Passion for the game fueled Ellis' rise | TheAHL.com

by Ryan Smith | AHL On The Beat

A case can be made that goaltending has the most unpredictable development trajectory of any position in any professional sport.

Take the very different events of a pair of young network players in the organization of St. Louis Blues for example.

Joel Hofer burst onto the scene full time with the 2021-22 Springfield Thunderbirds, a team that made an incredible run to the Calder Cup Finals, winning its first seven postseason games. Hofer earned worldwide acclaim for being the first goaltender in AHL postseason history to shoot and score a goal.

His development continued the following season, when he was named an AHL Second Team All-Star after winning a Thunderbirds team record 27 games. Before he even reached 90 appearances in the Springfield goal crease, Hofer had risen to full-time NHL status, where he settled in the St. Louis starting the 2023-24 season.

However, as NHL teams and general managers can attest, you can't put all your eggs in one prospect's basket. A year after selecting Hofer in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, Doug Armstrong he used his third-round pick in 2019 on another striker – with a completely different background and physical condition: Colten Ellis.

The early returns on the Ellis selection were, to put it mildly, astounding. During the COVID-shortened 2020-21 QMJHL season with the Charlottetown Islanders, Ellis put together a season that was among the best in recent CHL memory. He won 23 of 24 starts, allowing seven goals in the process and a minuscule 1.78 goals-against average.

However, when he became a champion, Ellis learned – as all goaltenders do – that high and flashy numbers don't always translate.

“In junior hockey, there's a lot of skill, but when you go to pro hockey, the game comes a lot faster,” Ellis said. “Guys know how to make quick plays and they're big, strong and fast. That was a big change for me, learning to play at a speed where the games are growing fast, coupled with having a lot of broken games.”

Despite the expected growing pains, Ellis managed to earn 16 wins in 40 combined appearances as a rookie with the T-Birds and the ECHL's Worcester Railers. He earned his first AHL win in his Bridgeport debut with a 28-save performance on November 6, 2021.

For Ellis, his second campaign will bring the first difficulties of his career. By scoring in Springfield between Hofer and Vadim Zherenkoand Worcester using their New York Islanders organization to fill their net reserve, Ellis had to find a new home with ECHL Tulsa. For the first time in his career, Ellis saw his save percentage dip below .900, and his goals against average rose to 3.46.

The biggest blow, however, came in the form of a hip injury that required surgery early in 2023, ending his season early and putting his career at a critical crossroads with just one year left on his entry-level contract. Unable to play, Ellis discovered the old adage that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

“Being away from hockey for so long really made me miss it,” Ellis recounted. “I think I lost that (interest) a little bit in my first year and a half as a professional. I was off the ice for three or four months that spring and summer, and it made me realize how much I love hockey, and I think that lit a fire in me to want to be a good hockey player and hone myself. in all aspects that make me a good professional. Call me what makes me who I am.”

Ellis, unlike many offensive line prospects of the era, is not a towering presence, standing just 6-foot-1. The 24-year-old is not aware of the change in position, however.

“[Being a smaller goalie] it wasn't talked about until a few years ago,” he said. “I didn't see myself as a young man. I play a different style of game than [Zherenko] can play, different from Hofer, and different from [Jordan Binnington]. It's about realizing what your game is and trusting the people who help you get better.”

Ellis has no shortage of great resources to lean on, from his longtime goaltending mentor Scott Gouthro to the Blues goalkeeper coach Dave Alexanderand most notably, the Thunderbirds' goalkeeping coach and the Blues' goaltending coach Dan Stewart.

“Stew has been a good thing for me,” Ellis said. “One of the good things about him is that he is very compatible with the person he is training. It is not a one-size-fits-all approach. He's good at breaking down what makes me the best version of me, and he's able to throw in suggestions or work on certain parts of my game, and we build on that. “

That partnership, combined with a renewed passion for the position, propelled Ellis forward not only in his personal growth, but among his peers. Heading into the 2023-24 season, Ellis has posted a .916 save percentage in his last 25 AHL appearances, including a stellar .924 mark while playing in Springfield last season. Had he played enough minutes to qualify for the statistical leadership categories, Ellis would have finished in the top five in save percentage in the entire league and ranked second among starters.

Perhaps most promisingly, however, Ellis found that enjoyment of the game often correlates with success.

“You play best when you're having a lot of fun. The main message was to play where your feet are and not get ahead trying to play at the next level. Take care where you are, and enjoy the process.”