'It's a big challenge': Hometown goalie Stuart Skinner excited for chance to be a fulltime Oiler
Following stops in Lethbridge, Swift Current, Wichita and Bakersfield, Stuart Skinner has rented a home in Edmonton and he's confident he'll stay all year.
The former South Side Athletic Club Lion has a good chance to be the backup goalie for the Edmonton Oilers this season after a likely-career-ending injury to Mike Smith and the departure of Mikko Koskinen.
"I've got one job and that's to stop the puck and that's what I'm gonna do," Skinner, 23, said about blocking out the pressure of playing in his hometown.
"I've gotten a lot of games in the American League and the ECHL and I've kind of worked my way up. It's been a grind and it's taken a lot of hard work."
Skinner is expected to share the net with recent free agent arrival Jack Campbell, who he called an "awesome guy."
A third-round pick in 2017, Skinner has played 14 NHL games with the Oilers over the past two seasons when he was called up because of injuries.
"I've played some good teams, got a few wins under my belt, and just more comfortable in this league," Skinner said, adding this year he feels more "confident" in the NHL.
"I'm fortunate because I've seen Stuart hit every developmental stage along the way to get to this point," head coach Jay Woodcroft said.
"I saw him grow as a goaltender and I saw him grow as a person over that time. It's a credit to all the hardwork that he's put in that he's positioned where he is now."
The Oilers' regular season starts at Rogers Place on Oct. 12 against the Vancouver Canucks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.