Calvin Pickard (born April 15, 1992) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...
who is currently playing for the
Bakersfield Condors
The Bakersfield Condors are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) based in Bakersfield, California. The team is owned by and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers. The Condors play their home g ...
in the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
(AHL) while under contract to the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL).
Pickard was drafted by the
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...
in the second round (49th overall) of the
2010 NHL Entry Draft
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial re ...
. He played his junior hockey with the
Seattle Thunderbirds
The Seattle Thunderbirds are a major junior ice hockey team based in the city of Kent, Washington, south of Seattle. They are part of the U.S. Division of the Western Conference in the Western Hockey League. They play their games at home in ac ...
of the
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...
(WHL). He was the first selection by the
Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. Founded in 2017 as an expan ...
during the
2017 NHL Expansion Draft
Seventeen or 17 may refer to:
*17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18
* one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017
Literature
Magazines
* ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine
* ''Seventeen'' (Japanese m ...
. His older brother,
Chet, also a goaltender, was drafted in the first round of the
2008 NHL Entry Draft
The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, on June 20–21, 2008. The Senators were originally awarded the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, but because of ...
by the
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
.
Playing career
Junior
Pickard began his
major junior
Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...
career with the
Seattle Thunderbirds
The Seattle Thunderbirds are a major junior ice hockey team based in the city of Kent, Washington, south of Seattle. They are part of the U.S. Division of the Western Conference in the Western Hockey League. They play their games at home in ac ...
of the
WHL in
2008–09. Despite only totalling 16 wins in 62 games with the Thunderbirds in his second season, Pickard posted a save percentage of 0.914 and was named to the 2010 WHL West First All-Star Team.
Although ranked as the top North American goaltender by central scouting, Pickard was the third goaltender chosen in the
2010 NHL Entry Draft
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial re ...
, when selected in the second round, 49th overall, by the
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...
. During the
2010–11 season with the Thunderbirds, Pickard was invited to take part in Canada's National Junior Team selection camp for the
2011 World Junior Championships. He was not selected for the final roster.
Professional
Colorado Avalanche
On March 25, 2011, it was announced that Pickard signed a three-year entry level contract with the
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...
. He spent the remainder of the season with their
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
affiliate team, the
Lake Erie Monsters
The Cleveland Monsters are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). The team began play in 2007 as the Lake Erie Monsters and since 2015 has served as the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hock ...
. At the outset of the 2011–12 season, Pickard was assigned to the Seattle Thunderbirds, where he finished his junior career. The 2012–13 season was his first full season as a professional, and Pickard played in 47 games for Lake Erie, recording 20 wins.
In the
2014–15 season, Pickard began the year with the Monsters but was recalled to the Colorado Avalanche on October 16, 2014 after
Semyon Varlamov
Semyon Aleksandrovich Varlamov (russian: Семён Александрович Варламов, ; born 27 April 1988) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NH ...
was placed on injured reserve, he made his
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
debut the same day against the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...
as he had to come in for
Reto Berra
Reto Berra (born 3 January 1987) is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for HC Fribourg-Gottéron of the National League (NL). Berra played seven seasons in Switzerland's National League A, spending time with the G ...
who was injured in a collision; Pickard allowed four goals on 27 shots in a 5–3 loss. Pickard was sent back to the
Lake Erie Monsters
The Cleveland Monsters are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). The team began play in 2007 as the Lake Erie Monsters and since 2015 has served as the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hock ...
on October 25 but was recalled on November 18 after
Semyon Varlamov
Semyon Aleksandrovich Varlamov (russian: Семён Александрович Варламов, ; born 27 April 1988) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NH ...
suffered a groin injury. Pickard earned his first win on November 22 after coming in to relieve an ineffective
Reto Berra
Reto Berra (born 3 January 1987) is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for HC Fribourg-Gottéron of the National League (NL). Berra played seven seasons in Switzerland's National League A, spending time with the G ...
