Alex Worthington’s Edmonton Oil Kings Play Well After Taking First Position – Hockey Writers – WHL

The Edmonton Oil Kings 2024-25 season is underway and their current record is 1-2-0-0. While they hope they can push through the deadline and finish the rebuild with a strong roster, one player has stood out in a big way and hasn’t gotten much recognition until recently. Alex Worthington found himself the starting goalie after the team decided to release Kolby Hay on a day that placed linebacker Matthew Gallant on waivers. Worthington was playing in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) with Briercrest College for the 2023-24 season and while his numbers were impressive, no one would have predicted that they would trust him as a starter.

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At 19 years old, Worthington has two seasons of eligibility remaining in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Prior to this season, he had played six games with the Oil Kings between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons but was not strong. Last season, Worthington posted a 2.50 goals against average (GAA) and a .926 save percentage (SV%) in 10 games with Briercrest, posting a 9-1-0 record. Despite his lack of experience and overwhelming numbers, Worthington earned a spot out of training camp and played well in two starts. In those two starts, he posted a 2.55 GAA and a .933 SV%.

Hay had been the starting goalkeeper for the Oil Kings since the 2021-22 season and had decent numbers, so his replacement came as a surprise to fans. Through 124 games, Hay had a 4.06 GAA and .881 SV% while posting a 44-59-4 record. Reports from the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Ontario Reign lead me to believe that Hay will sign an AHL deal, which would make sense as to why he’s no longer in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), but even if that wasn’t the case. case, Worthington proved in a small sample that he has the ability to lead the Oil Kings to the postseason.

Worthington/Perry Likely Tandem for the foreseeable future

While Worthington looked calm and collected in his win against the Calgary Hitmen, some fans will be right to question the strength of their tandem as the season progresses. The backup goaltender will now be 17-year-old Hudson Perry, who appears to have a bright future at the WHL level. Last season, he played in 17 games with the Oil Kings backing up Hay but struggled, posting a 4.54 GAA, .865 SV%, and a 4-9-2 record. He should make his first start of the 2024-25 season in one of the next two games which will give him a chance to prove his worth in the Worthington side.

No matter how Perry does, it looks like those two will be the Oil Kings’ tandem for the foreseeable future. There will be goals available closer to the trade deadline and the team should have a better indication of what their plans will be when that time comes, but there don’t seem to be any plans to get one anytime soon.

Even though it’s only been two games, Worthington has a lot of potential. His position at the net, combined with his position and hand speed, make him seem like a reliable prospect, and he looks like he has a chance to be better than Hay. While time will tell if he can continue this pace throughout the season, the start of his 2024-25 campaign has shown real promise, and fans should be excited.

As the 2024-25 season approaches, be sure to stay tuned Hockey Writers as your source for news from the NHL and the world of hockey.