By Jeff D'Andrea

Goaltending questions answered at Mintos’ Fall Camp

Aug 22, 2011 | 7:12 AM

Prince Albert Mintos head coach Tim Leonard said he was worried about his team’s goaltending situation before they headed into the team’s fall camp this weekend at the Art Hauser Centre.

The Mintos will be without the services of goaltenders Taran Kozun and Dawson MacAuley who backstopped the team to a Saskatchewan Midget AAA provincial title last season.

Both have now moved on to the Western Hockey League as Kozun with the Kamloops Blazers and MacAuley with the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Having to start over in that position and without much progress at the team’s spring camp according to manager Don Fauchoux, the Mintos were in dire need of some progress. They found that this weekend.

“I was a little worried heading in, but I felt pretty good about Sunday night and where we’re sitting with our goalies,” Leonard said. “I feel pretty good.”

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After the weekend, Tanner Burgardt currently leads the goaltending race while Travis Pelletier and Tyrell King battling for the backup position, he said, but added that order isn’t set in stone.

“Burgy was one and the other guys are tied for two, but that could change,” said Leonard.

“We’ve got our six exhibition games and we’ll give them ample time and let them battle it out instead of me being the bad guy, I’m sure two of them will figure it out and get it done and one will be the odd man out.”

Burgardt, 16, was drafted in the sixth round by the Regina Pats in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft and played Midget AA in Kerrobert last season, winning a provincial title.

The 17-year-old Pelletier played for the Moose Jaw Generals in the SMAAAHL last season as a backup, posting a 8-4-1 record, 87.82 save percentage and a 2.84 GAA.

Tyrell King was stuck on the worst team in the Prairie Junior Hockey League last season, the West Central Rage who posted a 3-37 record. King had two of those wins and an 86.87 save percentage.

Leonard says that sometimes, all a goalie needs is a chance to succeed, something that all three will have as Mintos.

“Goalies are a funny thing, most of them just need an opportunity … we’ve had some fall into our lap before, Dustin Tokarski is the biggest name that everyone talks about. He got cut by about five teams before he finally came here and we were like ‘jeez, he’s pretty good. We’ll give him a shot,’ and look what he did,” said Leonard about Tokarski, who won a Memorial Cup in 2008 with the Spokane Chiefs and a gold medal at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championships with Team Canada.

“I think that’s for all these kids, they just need to settle in and feel comfortable and if they get an opportunity, I think they’ll run with it.”

jdandrea@rawlco.com