Everett Silvertips’ Carter Hart proving to be special rookie goalie in playoffs

Everett Silvertips freshman Carter Hart has defied the odds to get where he is today. He not only wasn’t selected in the 2013 WHL bantam draft until the eighth round, but also played sparingly at the major midget level last season in the Alberta ‘AAA’ Midget Hockey League.

Yet in Round 2 of the WHL playoffs, the 16-year-old has solidified himself as one of the top young goaltenders in the league. He started to hit his stride in the second half of the season following a typical transition period in the first half. He stole veteran netminder Austin Lotz’s starting job when he went 11-2-0-3 and posted a .924 save percentage in his final 18 regular-season games. He has carried over his strong play to the post-season, maintaining a 1.99 average and .937 save percentage throughout eight games.

“We’ve thought all year long that we have two good goalies and we still think that, but Carter has stepped up in the second half of the year and we've decided to go with him,” says Silvertips head coach Kevin Constantine. "Like most young goalies, there were some inconsistencies in Carter’s game in the first half of the year, but we felt he improved his consistency in the second half of the year. This and how he has been winning games for us all year long played into us going with him in net.”

Humble and modest, Hart pointed to his teammates when asked about his success. He feels his club’s winning mindset has affected his play in the blue paint.

“The team’s mindset has been a big reason,” says Hart, who posted a 2.29 average and .915 save percentage throughout 30 regular-season contests. “We are coming out every night with the mindset that we are going to win. We are a confident bunch from our 20s to rookies.”

The 6-foot, 165-pound Hart’s best performance on the year came in the deciding match of Everett’s first-round series against the Spokane Chiefs. He made a miraculous 53-save showing in a 2-1 triple-overtime win to help the Silvertips set a date with the Portland Winterhawks in the Western Conference semi-finals.

“I don’t think about games like I have to stop 40 or 50 shots,” says Hart on his star performance. “I have the mindset where I’m just focusing on the next puck. I don’t look at it like I’m facing shooters, but it’s just me against the puck and I focus on that.”

The icing on the cake for Hart’s impressive rookie season is how he’s done it while adjusting to living away from home for the first time. He packed up his bags in August and moved over 1,200 kilometers to Everett from Sherwood Park., Alta. This big of a relocation would be a difficult adjustment for anyone, let alone for a young teenager who has the added pressures of performing on the ice and in the classroom.

“It has been an adjustment to live that far away from home,” he says. “I think staying in contact with my parents and friends has helped me adjust here. I talk to my parents every day and that has helped a lot.”

It has been a while since the Silvertips had a rookie goalie impress as much as Hart has this season. The most comparable puck-stopper in the last decade or so would be former Calgary Flames first-rounder Leland Irving, who posted a .930 save percentage in 30 contests as a rookie in 2004-05.

“It is a remarkable accomplishment for Carter to be where he is,” says Constantine. “It’s hard for a 16-year-old to be a starter in this league and he’s defied history a bit. But it isn’t the first time there has been a 16-year-old starting in Everett. Leland Irving was in this situation and it helped him get drafted into the NHL.”

It’s too early to suggest Hart will follow the footsteps of recent Tri-City Americans graduate Eric Comrie, but it’s interesting how many things the two netminders have in common. They are both from Alberta, were drafted and played for U.S. Division teams and have been mentored by Edmonton Oilers goalie coach Dustin Schwartz.

“I really like the way he plays,” says Hart on Comrie. “He sees the puck well and has been great in Tri-City…. We actually have the same summer goalie coach, Dustin Schwartz, who I think is the best goalie coach in the world. I also got to meet Eric last summer and he was a really nice guy.”

Kelly Friesen is a Buzzing the Net blogger for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KellyFriesen