Stingrays Goaltending Trio Fuels First-Place Success

by Owen Gund

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - Goaltending is one of the most competitive positions in hockey, with only one netminder getting the nod each night. The South Carolina Stingrays have found themselves in a unique situation this season, boasting three goaltenders—Mitchell Gibson, Garin Bjorklund, and Seth Eisele—who are all capable of leading the team to victory. All three goaltenders have contributed to South Carolina's current 13-game winning streak. Despite the competition for playing time, all three have developed a strong bond, pushing each other to improve while maintaining close friendships off the ice. 

Bjorklund is currently with the Hershey Bears, South Carolina's AHL affiliate, while Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson recovers from an injury. Despite not currently being with the team, Bjorklund has been a key contributor for the Stingrays this season and could return to the Stingrays before the 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs.

A Tight-Knit Goaltending Unit

Bjorklund, who has played the most games of the trio this season, emphasized their tight-knit relationship:

"I think all of us are really good goalies, and it's so awesome to have a close-knit friendship and to be able to compete with one another and then also go get lunch and hang out and get to know one another on a deeper level. It's awesome to have Gibby and Seth in my corner, and I'll always be in their corner. It's so awesome when you can have that kind of relationship and battle against each other in practice and then wish for nothing but success when they're in the net on a game day."

Gibson, who has been nearly unbeatable with a 10-1 record, echoed Bjorklund's sentiment:

"I think we're the only ones who really understand what we go through on a day-to-day basis. With this long of a season, it's a grind. We have had to rely on each other a couple of times throughout the year, with guys getting hurt and guys coming in to play, and at the end of the day, all three of us just want the team to win at all costs. We have that shared goal, and that's what brings us all together."

For Eisele, a rookie adjusting to professional hockey, the support from Bjorklund and Gibson has been invaluable:

"When I was coming in as a rookie, I didn't know anyone here, and it meant a lot for them to take me in with open arms and show me the ropes. They showed me how to prepare for practice every single day and how to prepare for games. It really opened my eyes to the world of pro hockey. I couldn't be more thankful for how good those two have been to me."

Coaching Perspective: Depth and Team-First Mentality

Stingrays Head Coach Jared Nightingale has been impressed with both the goaltenders' performances and their team-first mentality:

"I think it's important to have depth at the goaltending position. With two NHL-contracted goalies, if there's one injury up top, it filters down and affects us. At any level, especially the ECHL, it's important to have three goalies."

"It's been a huge luxury from the coaching perspective that they've all been good teammates. We've had no issues. They're all pulling for each other, and all three are really early in their careers. I think they see that it's a long journey, and they've taken a lot of pride in improving every day and embracing where they're at."

Learning from a Legend: Braden Holtby's Impact

The Stingrays' goaltenders have had the unique opportunity to learn from retired NHL star Braden Holtby. A former Stingray himself, Holtby won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018 and has taken on a mentorship role with South Carolina's netminders. Although he currently resides in Washington, D.C., Holtby frequently visits Charleston to work with the trio.

Holtby has been impressed by the way they've handled the challenge of sharing the crease:

"It's obviously a different situation, having three guys playing well and earning their spot in the crease. It's been extremely impressive how they've handled it because, obviously, every guy wants to play, and if you're not playing enough, it can get frustrating, but they're each other's biggest fans, and they all put the team first."

Holtby has also instilled in them the importance of playing to their own strengths:

"They all play with different styles. I think that's the way it should be; everyone should be a little different and understand themselves. The foundations are all fairly similar, but each goalie has unique traits based on the way their body moves, their size, or how they grew up learning to play."

Capitals' Development Pipeline

The Stingrays' affiliation with the Washington Capitals has been instrumental in developing top-tier goaltenders. Past Stingrays netminders like Holtby, Michal Neuvirth, Philipp Grubauer, Phoenix Copley, Vitek Vanecek, Logan Thompson, and Hunter Shepard have all played games in the NHL. Gibson, Bjorklund, and Eisele are the latest goalies benefiting from the Capitals' renowned player development program. 

