The Nanaimo Clippers are rebuilding from the crease out.
The B.C. Hockey League team traded for veteran goalie Billy Faust this week, acquiring the 20-year-old from the Penticton Vees in exchange for future considerations.
Faust is from Altaloma, Calif., but as a BCHL vet he is not considered an import player.
“It gives us a non-import goalie with some experience,” said Mike Vandekamp, Clippers GM. “He’s a great kid, he’s very focused and a driven athlete.”
Faust posted an 11-7 record with the Vees in 2010-11 with a 3.38 goals-against average and an .894 save percentage.
The Clipper crease is filling up fast – Vandekamp is finalizing the signing of a 1993-born import goalie, and last year’s tandem of Charles-Andre Pelletier and Charles-Alexy Premont are both still Clippers property and eligible to return.
“I didn’t bring them to the orientation camp because I wanted to look at some other goalies at the time,” said the GM. “They’re still with our club and we’ll see what happens between now and training camp.”
Even when the goaltending picture becomes clear, Vandekamp said he doesn’t tend to anoint a No. 1 guy in September.
“It just depends on what you have to work with at the time,” he said. “Every year, every scenario’s different. It’s going to be competitive for our goaltenders.”
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