Gross taking it all in with Oil Capitals

Micky Gross is doing whatever he can to soak up the moment like a sponge.

The first-year netminder for the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Virden Oil Capitals would be the first to admit opportunities like the one he’s been presented this season don’t come around too often, so he knows he needs to make every second count.

“It’s all been great so far,” Gross said on Tuesday morning. “Obviously, as a kid you always dream about playing junior or college or even playing in the NHL, but I never really thought I’d be here. I’m fortunate enough to be where I am, and I’m just trying to make the best of it.

Gross, a six-foot-two, 187-pound crease patroller, is beginning his junior career behind Virden’s No. 1 goaltender, Braxton Burdeny — who it acquired from the Winnipeg Freeze during the offseason in exchange for ’07 forward Maxx Hamelin — but he’s still put up more than solid numbers to help his team maintain a second-place position in the West Division with a 12-7 record, only trailing the Dauphin Kings, who’ve played three more games than Virden.

In six starts, the Cornwallis product has managed five wins while eclipsing a 2.17 GAA and a .914 save percentage. Gross credits his success thus far to how his team has played in front of him and how the organization’s veteran players made him feel at home from the very get-go.

“The boys are all great in the room, and we’re always doing something together, like watching movies or playing games on days off, getting to play a lot of poker and cards, and that’s pretty fun and has definitely made me feel more a part of things,” he said. “All the veteran guys have been great, but Ty (Plaisier) was definitely a big part for us rookies, kind of showing us the ropes and how everything goes in junior because obviously he’s been there for quite a while and he’s a good player and just a great guy.”

Another big influence on the team has been his partner in crime, Burdeny, who teaches Gross something new every day.

“From my perspective, everything’s kind of a learning experience for me. He’s (Burdeny) always a good guy to watch and kind of learn from,” said Gross. “He’s really composed, and he doesn’t let a lot of things bug him. Like, if something doesn’t quite go his way in the game, if you look at his body language, you don’t even notice it, and then he keeps it really light during TV time-outs, but then, you know, he gets right back into it. He’s just one of the most consistent goalies I’ve ever seen and just a great guy off the ice, so I’m lucky I get to learn from him.”

Gross’ play in between the pipes might not be the most flashy, but more times than not, he will make the save and get the job done when it counts. His goaltending coach in Virden, Jared Paulsen, recently compared him to Anaheim Ducks goaltending stud Lukáš Dostál, who never has to make a sprawling desperation save because he’s known for always being in the right position.

“I kind of have a similar style to him, and like, obviously, I’m not as good as him, but that’s a guy I kind of look up to and try and base my game off of,” he said.

For Gross, being positionally sound is as crucial as it’s ever been, now playing in junior hockey, where compared to U18, players are a lot faster, smarter, and more skilled; the passes are crisper, and the shots are harder and more accurate. Naturally, all those factors have been a major adjustment for Gross, but it’s one he’s getting more used to, day-by-day.

And it certainly helps more playing on an uber-talented team like the Oil Capitals, who are poised to be back in the Turnbull Cup conversation after failing to make the post-season for the first time in 10 seasons last year.

Gross said the moment Virden’s coaching staff — led by head coach Tyson Ramsey — let him into their office at the end of the pre-season and shook his hand to let him know he would be a Virden Oil Capital, he became just as dedicated to the turnaround season as anyone else in the organization.

“Definitely, like in the room, you can kind of feel it that this team is built to win and just wants to win,” he said. “Everyone’s kind of chips are in, and everyone does their part, and everyone knows their role, and it’s really good.

“I think we’ve got some good potential this year to do some good things and have the potential to win, and from the coaching staff to everybody, they all kind of know what we can do, and they’re all doing their part to try and get us there.”

Gross has been ride-or-die in the net from the very beginning. What started as a young boy in Timbits hockey strapping on the pads solely based on a fascination for the equipment has now grown into an athlete breaking onto the junior scene and having the same goal as everyone else: to win a championship.

» mdelucataronno@brandonsun.com