Though the days of post-game goalie hugs between the Boston Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark have ended, another duo is set for another season together a short ride away from Boston.
With now-senior Keagin Wilson (Hingham, Mass.) and junior JJ Thibodeau (Waltham, Mass.) returning to Belmont Hill, the Sextants have a chance to win any game.
Brian Phinney has a problem that many prep coaches would envy and hopes his team can learn from the bond developed by NHL neighbors over the previous couple of seasons.
“I think a lot of people make that (Bruins) connection for them,” Phinney said. “From my standpoint, I try to be in the moment a little more and not have a set plan of just alternating. … Obviously we’re watching from afar, but I do think it’s great that those two goalies have a great connection and always supported each other. I hope our guys see that it matters at that level.”
Phinney’s mindset has turned into practice.
In 2022-23, Thibodeau — who Phinney called the more “positional”-style goaltender of the duo — earned more than two-thirds of game time as a freshman. Most of the remaining action went to Wilson, the “athletic” goalie in the coach’s description, who had transferred in after starting his career at Hingham High.
MASS. STATE TOURNEY: 13 uncommitted 18U standouts | 9 standout 16U forwards | 7 standout 16U defenders
Last season, though, the two goalies’ numbers were nearly identical and helped the Sextants post an 18-11-2 overall record and return to the New England playoffs. Wilson’s goals-against (2.46) was four percentage points lower and his save percentage (.906) four points higher across 51.7 percent of the game action.
How does their dynamic work?
“I think it’s important to realize that we both want to succeed, but the team’s success is more important than our own,” Thibodeau said. “Whoever’s going, whoever’s playing well, if it’s not yourself, you’ve still got to support them to help the team. At the end of the day, you just want to win.”
The ultimate goal of producing wins for the team has never changed, but both goalies admit that working in tandem was virtually a new experience when they arrived at Belmont Hill.
“Growing up, until I got to around high school, I was honestly always the only goalie on my teams,” Wilson said.
Embracing each other, though, took no time, exemplifying what both described as excellent team-wide chemistry entering the new season.
“I think we clicked and we got really close pretty quickly,” Thibodeau said. “Since Day One, it’s been awesome and our relationship has gotten even better.”
Having such a shining example of making it work down the road at TD Garden, Wilson believes, was definitely helpful.
“I feel like they did it the best way you possibly could, and they were able to set records, obviously,” Thibodeau said. “You have to have a good relationship with the guy, just trust each other and work on and off the ice to get better.”
As preparation for puck drop intensifies, early signs point to a competitive group at Belmont Hill, where returning defensemen like Grayson Cohen (Weston, Mass.), Evan Dresser (Everett, Mass.), Jack Duffy (Walpole, Mass.) and Stephen Fabiano (Charlestown, Mass.) are all expected to be senior leaders.
By working with experienced players from the net out, Phinney hopes that can become a team-wide philosophy.
“Those guys have been together for a long time now,” Phinney said. “They really care about this place, so it’s going to be really fun to see them steering the ship as older guys. … The more they can build the group mentality, it’s going to be better for everyone.”
Of course, it all starts in between the pipes with teammates who also compete with one another, the coach said.
“Our practices have been very competitive,” Wilson said. “Even in our mini-games, everyone’s competing, working their hardest against the guy. It’s a great atmosphere…and [Thibodeau] and I are a part of it. If he makes a big save, it pushes you to be even better.”
With so many avenues for today’s players to take to the next level, keeping such a good thing going is rare.
It is not lost on Phinney that Wilson or Thibodeau could have left for another program or juniors at a moment’s notice in the recent past, but their commitment to the program was apparent and put him at ease while preparing for the season ahead.
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“I think you’re always aware, especially in this day and age, that there are so many influences on people outside of prep hockey or whatever team it is, so I always had that in the back of my mind,” Phinney said. “But the great part is that we’re fortunate to be at a school that I think they both really identify with.
“They had the sense of wanting to see this thing through.”
Leading the way to a New England title would make it just that much better.
