Ingram took unique route to world juniors crease

MONTREAL—Truth be told, Connor Ingram never wanted to be a goalie.

But as the youngest of four brothers in a very athletic — and apparently rambunctious — family growing up Imperial, Sask., it fell to the littlest.

“Someone had to play net in ministicks,” said Ingram. “That’s where it started.”

In terms of wins, goals against and other on-ice matters, Canada’s two goalies couldn’t be more similar through their junior careers in the Western Hockey League. Both have the confidence of Hockey Canada coach Dominique Ducharme.

“It’s a daily decision for us, who is going to play,” said Ducharme. “We want to evaluate our guys every day.”

But off the ice, they are very different. Ingram — of the Kamloops Blazers — is an extrovert who can tell a story. Carter Hart — of the Everett Silvertips — is introspective, using the power of positive thinking and the help of a psychologist to carry the weight of a netminder.

“The game has now evolved so much that it’s almost 90 per cent mental and 10 per cent physical,” said Hart. “It’s really what’s in your head and what you can control.

“When you give up a goal: refresh or refocus. That’s the past, and just worry about stopping the next one. Just have that mindset every time.”

There may not be a position in all of hockey that’s less appreciated than being Team Canada’s netminder at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.

Canadian goalies seem to take the blame when Canada comes up short, but they rarely get the credit when Canada gets gold. Those accolades tend to go to the offensive stars.

So while it takes all kinds to tend net, it takes something a little extra to play in a tournament like this. Ingram developed his devil-may-care philosophy playing with his older brothers: Bryce, Mark and Keeran.

“Usually Bryce would have one or two friends over if Mom and Dad were gone,” said Ingram. “There would be wrestling matches. It would get pretty heated.”

But once it turned to ministicks, there were rules:

“Our goal was the fireplace, covered by a screen. And it had tile base, and on either side were windows covered by venetian blinds,” said Ingram. “If you hit the screen, or hit the tile, it was a goal. If you hit Mom’s venetian blinds, it’s a penalty shot. Don’t put holes in the wall. Eat your Kraft dinner.”

All that stopped about five years ago.

“The place took a beating,” said Ingram. “Mom redid it. New carpet. Rebuilt the banister. It was beat up. After that, Mom shut it down.”

As for his brothers, Bryce got a baseball scholarship in the U.S., Mark played football at the University of Saskatchewan and Keeran is a scratch golfer.

Connor, meanwhile, didn’t play net on the ice until he was 12, but it’s worked out, at least this far. He was drafted in June in the third round by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Hart, drafted in the second round by the Philadelphia Flyers, started in net younger.

“Originally, I was a forward because I wanted to be like my dad,” said Hart. “Then I strapped on the pads one game — our novice goalie got hurt. I didn’t do very well, but I liked it a lot more than scoring the goals.

“The next year, my parents asked if I wanted to be a goalie or a forward. I said I wanted to be a goalie. My dad is like, ‘Oh no.’ But I liked it a lot more than being a forward.”

Hart came into the world juniors with the expectation of being Canada’s top goalie, but Ingram appears to have taken the job.

Hart was the CHL goalie of the year last year. Ingram was supposed to be the backup. They split the first two games: Hart won his two, against Russia and Slovakia, allowing five goals. Ingram was 1-1, allowing only three goals. He shut out Latvia (which managed just six shots) and allowed three in a 3-1 loss to the Americans.

Neither goalie is particularly tall — the trend in the NHL. Ingram is listed at six-foot-one, Hart six-foot-two. Neither heard they were too short to be a goalie.

“Beginning last year I was only six-feet,” said Hart. “But I’ve grown a bit.”