Happy landing for Halcrow
By Con Griwkowsky ,Edmonton Sun
First posted: Tuesday, May 3, 2011
CAMROSE — Maybe there’s a bit of justice for Kirby Halcrow after all.
The kid from Grande Prairie has been an imposing presence between the pipes as the Vernon Vipers continue their march to a record third RBC Cup title.
There’s been plenty of highs and lows for the six-foot-two, 218-pound netminder during his junior career.
Much-travelled? Sure.
From his selection to the AJHL north all-rookie team in 2009 with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons to a emotionally-draining season after a trade to Quesnel Millionaires of the BCHL. Finally ending up in a dream situation when he asked for a trade and ended up with a championship-calibre team, Halcrow has been on a wild roller-coaster ride.
“I was starting to hate hockey,” said Halcrow. “I didn’t want to play at all. I got a call from Vernon. They kinda rejuvinated my love for hockey and made it lots of fun again. I fell back in love with the game.”
After splitting goaltending duties with Blake Voth early in the season, Halcrow has taken over as the go-to guy during the Vipers’ playoff run.
“The coaches here are really excellent in what they do on the ice and they’re really good people off the ice,” said Halcrow. “That’s what a team needs to be successful.
They’ll always help you when you need help and tell you to step up when you need to step up.
“I ended up in a pretty good situation.”
Like any kid growing up in the Grande Prairie area, Halcrow dreamed of playing for the Storm.
“I played the exhibition season in my midget year but they brought in a 20-year-old goalie and I got cut,” said Halcrow. “During the season, I got called up during the regular season and dressed for all but two playoff games.”
After he was told at spring camp he wouldn’t be invited back to the main camp, he only got two offers — from the junior B team in Three Hills and with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders.
After striking out in P.A., Halcrow was on the move to Fort McMurray.
“I had no idea,” said Halcrow about the trade that took him to the B.C. Interior after a pretty decent year. “Suddenly, one day I was traded to Quesnel.”
That proved to be a good news, bad news situation where Halcrow was expected to stop plenty of rubber on a struggling team in his draft year.
“It was pretty good there, I guess,” said Halcrow. “Getting about 40 shots a game, it’s going to improve your game. On the mental side, it kinda gets to you after a while.”
After playing a huge role in helping Quenel qualify for the playoffs for the first time in seven years, Halcrow weighed his options and asked for a trade, ending up with the team that eliminated Quesnel in the 2010 playoffs.
With one year of junior eligibility left, Halcrow seems to have found himself a hockey home away from home.
Hi dad
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