Inside the Stars crease: Jake Oettinger on homesickness, football and mask design

It’s a big year for the Dallas Stars in the goaltending department.

The NHL tandem is coming off career seasons; Ben Bishop probably should have won the 2019 Vezina Trophy; and the future in the crease will be greatly shaped during the 2019-20 season as Jake Oettinger, Landon Bow and Colton Point jockey for the top spot as Bishop’s heir apparent in the organization.

Progress in the crease will greatly determine the present and the future for the Stars, which is why the five NHL-contracted goaltenders were among the most-watched players this past weekend at NHL training camp.

With that in mind, I wanted — to steal a cliche — to better know the men behind the mask. Over the course of this week, we’ll be running the five conversations in order of pro experience, from Jake Oettinger today to Ben Bishop on Friday.

The conversations have two things in common: all the subjects are goalies and each interview starts with the same question, “Was there ever a time you weren’t going to become a goalie?”

Up first is Oettinger, whom the Stars drafted in the first round of the 2017 NHL draft. He recently finished his collegiate career at Boston University and is embarking on his first full pro season. We chatted last week during the NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan.

Was there ever a time you weren’t going to become a goalie?

No. I think the reason I played was we had a really good goalie on our team, and he got pulled up to play on the Squirt A team, it might have been peewees. So we needed a guy, and I filled in and liked it and had fun. (I) played defense and goalie that whole summer, like going back and forth, and then I think I was a little bit better at goalie, so I stuck with it.

So around 10 or so you made the full commitment to the position?

Maybe a little bit older than that. I think I became full-time at 11 or 12, so I think my first year as a goalie was a Squirt A.

Is it something you were pretty good at right away?

I think it’s something I was pretty decent at. Just had fun doing it. My dad was a goalie in soccer, so maybe there was something there. So just had fun with it and stuck with it.

Did your dad also play hockey?

No, just soccer.

So how’d you end up playing in the first place?

My mom was a big Minnesota Gopher hockey fan. She went to the U for college. Being from Minnesota, I think if you are a boy, it’s a path that you play hockey, and I kind of fell in love with it. Then (mom and dad) were both (good) at doing whatever they needed to do to make sure I was having fun.

So did dad give you any tips on how to play goalie as a kid? It’s the same name, but not really the same thing compared to soccer.

No, I think his thing was more about effort and that type of stuff. He wouldn’t really get technical on me, but I think it was more, ‘Make sure you are giving a good effort and having fun.’ And he kind of left the technical side to the guys who were coaching.

The technical side is a strength for you now. How did you develop that base, and when did you first have a goalie coach?

I think my first legit goalie coach was when I got to the NTDP (National Team Development Program), and I think I thought I was pretty decent at the time. But I was pretty raw, and I had a lot of work to do. You know, Kevin Reiter at the NTDP recognized that, and he liked what I saw from my upside, and I think that was kind of big. He worked with me and (current Toronto Maple Leafs prospect) Joe Woll every single day on technical side. I think that’s the reason both of us can say one of the strong suits of our game is technically. I think you have to rely on that when stuff’s not going well, so it’s definitely good to have a strong foundation.

So you figured it out on your own for a bit before that. What went into your form and performance that got you recognized by the NTDP in the first place?

Honestly, I don’t know. I think it was a little bit of luck and some good timing. I was a freshman at Lakeville North and had never really heard of the NTDP. Was just playing with my buddies, we had a great season, we lost in the State Championship game.

And I was recognized by the NTDP, and I had no idea what that was. My adviser at that time said it would be a good idea to go try out for them, and I went there with the expectation to leave it all out there and if you don’t make it, it wasn’t meant to be. So no pressure at all. I ended up making that team, and it was a big decision at the time to leave home because I had such a great situation, but I’m so grateful I ended up going there.

Have you talked to your parents about what that was like to have their son move away from home at 14?

