MEDICINE HAT — He’s a crowd favorite.
He’s beaming with confidence.
And he continues to produce the best numbers of his WHL goaltending career.
Tigers net-minder Michael Bullion is fresh off his second shutout in two weeks, the only two of his three-year WHL career.
“For me, I couldn’t put it in words the first time, I can’t put it in words the second time… I just never expected this,” said Bullion following a 26-save performance in the Tigers 4-0 win over Brandon on Saturday.
Since being acquired by the Tigers on January 1st, Bullion sports an 11-4 record with a .901 save percentage and 2.69 goals against average. All of these numbers are the best of the 19-year-old’s career.
Bullion says there are a number of reasons for his stellar play as of late, including the strong support out of the home crowd.
“These are some amazing crowds right now,” he said. “It’s loud, they’re having fun. Our crowds just seem to be having a great time. For us as players it’s just absolutely incredible to feed off that.”
But let’s look deeper into his life before landing in Tiger Territory.
Drafted in the 9th round of the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft by the Portland Winterhawks, Bullion has never been a bona fide starter.
The 19-year-old played 12 games with Portland before being traded to Medicine Hat. His 5-5-1 record was paired with a .891 save percentage and 3.76 goals against average this season.
Last year, Bullion appeared in just eight regular season games, getting credit for just two wins while sporting a lackluster save percentage of .867.
He felt as though the trade to Medicine Hat was the beginning of the end to his WHL career.
“I was terrified when I got here. I kind of thought it might have been the end of my career,” he said. “Me and Clouston drove three hours from Calgary to (the Hat). We had a nice conversation and my whole mindset kind of changed. It’s just been incredible.”
The Anchorage, Alaska ‘tender has a knack for playing the puck, often times 20 to 30 feet outside of his own crease. That’s nothing new for any fan or teammate who’s familiar with his playing style.
Head coach and GM Shaun Clouston says his puck-playing abilities is similar to having a third defenseman in the Tigers end. His ability to move the play up ice quickly encourages a much faster breakout, leading to more time in the offensive zone.
“That’s a very important skill to have,” says Clouston. “If he can eliminate a couple fore-checks against us by getting out and stopping those hard rims and then either finding a teammate or getting a clear outside of the blue-line, it does change the momentum of the game.”
Right now, Bullion is bustling with momentum as well and it doesn’t appear to be letting up either.
