Winnipeg prospect Eric Comrie ends WHL career with 66-save performance

The future Jets goaltender faced off against one of the best teams in the country and even though he couldn't get his Tri-City Americans past Kelowna, Comrie put up quite the fight.

The Tri-City Americans were never supposed to win their first-round playoff series against the Kelowna Rockets. But Americans goalie Eric Comrie made sure his WHL career would end with an all-out effort nonetheless.

Comrie, who played excellently as part of a platoon with Zach Fucale at the world juniors for the gold medallists from Canada, held off the Rockets as long as he could in a deciding Game 4, pushing Kelowna to overtime. In the end, he was beaten by Gage Quinney for a 5-4 Rockets win, but by then Comrie had repelled an impressive 66 shots on the evening.

Kelowna, one of the best teams in the CHL, actually had the first 16 shots on net in the game, but couldn't dent Comrie on any of them. The Winnipeg Jets prospect is expected to play for the franchise's new AHL team in Winnipeg next season, where he will undoubtedly turn heads as he did in junior.

Playing for Tri-City, Comrie was in a great spot for goaltenders. Olaf Kolzig is part of the team's ownership group, while alumni include Carey Price and Brian Boucher. The goalie coach is Lyle Mast, who is quickly making a name for himself thanks to his role in the resurrection of Minnesota Wild netminder Devan Dubnyk.

Possessing a great combination of athleticism and technique, Comrie – the half-brother of ex-NHLer Mike Comrie – had an exemplary junior career and is certainly one to watch at the next level. With Connor Hellebuyck already playing in the AHL and Jamie Phillips coming off a great year with Michigan Tech, the Jets have plenty of options in net for the next decade.