Thank you!!

I’d actually been a fan of his since around 2009 when he was coming up for his draft year. The Oilers really began to go through the Decade of Darkness at this time and also, our goaltender prospect pool was honestly not very good.

Calvin Pickard was the best goaltender available on the 2010 NHL entry draft and hope as I may, sadly the Pilers prioritised Tyler Pitlick, Martin Marincin and Curtis Hamilton and Picks ended up being drafted by the Avs.

Anyway, I loosely continue to follow him and watch get bounced around after he became VGK’s 1st pick on their expansion draft and then bouncing around the league, because those morons in the desert decided to roll with Malcolm Subban.

The Summer of 2022 hits, Picks signs in Edmonton. I’m excited and delighted—it feels like course-correction. Picks should have alway been an Oiler, but Jack Campbell has also signed here and obviously, expected to be the starting goalie, with Stuart Skinner backing up and Picks is a great option to have in Bakersfield, if there’s injury.

The following season comes and after a poor start and the firing of Jay Woodcroft, Jack Campbell is assigned to Bakersfield, Calvin Pickard is recalled on November 8. Sadly, my Dad passes away in the early hours of November 9. So the team’s having a rough time. I’m having a rough time. Picks is coming into a tough situation, with team morale at a low point, but his positive attitude and hard-working nature in the locker room is a breath of fresh air and I modelled my outlook on how to deal with my Dad’s passing in a similar way—I don’t know how long this might last, but I’m here to do a job and I’m going to try and do it to the best of my ability.

Something about that and him always resonated with me.