Monteith said. “Waywayseecapo had a really good top six but I don’t think they were expecting to be playing as much as they were, while we were able to have everyone producing offensively for us.

“The group of guys here is super close and they made me feel like I had been part of the group since September when I got here from Trail. We’re going to war for each other and I think that makes us pretty dangerous to whoever we face.”

Like many hockey players over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that Monteith has missed out on gaining post-season experience.

Prior to the series with the Wolverines, his last playoff appearance was for a period in the 2019 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League playoffs with the Osoyoos Coyotes.

However, Monteith was able to draw back on his trip to the prestigious Mac’s Under-18 AAA Tournament in December 2019 as he took to the ice for the Okanagan Rockets.

“I remember being super nervous for that first game in Calgary and I had a little bit of nerves before the series started against the Wolverines, but once I got in the moment I made sure that I wasn’t getting too high or too low in certain situations,” Monteith said.

“I liked how calm I was in the big moments as the series went on and the added atmosphere that comes in playing in front of big crowds in the playoffs was something that I loved being a part of. There’s obviously more pressure that comes with that and you don’t want to be the guy that gives up a soft goal, so I’ve made sure that I’m squeezing the puck extra hard when it comes at me.”

The Oil Capitals have been busy at practice this week as they prepare to face the league-leading Steinbach Pistons in a best-of-seven semifinal round.

Game 1 is slated to take place Friday night in Steinbach, though that might change as a result of the massive snowstorm that’s expected to wreak havoc on the province in the coming days.

The Pistons won a home-and-home series with the Oil Capitals by scores of 3-0 and 4-0, but both of those games were played right before the Christmas break and prior to Monteith’s arrival in Virden.

“I know that they are a big and fast team with some good skill up front, which were the same challenges that we had when we were getting ready to face Waywayseecappo,” Monteith said.

“We don’t mind being in that underdog role once again and we’ve been getting ready to have a similar mindset on the ice like we did in the last round.”

Pistons preparing for semis

Over in Steinbach, Pistons head coach and GM Paul Dyck isn’t taking too much from his team’s previous meetings with the Oil Capitals, especially with how different the lineups are.

“We know that Virden has been playing extremely well since the second half and we’ve spent a lot of time looking at what their tendencies have been during the last couple of months in our video sessions,” Dyck said.

“It’s that time of the year where what took place in the regular season has no real relevance on what happens in the playoffs. I think you saw that across the board in all four series in the first round in our league … all the games were pretty close.”

The East Division champion Pistons reached the final four by defeating the Selkirk Steelers in five games.

Forward Zach Power — a mid-season addition from the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s London Nationals — led the way on offence with nine points, while future Western Michigan Bronco Will Hambley posted a 2.60 gaa average, a .904 save percentage and a shutout.

“I thought we played well at times in that series and I loved the resiliency we showed in Game 5 to come back with three goals and win after being down (3-1) going into the third,” Dyck said.

“I think our team is pretty balanced and we’ve shown that we can play a variety of ways. There are teams that have come at us with different styles that they think we’re not accustomed to, but we’ve been to adjust to those challenges.”

The semifinal clash between the Pistons and Oil Capitals is the first playoff meeting between the two clubs since the 2018 final, which the Pistons won in six games.

Meanwhile, the other final-four matchup between the Dauphin Kings and the Winker Flyers is also slated to start Friday — weather permitting — in Dauphin.

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