Each year, Hit The Ice invites professional trainers and athletes, including NHL players, to meet with the boys and help them improve by sharing their knowledge of the game, their athletic expertise and their life experience. These encounters with pros and trainers are something that HTI players and viewers alike await with relish each year.
Calvin Pickard
Calvin Pickard was born April 15, 1992 and currently plays for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Pickard was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round (49th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He played his Junior hockey with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League. His older brother, Chet, also a goaltender, was drafted in the first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Nashville Predators.
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.