Full marks to anyone who can identify the goalkeeper in question on the left. He played his last professional game in the ECHL during the 2023-24 season, but it appears he is trying to find work in that league again. In case you’re wondering, he’s a former NHL netminder who played for three teams, but despite those three stops, only has 40 games under his belt. The 32-year-old was drafted 190th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, won an AHL Calder Cup championship in 2017-18 and is one of 26 goaltenders in NHL history to record a shutout in his NHL debut. It seemed like he could have been a good goalkeeper, but his path led elsewhere.If you’re still wondering who the goaltender is and you haven’t searched the Google machine yet, the man pictured above in the Bloomington Bison uniform is Garret Sparks. The reason I’m posting about Garret Sparks today is because he was released by the Bison after serving as their EBUG – emergency backup goalkeeper – for the last eight days! Imagine having a former NHL goalie like you EBUG!
It doesn’t appear Sparks has spoken to any media outlets about landing the Bison as their EBUG. I went hunting for interviews and newspaper stories, and beyond that there’s nothing the announcement of the Bisons on their website and on their social media. You’d think someone in Indiana would want to talk to Sparks about his career, but he waited from Nov. 25 to today for his number to be called. It never happened because he didn’t see any action.
Maybe that’s for the best, considering Sparks struggled in his two games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the five games he played with the Wheeling Nailers in 2023-2024. He was 0-1-0 in those two games with the Penguins, had a 3.70 GAA and an .862 save percentage, but four goals on 29 shots isn’t good enough for a spot on the AHL roster. He was sent to Wheeling, where he went 0-3-1 with a 4.00 GAA and .843 save percentage, allowing 16 goals on 102 shots. Those totals weren’t good enough for an ECHL roster spot either.
I have no idea where Sparks played last season as there is no indication he even played Beer League hockey, but it appears the Bison were willing to let him sit in the stands as their EBUG this season. I’m not saying he would have seen any action even if it was necessary for him to get dressed, but it seems like the Bison were willing to roll the dice if it was necessary for him to get dressed.
The last time Sparks played more than ten games of meaningful hockey was in the 2022-2023 season when he went 7-4-3 for the Orlando Solar Bears, but he still had a 3.45 GAA and a .887 save percentage. That’s not to say he can’t make stops, but he just needs to do it more often than what he’s been doing the last few stops. Honestly, as a potential EBUG, Sparks would be a pretty good target option if the Bison needed him in a pinch.
However, all of that is now in the ‘what if’ bucket since Sparks was released by the Bison today. I’m not saying Sparks had to take anyone’s job, but it seems unlikely he would have dethroned anyone like Dryden McKay or Callum Tung in the Bison fold. They’re having solid seasons individually despite the Bison’s lack of goals, so maybe Sparks just wanted to put the gear back on, practice with an ECHL team again and see if he still had the moves.
The good news is that Garret Sparks is a free agent again in case anyone else needs an EBUG with NHL experience on their resume.
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
#odd #jobs