As former Griffins goaltender Calvin Pickard can attest only too well, it's not the destination but the journey that matters. Sometimes the wait can make it even more special.

Story and photo by Mark Newman

        Calvin Pickard has been around the block so many times that Google Maps asks him for directions.

        As the veteran goaltender was approaching his 33rd birthday, he was feeling relatively sanguine about his current situation. Having seemingly found a home, at last, with the Edmonton Oilers, he was not taking anything for granted.

       "Obviously, I'm in a good spot right now, but you've got to keep playing well because somebody's always looking to take your job," he said. "I'm very grateful to be where I am right now, and I just want to keep playing well."

        Pickard has cemented his position on the Stanley Cup-contending Oilers with strong play this season, sharing the net with 26-year-old Stuart Skinner, now in his third season as Edmonton's No. 1 netminder.

        In his first full season as Edmonton's backup, Pickard has allowed three goals or fewer in 17 of his 20 starts through March 1. His record stood at 15-6-0, including a recent 11-1 stretch that saw him win seven straight starts.

        Pickard stopped 35 of 36 shots against Carolina Hurricanes on March 1 to help the visiting Oilers snap a five-game skid with a 3-1 victory.

        With two months remaining in the 2024-25 campaign, Pickard's 15th win matched his career high set nine years ago when he was filling the No. 1 spot for a young Colorado Avalanche squad that finished the season with a league-low 22 wins.

        "It's been a crazy road since I turned pro," he said. "Obviously, you learn a lot of different things along the way. At a couple of my stops, I didn't look too comfortable. I wasn't doing the right things on a consistent basis. But I never stopped believing in myself."

        Pickard has fond memories of his time with the Griffins. He split three seasons (2019-22) between Grand Rapids and Detroit, appearing in 79 games with the Griffins and a dozen NHL contests with the Red Wings.

        "I loved Grand Rapids, top to bottom," Pickard said. "I had so much fun there – the teammates I had, the staff there, the city was fantastic, and the fans were great. I loved my time in Grand Rapids. I loved living there. It was a ton of fun."

        Pickard signed a two-year contract with the Red Wings in the summer of 2019, seeking some stability after seeing action with five different teams during the previous two seasons when he shuttled back and forth between the AHL and NHL.

        He appeared in 33 games with the Griffins during the 2019-20 season, which was cut short by COVID-19. He posted a 17-12-4 record with a 2.86 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage to help the Griffins to a third-place finish in the Central Division.

       "Honestly, my first year there, I felt like I didn't play that well, and then the whole season got shut down," he said. "I had to sit on that season for a while, and then the [late-starting 2020-21] COVID season with all the protocols happened, which left me in Detroit, just practicing for the most part.

        "Those couple years were tough for me – the Red Wings didn't have to bring me back. So, I was happy they signed me to a one-year deal after those first two years. They gave me another chance to be that No. 3 guy [in Detroit] and be the favorite in Grand Rapids."

        Pickard played 43 games with the Griffins during the 2021-22 season, the most action he had seen since appearing in 50 games with Colorado five seasons earlier. He bolstered his confidence by posting a 21-16-5 record with a 2.58 goals-against average. His save percentage was .918, marking the third time he finished a season with that number (2012-13, Lake Erie; 2017-18, Toronto).

        "That was the year when I got back on track and played really well," he said. "I owe a lot to the Red Wings organization for having faith in me and bringing me back that third year. We didn't have a great finish, but it was an exciting season, and playing-wise, at least for me, it was good to get back on track."

        Pickard felt he benefitted from the heavy workload the Griffins' coaching staff gave him during his last year in Grand Rapids.

        "I got into a rhythm early in the season – it felt really great," Pickard said. "I think I played more than they expected of me coming into the season. Every goalie will tell you they like to play all the time. You definitely get that rhythm and confidence when you're playing well. It was a lot of fun to play every night, for sure."

        Looking for a new opportunity, he signed with the Edmonton Oilers in 2022. "It was a two-year deal, just like I signed with Detroit to be their No. 3 guy. Anything can happen. Injuries can happen, different things like that, so you never know."

       Nevertheless, Pickard spent the entire 2022-23 season with the Oilers' AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. He went 23-12-2 in 38 games with the Condors, compiling a 2.70 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage. To people outside, it might have appeared like Pickard would be stuck in the minors for the rest of his career.

        Pickard, however, looked at it differently. In his mind, he was biding his time, just waiting for his next chance. It didn't hurt that his wife, Courtney, and daughters, Blakely and Ryla, found that they enjoyed living in the California sunshine.

        "I got into Bakersfield, and it was a great place for me," he said. "It was many of the same feelings I had in Grand Rapids. My family loved it there, I loved playing with the guys there, and I played quite a bit. I think I played well, too."

        He was mentally prepared to spend another entire season in Bakersfield.

       "Coming into last season, I knew I'd probably be back in Bakersfield, which is where I started again. I had a really good start, and when the Oilers had a bit of a tough stretch [2-9-1] at the start of the year, they made a switch. It was a good opportunity for me to go up and play some games."

        Pickard lost his first start for Edmonton on Nov. 20, 2023, then proceeded to win 10 of his subsequent 13 decisions. He only allowed more than three goals once while posting a pair of shutouts. He was in the net when the Oilers defeated the Red Wings 3-2 in overtime on Jan. 11, 2024 to tie a franchise record with their ninth straight win.

        “It's nice playing behind such a good team — a team that knows how to win and expects to win every night,” he said. “I just have to go out there and do my job and trust that my teammates will do theirs. It's really nice to play behind such a good team. It makes my job a lot easier."

