Net results: Vancouver Giants goalie Jesper Vikman seems to be cut from same cloth as Tendeck, Miner

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Steady, stoic and studious.

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Those feel like apt adjectives for Vancouver Giants netminder Jesper Vikman, the 19-year-old Swede who seems to go about his business in a well-schooled, understated and consistent manner.

Similar descriptions would fit David Tendeck and Trent Miner, Vancouver’s last two starting goals before Vikman arrived on the scene in the fall to follow them.

Just like Tendeck and Miner did, Vikman is giving Vancouver frontline netminding on a nightly basis. Giants general manager Barclay Parneta tabbed the Vegas Golden Knights prospect earlier this week as the team’s most valuable player to date this season, and Vikman carries a 15-12-2-0 record, to go with a 3.13 goals against average and a .901 save percentage, into Friday’s visit to the Langley Events Center by the Victoria Royals.

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When Tendeck had a save percentage of .912 in in 2017-18, he became the first Giants No. 1 netminder to be north of the .900 plateau since Adam Morrison’s .901 in 2011-12. Vikman’s trying to give the Giants a fifth straight starting goalie above that save percentage standard this season, following Miner’s .915 in the abbreviated hub season last spring.

“It’s no different than Tendy and Trent. Jesper fits that same mold,” Giants coach Michael Dyck said. “He comes to the rink with a purpose. He works hard on and off the ice. He’s really focused on where he is now and where he wants to be.

“All three of those guys have been very present when they’ve been here and taken a lot of pride in how they’ve performed for our team, but all three also have always had aspirations of moving on and playing at a much higher level .”

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Tendeck, 22, who’s an Arizona Coyotes prospect, and Miner 21, who’s a Colorado Avalanche one, are both in the American Hockey League, and on Saturday they ended up facing off against each other. Miner’s Colorado Eagles recorded an 8-1 victory over Tendeck’s Tucson Roadrunners at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colo.

Miner made 33 saves. Tendeck was pulled from the game midway through, giving up four goals on 14 shots.

Tendeck had put up a 27-save outing the night before, as visiting Tucson beat Colorado 3-1 with Miner watching from the bench as the backup netminder.

Vikman was a 2020 fifth-round draft pick from Vegas. He has yet to sign his entry-level contract with the Golden Knights, but seems like a good bet to being playing somewhere in their system next season, skipping the chance to suit up for the Giants as one of their three 20 year olds in the process.

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Vancouver took Vikman with the No. 8 selection of the 2021 CHL Import Draft last June.

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Giants goalie coach Paul Fricker has used video of Tendeck and Miner to help tutor Vikman this season. Miner also reached out earlier this season to Vikman to talk shop regarding playing for the Giants and in the WHL.

Fricker undoubtedly connected the two. Vikman is quick to praise Fricker for the improvements he’s made in his game this season. Tendeck and Miner have been Fricker fans as well.

“Just the type of person he is, with how calm he is, when things don’t go my way, he doesn’t push me harder,” Vikman said. “He knows that I’m the one who’s going to push myself too much.

“He’s giving me helpful advice all the time. He that’s a guy I’m trusting right now a lot. He i’m listening to every word he’s saying.

NEXT GAME

friday

Vancouver Giants vs. Victoria Royals

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7:30 pm, Langley Events Centre. Radio: Sportsnet 650. Web: watch.chl.ca

Going into the weekend, Vikman has made 12 straight starts for the Giants and with Vancouver looking to climb back up the standings he’ll likely to play several more in a row. He says his season-high for games the past four years in Sweden was 30. He’s at 29 already with Vancouver.

“That’s why I came over here — to learn to play a lot of games,” the 6-foot-3, 176-pound Vikman said. “I wanted to get used to how they play in the pro leagues.

“I feel like I’m physically ready to play a lot of games. Mentally you’re learning all the time. I feel like I’m taking steps every day and every week I’m learning how to manage my game and my emotions. Whether we’re winning or losing, I feel like I’m never getting too high or too low.”

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Will Gurski, 19, is Vancouver’s backup goalie. Vikman and Gurski are among nine Giants playing in their 19-year-old seasons.

Miner, who’s from Souris, Man., was 48-28-3-2, with a 2.49 goals against average and a .910 save percentage in his four regular seasons with Vancouver. He was a seventh-round pick of the Avalanche in 2019. North Vancouver native Tendeck was 72-54-6-4, with a 2.96 goals against average and a .905 save percentage in his four seasons with the Giants. He was a 2018 sixth rounder for the Coyotes.

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