All three goaltenders acknowledged that Washington's Goaltending Coach, Scott Murray, former Capitals goaltenders like Holtby and Olaf Kölzig, Hershey's Goaltending Coach, Juha Lehtola, and Washington's Director of Minor League Operations, Jason Fitzsimmons, have all been significant influences for them.

Bjorklund praised the Capitals' investment in their goaltenders:

"It's been unbelievable. I can go on and on about the Capitals organization and how great they've been to their prospects. We have so many tools in the goalie department, and they can help us wherever we need something. We're so fortunate to have those guys in our corner."

Gibson also credited the organization's emphasis on both development and winning:

"Every time I play a game, I get texts from people throughout the organization. We're getting comments on our video through multiple goalie coaches, and it feels like every time you step on the ice, you're getting 1% better. The emphasis is on development here as well as winning, but I think the two go hand in hand. Having an organization that has that much faith and doesn't overlook anybody is a huge confidence boost."

Eisele recalled being starstruck when he first met Holtby but quickly realized how down-to-earth and committed he was to their success:

"He comes down and helps us all the time, which shows how well this organization cares about the development of their goalies and shows that they want to see success at all three levels."

Individual Progress: Goaltenders Reflect on Their Growth

Bjorklund is in his third season of professional hockey and played his first full pro season last year. He missed nearly all of the 2022-23 season because he had back surgery. This season is the final year of Bjorklund's entry-level NHL contract with the Washington Capitals, and he has been turning heads with his play. Bjorklund made his AHL debut for Hershey on March 26 and made 26 saves on 27 shots to help the Bears earn a 4-1 victory. He currently leads the Stingrays in games played (29) and wins (21) and has been having a breakout season.

"I knew this was going to be a big year for me. Last year, I was coming off of an injury and just getting my feet wet again, and this year, I'm finally feeling really comfortable with my game. I had a big summer in Calgary, and I knew once I was in Washington, I was feeling good again, and once the season started, I had a couple of good games, and I just started to build off of it."

Gibson, who re-signed with the Capitals on a one-year deal last summer, missed over two months of action after sustaining a lower-body injury in December. Gibson returned to action on March 3 and has a 6-0 record since then.

"I wanted to make sure that when I came back in, I was ready to go 100%. I didn't want to be fighting the injury on the way back. The recovery may have taken a little longer than I hoped. However, being ready when I came back, just being as confident as possible, was important because I didn't want to be in a situation in which I let the team down."

Eisele started his pro career with back-to-back shutouts and has appeared in 28 games this season, which is more than the number he has played in any season since 2018. He didn't allow a goal in his first 155 minutes of action in the pros but has benefited more from experiencing professional hockey's ups and downs.

"It was a bit of a roller coaster but super cool to experience. It was good to get that off my chest so I could just relax and play hockey. Obviously, no one's going to be able to sustain that success for the entire year. A lot of my growth this year has been on the mental side. Being able to plateau a little bit and steady my game and learn how to play and not get too high or too low has been important."

Looking Ahead: Playoff Push and Future Aspirations

With five regular-season games remaining, the Stingrays hold the top spot in the ECHL with 101 points. Gibson, Bjorklund, and Eisele have been pivotal in securing that position, and their performance in the upcoming Kelly Cup Playoffs will be crucial to South Carolina's championship aspirations.

Fitzsimmons, a former Stingray goaltender himself, highlighted the significance of playing in the ECHL as a development path:

"The jump to the AHL from the ECHL is a lot closer than people think. That's why we believe in that form of development for people like Mitchell Gibson, Garin Bjorklund, Seth Eisele, and all our players who are down in South Carolina. We feel confident that if we have to pull them up and put them into the lineup in Hershey, they're going to slide in seamlessly."

The Stingrays have long been known for developing top-tier goaltenders, and this trio is no exception. With their talent, work ethic, and the backing of a strong organization, Gibson, Bjorklund, and Eisele are not only propelling the Stingrays toward a deep playoff run but also setting themselves up for bright futures in professional hockey.