Peterborough Petes goaltender Dylan Wells, the Edmonton Oilers fifth-round (123rd-overall) draft pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, is far more mature than his age indicates. The 18-year-old understands those details of the role.
For the past two seasons, Wells served as the backup netminder for the Petes, riding a learning curve that hasn't necessarily been linear. He was meant to take over the starting position for the Petes last season, but wasn't given the opportunity. His Ontario Hockey League (OHL) traditional stats - including save percentage and goals against average - haven't always been glamorous, and yet he's still considered one of the best goalies in the league. The 6-foot-2 goalie finally claimed the starting position in Peterborough this season, already collecting praise from his coaches.
"He's a professional," said Jody Hull, head coach of the Petes. "He's got a quiet confidence about him, but not cocky."
"He's a great kid; he's a professional," said Assistant and Goalie Coach Andrew Verner, who was also a goaltender drafted by Oilers. "He's a leader here."
Wells' occupancy of the starting job in Peterborough begins with practice.
"The effort you put in and what you do everyday on a daily basis in practice is going to translate into game situations, and you realize that when you're playing every night," said Wells. "This year, I've just been going into every practice and hoping to give it my 100 percent. Hopefully it transitions into the game and I've been feeling pretty confident with my game right now, so I'm happy with it."
The young goaltender has every right to be happy with his play. In 19 games this OHL season, Wells sports a .915 save percentage and a 3.14 goals against average. 670 shots have been fired his way, and 613 of them have been denied, placing him second in the league in both respects. Wells is one of the busiest goalies in the OHL, also evidenced by his 1090 minutes played.
Although, those numbers don't tell the whole story of Wells' body of work.
FUTURE WATCH: Wells leading Petes
Dylan Wells is one of the bright spots on the Peterborough Petes this season, leading by example and working on professionalism
© Dennis Pajot
© Dave Sandford