Eriksson Ek Stellar In AHL Debut

Mar 9, 2021

By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com

Olle Eriksson Ek didn’t feel an increased nervousness before his first American Hockey League start on Saturday.

In fact, the Swedish netminder said the butterflies were normal – something he experienced before each game.

“A little bit nervous, which I think helps you to focus,” Eriksson Ek said after reflecting on the game. “Nothing crazy.”

The quiet confidence certainly stood out for Anaheim’s fifth-round selection in the 2017 NHL Draft. Eriksson Ek stopped 39-of-41 shots to backstop San Diego to a 3-2 overtime victory over the San Jose Barracuda, earning a split of their weekend series.

Eriksson Ek became the second-youngest goaltender to win a game for San Diego (21 years, 8 months, 12 days), behind only Lukas Dostal (20 years, 7 months, 18 days).

“I was really happy for him,” head coach Kevin Dineen said following the win. “He’s come here and there are no guarantees. We have good depth at goalie and there was no guarantee he was going to get a game. Boy, he worked hard in practice and we’ve seen improvement here in the start. He earned the win. Looks good on him.”

Eriksson Ek experienced his first taste of North American hockey in 2018-19. After spending a majority of the season on loan with BIK Karlskoga in HockeyAllsvenskan – the second-highest league in the Swedish hockey system – he joined San Diego for its playoff run. Though he didn’t get into a game, it served as a transition from the European leagues to North America.

Eriksson Ek debuted in North America with the Tulsa Oilers of the ECHL in 2019-20. The Karlstad, Sweden native posted a 10-11-4 record with a 3.01 goals-against average and .902 save percentage. He also spent time with the Gulls, never getting into a game but adjusting to the AHL in practices.

He began this season with Tulsa, recording a 3-2-0 record with a 2.79 goals-against average and .901 save percentage before he joined San Diego.

Between those experiences and prospect camps with the Anaheim Ducks, Eriksson Ek developed a level of familiarity with the organization.

“I think the biggest part is you just feel comfortable in the room and you can be yourself,” he explained. “If you feel good about yourself, you play well. I think that's the biggest part.”

He looked immediately comfortable in Saturday’s start, facing 16 shots through the game’s first 20 minutes. He admitted the increased workload helped, as he could settle in and focus on the game in front of him.

“It helps a lot, when you can see the puck and feel the puck,” Eriksson Ek explained. “Sometimes you can get cold in games, and it's pretty hard to stay focused. It definitely helped to feel and see the puck a lot.”

He saw 24 shots over the final two periods – and just a single shot in the overtime session – before watching Andrew Agozzino pot the game-winning tally. The team surrounded their rookie goaltender, showering him with helmet taps and hugs to celebrate his milestone marker.

Inside the locker room, Eriksson Ek saw congratulations messages from his parents and brother, Minnesota Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek. With a late start back home, he said the warm wishes trickled in throughout the night, as friends woke up to the news of his first win.

With the debut behind him – and win under his belt – Eriksson Ek feels confident he can earn more opportunities moving forward.

“It gives you definitely a boost; you feel like you can play at this level and play well,” he said. “It makes it easier to come to the rink and work hard every day.”