, Pickard stopped all 17 shots he faced in an eventual 4-3 Overtime win. After more poor play from Berra, Pickard became the starting goaltender and continued in impressive form until
Semyon Varlamov
Semyon Aleksandrovich Varlamov (russian: Семён Александрович Варламов, ; born 27 April 1988) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NH ...
permanently returned to the team, after which Pickard became the team's primary backup goaltender. Pickard was returned to Lake Erie on December 28, in order to resume a starting goaltender role. In the 2015–16 season Pickard began the year with Colorado's new AHL affiliate the
San Antonio Rampage
The San Antonio Rampage were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. The Rampage was primarily owned by Spurs Sports & Entertainment throughout the team's existence. In 2020, the franchise was sold ...
, he was recalled early on in the season when Semyon Varlamov suffered a groin injury. He would return to the club in late December when
Reto Berra
Reto Berra (born 3 January 1987) is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for HC Fribourg-Gottéron of the National League (NL). Berra played seven seasons in Switzerland's National League A, spending time with the G ...
injured his ankle, Pickard recorded his first NHL shutout on January 16, 2016 against the
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...
.
As a restricted free agent, Pickard was signed to his first one-way deal with the Avalanche, agreeing to a two-year, $2 million contract on July 5, 2016. In his first full season in the NHL in
2016–17, Pickard was slated as the backup goaltender, however with an early season-ending injury suffered to Varlamov, Pickard was thrust into the starting role for the Avalanche. He established a career high in making 50 appearances, leading the last placed Avalanche in save percentage, goals against average and wins.
Expansion draft selection, waiver exchanges
In the off-season, having been exposed at the
2017 NHL Expansion Draft
Seventeen or 17 may refer to:
*17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18
* one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017
Literature
Magazines
* ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine
* ''Seventeen'' (Japanese m ...
, Pickard was the first player selected by the Vegas Golden Knights on June 21, 2017. Pickard was poised to be the Golden Knight's backup behind
Marc-André Fleury
Marc-André Fleury (born November 28, 1984) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) List of first overall NHL draf ...
heading into their inaugural season, and even went as far as holding a contest with Vegas fans to design his goaltender mask. However, on October 3, the team claimed goaltender
Malcolm Subban
Malcolm-Jamaal Justin Subban (born December 21, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender under contract to the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). Subban was selected by the Boston Bruins in the first round (24th ...
off waivers. With the Golden Knights deciding to go with a tandem of Fleury and Subban instead, Pickard was placed on waivers on October 5, in order to be sent to the team's AHL affiliate, the
Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League and are the top minor-league affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the C ...
. He cleared the following day, but a few hours after clearing, Pickard was traded to the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
in exchange for a 2018 sixth-round draft pick and
Tobias Lindberg
Tobias Lindberg (born 22 July 1995) is a Swedes, Swedish professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), winger who is currently playing with HC Vítkovice in the Czech Extraliga. He has previously played for Södertälje SK in the HockeyAllsvenska ...
. As he had already cleared waivers, Pickard was immediately assigned to the Maple Leafs affiliate, the
Toronto Marlies
The Toronto Marlies are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a member of the North Division of the Eastern Conference. The Marlies is owned by Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, a c ...
. On April 15, 2018, Pickard, and fellow Marlies goaltender
Garret Sparks, were awarded the
Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award.
After Pickard helped the Marlies win their first
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars.
The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In its curr ...
, he signed a one-year $800,000 contract extension to stay with the organization.
During the 2018–19 pre-season, Sparks was chosen to be the Maple Leafs' backup, forcing Pickard to be put on waivers on October 1, 2018. He was claimed the following day by the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...
.
On November 23, 2018, Pickard had the fourth shutout of his career and his first with the Philadelphia Flyers in a 4–0 victory over the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
in the Flyers' traditional
Black Friday matinee. The following day, he surrendered four goals on six shots against the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
, and was pulled from the net in favor of
Anthony Stolarz
Anthony Stolarz (born January 20, 1994), is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Philadelphia Flyers and Edmonton Oilers.
Born in Edison, New Jer ...
about twelve minutes into the contest. He did not start another game with the Flyers. With a .863% save percentage and a poor 4.01 goals against average, Pickard was once again placed on waivers on November 28. The following day, the
Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...
claimed Pickard off waivers. Remaining with the Coyotes as the club's third choice goaltender, Pickard made six appearances for the club, unable to win a game.
