Not only did the setback prompt a switch to AA hockey, but the Barrie native also decided a change of positions was required.
Quicker than you can say Vesa Toskala, McKendry was donning goalie pads and parked inside a net.
A decade later, the St. Joseph’s High School graduate is still stopping pucks with the Penetang Kings of the Georgian Bay Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League.
“I don’t know what I’d be doing if I wasn’t a goalie; maybe running in marathons,” quipped McKendry during a recent interview.
This year, the 18-year-old has established himself as the No. 1 netminder with the Kings, who are currently chasing Stayner in a battle for first place.
Looking back, McKendry reflects on where goaltending has taken him.
“I was like any other kid growing up, in that I enjoyed playing road hockey with my friends,” he recalled. “ We’d play for hours.”
His NHL idols included Patrick Roy and Felix Potvin.
“I just like Patrick’s style, the way he played goal. As a kid, I had a poster of Felix (Potvin) in my room. With goaltending, I always liked the look of the equipment,” said McKendry.
Now six-foot-one and 210 pounds, McKendry was always a big kid growing up.
“(The size) has always been there, but none of my coaches ever said anything about it. I think they figured if I just went out and played well, it wouldn’t matter to them,” he said.
The teenager played his minor hockey with the Barrie Colts AAA organization, winning a bronze medal in the Ontario finals as a minor midget.
“We beat Niagara Falls to win the bronze medal that year, but we needed to beat Lindsay to get into the Ontario finals. Matt Duchene, who now plays with the Colorado Avalanche, was the big sniper with Lindsay,” said McKendry.
This season, Penetang’s record is an impressive 10-2-1. As of Nov. 3, McKendry led the league with a 2.18 goals-against average, three shutouts and a .906 save percentage.
Kings head coach Dylan Seca said McKendry has provided the team with stellar goaltending.
He points to an Oct. 31 game against the Erin Shamrocks as an example.
“Jacob wasn’t all that busy in terms of the number of shots he received, but he was sharp and came up with a big saves when we needed them,” Seca said of the Kings’ 1-0 win.
The goaltender is equally complimentary about his coach.
“Dylan really gets into the game,” he said. “But he is a lot more positive than negative when we get together and talk about my play. I feel good that he has confidence in me to be the No. 1 goaltender.”
Currently, McKendry is being teamed with backup David Edmond, who recently joined the Kings from the Couchiching Terriers of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League.
Edmond has been solid in the games he has played with Penetang so far, providing some motivation for McKendry.
“Dave is playing well and pushing me, which is something I like,” he said.
The Barrie native said he is thrilled by how well he has been accepted by fans and members of the community.
“You really notice it with the little kids who come to our home games. They come up and talk to you about hockey. It’s pretty cool,” he noted.
As for the future, McKendry said the fall of 2010 should find him enrolled in commerce courses at the University of Guelph.
However, hockey isn’t something he plans on give up anytime soon.
“I’m still having lots of fun playing hockey at this point, and that’s the main thing. I’ll keep playing until it isn’t fun anymore.”
mdodd@simcoe.com