        Pickard got his first taste of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season when he replaced Skinner in the third period of Edmonton's 4-3 loss to Vancouver in Game 3 of their second-round series. He stopped three shots in 16:21 of action, setting him up to get his first NHL postseason start after Skinner had allowed 12 goals in the first three games.

        "It's definitely high stakes playing in the playoffs, especially with us being down early in that series," Pickard said. "But it was exciting and a great opportunity for me. It meant a lot for them to have the confidence to put me in there."

        Setting aside some serious nerves before Game 4, Pickard stopped 19 of 21 shots as the Oilers defeated the Canucks 3-2 on a late goal. The victory enabled Edmonton to tie the series at 2-2 and give the Moncton, New Brunswick, native his second consecutive start in net.

        “I was trying to channel my emotions as much as I could," Pickard said. "The team played really well in front of me that Game 4. Then we went to Vancouver, and we didn't have our best night, but it was still a lot of fun. It was obviously a big stage, and playing against Vancouver, it was an all-Canadian series, so it's something I'll look back on forever."

        Although Pickard was strong again in net two nights later, making 32 saves in Game 5, Edmonton was undone by a fluky goal that bounced off a skate and then a post before the Canucks buried the game-winner with 33 seconds left in the third period. With the series now 3-2 in Vancouver's favor, Skinner was back between the pipes as the Oilers roared back to take the next two games.

        Although he would not see any further action for the rest of the playoffs, Pickard had proven himself as a solid backup. He watched from the bench as Edmonton eliminated the Dallas Stars in six games in the Western Conference Final before losing in six games to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final.

        Pickard came into this season determined to be ready whenever Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch called his name and be prepared to deliver consistent play. Although his starts have been sporadic, he has been comfortable and confident in serving as a strong No. 2 man in Edmonton.

        "Every single game is big for me, even in the regular season, because I know I have to keep playing well to stay in the league. In practice, I've got a pretty intense routine. I'm not playing as much as Skinner, so I'm usually on the ice for a little bit longer. On game days, I get some extra work in the morning. It means a few more workouts, bike rides, and things like that to keep me ready for when I get into the net," Pickard said.

        "It's the routine I'm in, but it's the reality of my situation."

        Pickard acknowledges that years of experience have helped prepare him to always be ready. In January, he got a last-minute start when Skinner left the team to be with his wife for the birth of their second son. Pickard made 26 saves in a 3-2 win over Seattle, his ninth victory in 10 starts.

        "I feel like I've had many experiences over the years that have prepared me for this. I've had some coaches who made quick pulls and things like that, and I've gone in for injuries throughout my career, too. It's part of being a backup goalie," he said.

        "When the game starts, when you're on the bench, there's always a chance you get in there. You don't have much time to think about it – you just go in and play. At this point in my career, I've seen all kinds of games and you learn to navigate through them."

        Pickard feels fortunate to have Skinner as his goalie partner in Edmonton.

        "I have a front-row seat to one of the best goalies in the league," he said. "It's fun to watch him play. He's a workhorse. He's a big body, and he can play a lot because he's in good shape. I take things from him, and he takes things from me. Skinner is also an awesome guy, so being in a goalie tandem with him is nice.

        "It's fun to share the crease with him."

        For his part, Pickard does his best to be a good teammate. He chuckles when asked about his easy-going demeanor. "For a while, I felt like everybody wanted to talk about how good of a teammate I was rather than talking about my goaltending. I want to be a really good goalie, too. It's the enjoyable part of what I do for a living.

        "I love that my career is in a hockey setting. I love coming to the locker room every day and hanging out with my teammates. I love going to work and going to battle with my teammates. The work never stops, and it's what I love the most."

        Pickard provides proof that if you work hard at something long enough, your time might come. He was elated when his former teammate, Dominik Shine, made his NHL debut with his hometown Red Wings at age 31 after nine seasons with the Griffins. Their paths crossed when Detroit came to Edmonton on Jan. 30.

        "I was thrilled for him," Pickard said. "I saw him in the morning and after the game, which was his second in the NHL, and he didn't look out of place. I thought Dom looked great. He's hard-nosed, he's skilled, and he plays really hard. The best part is he's a fantastic human being, so I was so happy to see him finally get a shot."

        Edmonton is Pickard's 13th stop in his 14-year pro career, and he feels lucky to be playing with one of the best teams in the NHL. Truth be told, he wouldn't trade his journey for anything.

        "When you start your career, you think you're going to be on the same team forever. That's not the reality of this business. I bounced around to a lot more teams over the years than I'd like, but I met so many good people along the way."

       "Playing in Edmonton has definitely built my confidence. We have one of the best teams in the league. When we're down in games, we're not out of it. If we can keep the game close, we'll get our chances. We expect to come back in games and usually play well when we’re down.

        "I'm fortunate to have a really good team playing in front of me. We have a really good D core, a really good forward group, and two good goalies. We all believe in each other, and we all expect to win every single night, so it's a really good environment to be in."

        For all the ups and downs he has experienced during his long career, Pickard would like nothing better than to get another shot at the Cup.

        "We're definitely striving for that," he said. "It's a long road. Right now, we're looking to get back on track and play our game. We want to make sure we're winning as many games as we can and get some home-ice advantage going into the playoffs.

        "We believe we have a team that can make a run and we're looking forward to that."

        Pickard understands that winning a Stanley Cup would serve as a tip of a cap to his time in Grand Rapids, and he hopes he gets the chance to validate the fact that his three seasons with the Griffins represent time well spent.

        "I'll always love Grand Rapids," he said. "It was a fantastic stop on my journey, for sure."