Dell living in moment with Sharks after long journey to NHL

ANAHEIM -- San Jose Sharks goaltender Aaron Dell, undrafted and long overlooked, can't help but suppress thoughts about the next chapter of his professional life.
Perhaps because of his long and improbable journey to the NHL, Dell is focused on continuing his standout season with San Jose, which has lost once in regulation since Nov. 28 with him in net (12-1-2). He's 14-4-3 with a 2.51 goals-against average and .917 save percentage this season.

Clearly, Dell, who can become an unrestricted free agent July 1, will be one of the more intriguing names on the list of potential available goaltenders, along with Jonathan Bernier of the Colorado Avalanche, Kari Lehtonen of the Dallas Stars, Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes and Carter Hutton of the St. Louis Blues.
But if human nature is about looking forward and making plans, Dell, 28, plans not to get ahead of himself.
"If you're thinking about [free agency] too much, you have a bad game or something and it gets in your head," Dell said Sunday. "Then you're thinking, 'Maybe I'm not going to get this or that.' It can get distracting after a little while. I just try to push it aside and have fun and enjoy it."
And maybe that's because Dell has often had to overcome long odds. Even after he went 11-6-1 with a 2.00 GAA and .931 save percentage in 20 games (17 starts) for the Sharks last season, his first in the NHL, San Jose coach Peter DeBoer needed a bit more convincing.
"You know what, he was great last year for us," DeBoer said. "The question always with guys like that, is it real? Is it a flash in the pan? Can he do it again and can he do it with more games than what we played him last year?
"We made a commitment this summer, that he had done enough last year and so we were going to play him more and see how he handled that. And he's been outstanding."

Sharks general manager Doug Wilson, who signed Dell to a two-year contract July 1, 2016, saw something beyond Dell's unremarkable size (6-foot, 200 pounds) and well-traveled hockey career to warrant that commitment.
"Aaron Dell has paid his dues, came through our organization, and I didn't need to go out and get anybody else on a [professional tryout]," Wilson said. "That story, to me, is an important fabric of what we do.
"He's very poised. He's a veteran guy. (Born May 4, 1989), he's actually older than (No. 1 goalie) Martin Jones (born Jan. 10, 1990). People are surprised when they hear that because they don't know his journey."
After playing at the University of North Dakota for three seasons, Dell spent his first professional season with Allen (Texas) in the now-defunct Central Hockey League in 2012-13. He persevered in the minor leagues until signing an entry-level contact with the Sharks on March 1, 2015.
"It's a great story," DeBoer said. "And a great story for young hockey players out there that get told they're not good enough to be drafted or good enough to play in the NHL and just stick with it.
"He's earned everything he's gotten."
Dell's mental strength equipped him to handle the hard times -- he played for two ECHL teams and two American Hockey League teams from 2013-16 -- and the doubts of scouts.
"They're not really drafting goalies that are 6 feet or under anymore," DeBoer said. "He would tell you he's a 6-footer. He's barely 6 feet. He plays bigger than that."
Dell never forgot the encouragement he got from Jason LaBarbera, a goaltender who played 187 NHL games over 13 seasons with the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks.
A couple of seasons ago, Dell was working out with LaBarbera, who's an assistant coach with Calgary of the Western Hockey League.
"I asked, 'What's the biggest piece of advice to give to a guy in the minors?'" Dell said. "He said, 'The best piece of advice I have for you is just stick with it. Trust your work you've done and just wait for the opportunities when they come.'"

Dell also had meaningful financial and emotional support from his family. He wasn't the only goaltender in the household. His younger brother Devon also played the position, and two hockey-playing sons required a major financial commitment and sacrifice from their parents, Phil and Laurie.
"They've helped me out in any way they can," Aaron said. "They gave me every opportunity, re-mortgaged their house twice when I was growing up."
Laurie worked in a warehouse and Phil stayed home with the children in the early years. He was particularly creative and resourceful in helping make ends meet.
"We would not have babysitters," Phil said. "I was able to make money from the house in the way of scrap-collecting in the back alleys. I would pick up radiators, barbecues, batteries, while the kids were in class. Part-time, I could make about $20,000 a year just picking up scraps in the back alley.
"I did that and helped a guy tile and drywall. We struggled for the first 10 years quite a bit."
On Sunday at Honda Center, Phil Dell and the other Sharks fathers watched their sons defeat the Ducks 3-2 in a shootout, their second win in as many nights. Dell made 25 saves on 27 shots, including three in overtime.
Afterward, the fathers were like little kids on a school trip, assembled in the visitors dressing room, watching their sons go through postgame media responsibilities. More than one father joked about extending the fathers trip because of the successful weekend.
Wilson walked into the room and told the dads, "You guys delivered."
Normally, Phil Dell gets to watch his son in person only in Alberta, against the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. The Dells live in Airdrie, about 40 minutes from Calgary.

So, the weekend was special for Aaron and often nerve-wracking for his father.
"I feed off his excitement," Aaron said. "He gets a little more excited than I do. I didn't hear about him pacing or anything, but I'm sure he was.
"It's awesome. They don't get to come and see what we do very often. So, they get the full treatment while they're here."
The fathers trip was a poignant reminder of what it took for Dell to get to this point of his late-blooming NHL career.
"Every game is an audition," his father said. "Right now, I'm just finally starting to enjoy it."