Detroit Red Wings
As a free agent from Arizona, Pickard opted to sign a two-year, $1.5 million contract with the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
on July 1, 2019, his fifth team in two years.
After a strong pre-season showing, Pickard was still assigned to Detroit's affiliate, the
Grand Rapids Griffins
The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional ice hockey, hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and play home games at Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of the National H ...
, with whom he played the majority of the campaign. He received the AHL Player of the Week honor for the week of January 5. He was recalled to the Red Wings on three separate occasions after goaltenders
Jimmy Howard
James Russell Howard III (Jimmy Howard) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender and currently a Detroit Red Wings studio analyst for Bally Sports Detroit. He spent his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Detroit ...
and
Jonathan Bernier
Jonathan Bernier (born August 7, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the first round, 11th overall, of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angel ...
went down with minor injuries. Pickard appeared in three games for the Red Wings, going winless and allowing 15 goals with a 5.46 GAA. Pickard was returned to Grand Rapids to assist in their playoff push on January 23, 2020. Less than two months later, the season was indefinitely suspended due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
On December 1, 2020, prior to the
2020–21 NHL season
The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...
, Detroit loaned Pickard to the
Vienna Capitals
Vienna Capitals are an Austrian professional ice hockey club that participate in the Erste Bank Hockey League. Founded in 2001, the Capitals play their home games in Vienna, Austria, at Albert Schultz Eishalle. In the 2004–05 season, the Capit ...
of the
ICE Hockey League
The ICE Hockey League (International Central European Hockey League), known as the win2day ICE Hockey League for sponsorship reasons, is a Central European hockey league that also serves as the top-tier ice hockey league in Austria, it currently f ...
to condition following the eight month break. He had a 3–3 record before being recalled to Detroit on January 3, 2021. Pickard was waived following training camp for the purpose of assignment to their
taxi squad
In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...
. Pickard had a quiet season, only manning Detroit's crease six times, going 2–1–1. Although, he provided one of the bright spots of the Red Wings' year as he earned back-to-back victories against the
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...
in March.
On July 28, 2021, the Red Wings signed Pickard to a one-year contract extension.
Edmonton Oilers
On July 13, 2022, Pickard as a free agent was signed a two-year, two-way contract with the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
.
International play
Following a second successful season as a backup with the Avalanche, Pickard was selected for his first international tournament for
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
at the
2016 World Championships in Russia. He played two round-robin games for Canada, winning both times, en route to a gold medal.
Personal life
Calvin was born in
Moncton, New Brunswick
Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the Maritime Provinces. The city has earned the nickname "Hub City" because of ...
and moved to
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
,
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
when he was eight. Pickard's older brother,
Chet, is also a professional goaltender, drafted by the
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
and currently playing with
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
club
Grizzlys Wolfsburg
Grizzlys Wolfsburg are a professional ice hockey club of the German professional ice hockey league Deutsche Eishockey Liga. They play their games at Eisarena in Wolfsburg.
History
Wolfsburg earned their first promotion to the DEL in 2004. Howe ...
in the
Deutsche Eishockey Liga
The Deutsche Eishockey Liga (for sponsorship reasons called "PENNY Deutsche Eishockey Liga") (; English: ''German Ice Hockey League'') or DEL, is a German professional ice hockey league and the highest division in German ice hockey. Founded in ...
(DEL).
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honors
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pickard, Calvin
1992 births
Living people
Arizona Coyotes players
Bakersfield Condors players
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
Canadian ice hockey goaltenders
Colorado Avalanche draft picks
Colorado Avalanche players
Detroit Red Wings players
Grand Rapids Griffins players
Ice hockey people from Manitoba
Ice hockey people from New Brunswick
Lake Erie Monsters players
Philadelphia Flyers players
San Antonio Rampage players
Seattle Thunderbirds players
Sportspeople from Moncton
Sportspeople from Winnipeg
Toronto Maple Leafs players
Toronto Marlies players
Tucson Roadrunners players
Vienna Capitals players