I haven’t. I think things have just moved so fast that it’s become the norm now for a couple years. The big thing for them was to make sure I was happy. You know, my dad asked me what my ultimate goal was in hockey, and I said I want to play in the NHL. When you look at it that way, I think it was a no-brainer to play with the best people in the world at my age. I think they just did such an unbelievable job being my support system. When you are 14 years old, living a 10-hour drive away, you need a whole crew of people behind you that make sure your getting through. There was ups and downs, but at the end of the day, I’m happy I did it.

Did you get homesick?

Oh, yeah. I still get homesick; everyone does. But I think just remembering my why and why I went there in the first place, it helped to push me forward on the days where it was really tough. Like I said earlier, you need a whole crew to make sure you are sticking with it, and they definitely did it.

You also graduated high school a year early to enroll at Boston University as a 17-year-old. Why was BU the right path for you?

First and foremost, making sure I was finished with classes to have that opportunity to go there. I think originally in my head I was thinking I would have to go to the USHL after my second year (at NTDP). So I had a bunch of great help. The academic coordinator at the NTDP and my stepmom, as well, were both on me all the time to make sure I was getting my classes done. And I didn’t talk to anyone before my first year at NTDP, then had a good first half and then a lot of teams, a lot of universities called, and I wanted to take my time and not rush everything. When I went out to Boston, I was blown away. Anyone that meets with Coach (David) Quinn, not many guys walk out of there saying they don’t want to play for him. It turned out to be the best decision of my life, and some my best friends that I have are from BU. I can’t say enough things about what they’ve got at BU.

Quinn is now the coach of the New York Rangers, have you caught up with him this weekend in Traverse City?

Yeah, I talked to him for 20 minutes. It was good catching up with him. He did so much and gave me the opportunity to play my freshman year and believed in me. If he wouldn’t have bought into me ,then I don’t think I would have been drafted by Dallas and where I was picked. Having that belief by your head coach is huge for a young goalie.

I noticed sitting behind the net the other night you’ve got a Dallas Cowboys helmet painted on your mask.

On the other side is actually a UT (University of Texas) helmet. I was in kind of a rush to get my first mask done, and I thought it would be kind of cool. Football is like hockey is in Minnesota down here, so I thought it would be cool to do a little tribute to those two teams on my helmet for the spring (with the Texas Stars) and then I’ve got another one in the works right now.

Who paints your mask?

I use Dave Art (David Gunnarsson). It was a dream come true because I was a big, or still am, a big Henrik Lundqvist fan, and all the masks he’s done through the years, all the cool ones I remember as a little kid, they were painted by Dave Art. So to have him doing mine is really cool. I was excited to be able to have him paint my mask.

So another one coming soon?

Yeah. Hopefully should be here in the next couple weeks for this year. Every time I get one from him, it’s like opening a Christmas present. It’s beautiful artwork. It’s really cool to work with him in general.

So, back to the current mask. Are you a big football fan?

Yeah, I’m a huge Minnesota Vikings fan. I get a little bit of crap because I had Tom Brady on my helmet (at Boston University). All of my BU guys are Patriot guys, so looking back I kind of regret getting (Brady) on my helmet because I get all the crap for it, but huge football fan. Huge Vikings fan.

No Division I football team at Boston University, so do you have a favorite college team?

I was in Ann Arbor for two years so I kind of find myself rooting for Michigan for a little bit, and when I was looking at schools, I went on a couple visits. And when you are looking at Michigan, they’ll bring you to a football game and stuff. I sat, like, front row a couple times with a couple of my buddies that ended up going there. So it’s a really cool place and a special football program, so probably those guys.

Aside from the mask, are you big into designing your gear? Some goalies are more particular than others.

I would say I’m on the less side compared to some other guys, for sure. I know what I like, and Bauer has done such a good job with my gear and figuring out what I like and making it the same way every time. I have a great relationship with those guys, and I believe their stuff is the best stuff out there, and they continue to make strides.

(Photo courtesy of Texas Stars)