An old hockey coach's saying goes: "Show me a good goalie and I will show you a good coach."
Coaches Guy Blanchard and Vitali Yachmenev can relate to that saying as their North Bay U18 AAA Trappers squad has had the novelty of sporting arguably the top goaltending duo - if not the top two netminders overall - in the seven-team Great North U18 AAA League.
Carson Ruddy, who returned to North Bay after playing U15 AAA in Sudbury last season, and his partner Logan Coates have been key parts to the Trappers' success this season as the young team only sports one returner (Jacob McGill) from the U18 Trappers championship team from last season.
"He has been solid all season for us," said Yachmenev, who formerly coached in the KHL and won an OHL title as a player with the North Bay Centennials in 1994, about Ruddy.
"I did not know any of these kids before I came but Carson was number one from the beginning and he has made good progress. He has good technique, he is always calm. He is strong mentally for a goalie."
Ruddy and his partner have helped the Trappers to a very respectable 14-11 record and fourth spot in the Great North U18 loop.
In 14 games Ruddy has put up a stingy 2.72 goals against average.
The 6'0", 165-pound goaltender also attended Powassan Voodoos camp as an underage and impressed.
"I like to model my game after Devon Levi, a young Buffalo Sabres goalie," the soft-spoken 15-year-old said after a Trappers morning practice at Memorial Gardens.
"He (Levi) likes to play with his feet and beats the puck. He is not the biggest guy but he uses his edges and his quick lateral movement to beat the play."
Rob Graham, the U18 Trappers' passionate and experienced goaltending coach, enjoys working with Ruddy.
See related: U16 Trappers complete comeback for OT win over Flyers
Graham, who was the goalie coach for the U16 Trappers last season, got a sample of what Ruddy was capable of when he came in relief last year as an affiliate in an upset overtime win by the U16s over the Kapuskasing U18 AAA Flyers.
"I think Carson, in my mind, is a game-ready goalie," stated Graham.
"His consistency day in and day out right from the 'get-go' with coach Blanchard. We know when we put Carson in the net that we are going to get a solid outing."
Graham says he put out a challenge to the goaltending duo which both Coates and Ruddy are living up to.
"One of the things our goalies in September talked about this year with a young team and a developing team is our goal is to steal one in five meaning out of every five games, we need as goalies to steal that game and I think our goalies have done that," said Graham.
"We have a great coaching staff, an experienced coaching staff and we are really proud of the fact that it is starting between the pipes with our goalies."
Ruddy says he has learned a lot from his goalie coach.
"I have adapted my game throughout the year practicing with Rob and getting my game up to a level and getting ahead of the shots, anticipating plays quicker, and getting stronger," said the grade 10 Chippewa student.
The Trappers goalie is also hoping to impress with the 2024 OHL Priority Selection looming later this spring.
"I don't try to think about it too much, whatever happens, happens and hope for the best as the season goes on."
Ruddy knows, the more success his Trappers team has, the more eyeballs will be on him between the pipes.
Graham hopes that his two goalies both get selected in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection.
"I give the credit to the goalies, they are the ones that have to put the work in," said Graham.
"They are the ones who have to deal with the pressure of playing at this level. There is a lot more pressure playing U18 AAA now, compared to back in the 1970s and '80s when I played."
Graham enjoys coming to the rink and working with two goalies who are motivated and have dreams.
"We never want to take the dream away from our kids but we also want to keep them focused on the experience so it is exciting for kids that have that dream and all kids that play at this level hopefully do have that dream but they also have to be grounded in the process of getting better," said Graham.
