DeGrath Promoted to VHL with Hardware

[STZ 5,360]

Stockholm, Sweden.

 

It was almost set in stone that Saskatoon Wild goaltender Rhett DeGrath would be returning to play out his first year of VHL eligibility in the minors. The Saskatoon Management were prepared to accept him back, and actually completed a draft in mind that they already had a goalie in place. DeGrath was excited to attempt history going for a third straight Founder's Cup Championship, as he earned one as a walk-on halfway through S50. However, Saskatoon and DeGrath broke ties, as VHL Commissioners stepped in and forced a promotion to the big leagues.

 

DeGrath dominated the VHLM last season, and nearly swept the competition earning himself the Top Goaltender Award at the end of the season. With a 1.41 GAA and 19 Shutouts, he seemed unbeatable at times. While his numbers looked good, he felt he still had some room for improvement, and figured he could use another year of development. While his GAA numbers were remarkable, many had stated that it was due to a very heavily stacked defensive unit that the Wild had in S51. DeGrath faced nearly 1500 shots less than the league leader in Ottawa. He was ready to test himself with a heavier workload in S52, and it looks like he will - just not in the VHLM.

 

The VHL released a statement that according to their fair play and competitive arrangement that have with the VHLM, they have the right to refuse a player to go to the minors, without hitting waivers. Considering DeGrath was selected 2nd Overall by the Stockholm Vikings and signed a contract nearly a day after the GM stated he was their goalie for the future - he wasn't going through waivers untouched. So with the VHL refusing to let Rhett stay down, he has found himself with a new challenge. He's currently on a team who already has a starting goalie, and a 1st line defensive pairing... After that they have one forward. The Vikings are led by one of the most reputable GM's in league history with Chris Miller, so there is no doubt that steps will be taken to guard the young goaltending netminder from unforgiving embarrassment. The Vikings stand to benefit from a season of losses, but with this recent development, and the way the Eurpean Conference is weighted, it could be interesting to see if DeGrath can make a difference and bring an unlikely group into the VHL Playoffs.