Story by
Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
Back home in the ‘Peg, Wild goalie Calvin Pickard gets the call
- Story byPioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
- Back home in the ‘Peg, Wild goalie Calvin Pickard gets the call
Riding the hot goalie is as common a hockey tactic as icing the puck when you're killing a penalty — at which the Minnesota Wild are among the NHL's best this season. But Wild coach John Hynes knows that even the hottest goalies need a little breather now and then.
So on Tuesday night in Winnipeg, Jesper Wallstedt will get his first break after six consecutive starts, turning the crease over to a guy who will feel right at home on Portage Avenue, in the population center of Manitoba.
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Calvin Pickard grew up in the Winnipeg suburbs and still feels like it's his home despite playing his nearly 200 previous NHL games for Colorado, Toronto, Philadelphia, Arizona, Detroit, Edmonton and now Minnesota.
"Honestly, I think the last start I had in the league was there last year," Pickard said after the team's morning skate on Monday. "It's home for me. Always have got family there and definitely a lot of games there over the years."
Pickard was a free agent acquisition over the summer after former mainstay Filip Gustavsson had hip surgery that has thus far kept him off the ice.
With Edmonton, Pickard played 10 playoff games in 2025 during the Oilers' run to the Stanley Cup Final, and he was often part of a goalie tandem with Stuart Skinner, who is now Winnipeg's primary goalie as star puck-stopper Connor Hellebuyck's holdout continues.
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In the run-up to his first start, Pickard admitted that as good as Wallstedt has been — currently second in the NHL with a .933 saves percentage — watching from the bench and waiting your turn is a test.
"For sure, but I've been through it before. Nothing new for me," he said. "Practice is really big for me, and I've gotten a lot of good work in."
Hynes saw an example of Pickard's work ethic last weekend in South Florida. The morning of the Wild's date with the Panthers, the morning skate was optional, and many players opted for beach time in Fort Lauderdale. Pickard went to the Panthers' practice rink and did close to an hour of work with Wild goalie coach Frederic Chabot.
"The morning of the game, nobody skated. (Pickard) went over with Freddy and he wanted to work," Hynes said. "So he has prepared himself to play, and we're looking forward to having him in the net."
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Pickard's new teammates have been equally impressed with the 34-year-old and what he has done in practice while waiting for an opportunity.
"He's an amazing person, and he was really good in the summer," winger Michael McCarron said, noting that Pickard came to Minnesota not long after he signed and did much warm-weather work getting to know his new teammates.
"He came really early, and I thought he was really, really good," McCarron said. "And in practice every day he battles. He works his butt off, and I'm super excited for him to get a start for us."
Almost as excited as the Wild's goalie, who gets another chance to show off his skills in front of his hometown.
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