Part-time to full-time for Saskatoon Blades goalie Ethan McCallum

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Back-up to start-up.

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Saskatoon Blades goalie Ethan McCallum has gone from a part-timer to full-timer, making nine straight Western Hockey League starts while the team’s No. 1 goalie, Evan Gardner, recovers from a knee injury.

The 18-year-old McCallum is getting a heavy workload in net as of late, and he’s absolutely loving it.

He never imagined that this would happen when he joined the Blades from the Medicine Hat Tigers.

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“Definitely not nine straight,” admits McCallum, a rangy 6-foot-4, 198-pound Brandon product. “I know I wanted to work my way up to a point where I was at least playing back-to-back games. It’s unfortunate with the loss of Gardner but it’s good for me to get in some more games. I feel like I’ve been pretty consistent.”

McCallum has an 8-7-0-3 record overall with the Blades and a .908 save percentage He stopped 25 of 27 shots and was named the game’s No. 3 star in a 2-0 loss Tuesday at home against the Lethbridge Hurricanes and their loaded line-up.

“(Tuesday), we just got bad bounces. I think we could have definitely put up a lot of goals; bounces weren’t going our way,” said McCallum, a second-round WHL Prospects Draft pick who was taken 39th overall in 2021 by the Tigers.

“I think it was my bad on that first goal and could have kept it 0-0 going after the first, and I think we could have been in a better spot.”

Going from back-up to starter since early February has meant a change of routine but maybe nothing more, he says.

“It’s been different,” said McCallum. “Just different preparation. You don’t really change your mind-set. There’s nothing different outside of it, other than the fact that you’re playing in the game compared to sitting on the bench. So it’s just taking care of your body and making sure you’re ready to go for the next game.”

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With multiple starts, it’s also easier to get in a groove. McCallum feels he’s upped his game because of it.

“Oh yeah, the more games I get, I just feel my game steps up,” he said. “So, for next game, I’m going to be even better.”

This weekend, the Blades have back-to back games Saturday in Moose Jaw and Sunday afternoon at home against the Edmonton Oil Kings. Game-time is 4 p.m. at SaskTel Centre.

“We have to be ready at the start,” said Blades head coach Dan DaSilva. “Our intensity and effort on the road, right now, is so much better than it is at home.

“I don’t know what it is about our starts at home. We don’t seem to get excited or into it right away. We kind of wait and test the waters and see what kind of game it’s going to be. We can’t afford to do that. We have to be a team that has no passengers and, right from the start, we’re intense and into it. If we take shifts off, or half a game off, (a loss) is the result you get. And we can’t afford to have that.”

The Blades sit seventh in the tight Eastern Conference and second in the East Division with a 30-19-3-4 record, four points back of the Prince Albert Raiders and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

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“It’s about sticking with it,” said McCallum. “We had a slow first 20 (Tuesday). It’s just resilience in our group. We’re always able to bounce back, no matter what. Just for us, it’s trying to find a full 60 minutes every game and trying to find consistency because, when we’re at the top of our game, we all believe we can beat anyone in this league.”

Saskatoon has 12 games left in the regular season, including five on home ice at SaskTel Centre.

Gardner, who is back skating at practice, is expected to return in net to get some games in prior to playoffs.

“He’s still kind of day-to-day,” Blades head coach Dan DaSilva said of Gardner, who was selected in the second round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, 60th overall, by the Columbus Blue Jackets. “He’s making progress. He’s had some good days. He’s been on the ice the last few days and that’s a good sign. As far as a time-table, we don’t have a set return-date yet.

“It’s imminent. Barring any setbacks, I would say in the next couple of weeks.”

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