Canucks Sign Canadian College Goaltender To Emergency Professional Try-out

The Vancouver Canucks have signed University of British Columbia goaltender Matt Hewitt to a one-day professional try-out contract after Ryan Miller hurt himself hours before game time.

Hewitt is in his fourth year with the UBC Thunderhawks after spending three years with the Regina Pats of the WHL. He currently sports a 3.54 GAA and a .894 Sv% in his first three starts this season.

Hewitt will backup Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom tonight against the St. Louis Blues, but like all emergency backups, will not see the ice unless Markstrom suffers a significant injury. The first time the Canucks used the emergency goalie—UBC’s Chris Levesque in 2003—Canucks goalie Johan Hedberg broke his wrist on a play but remained in goal. The second time they used an emergency goaltender—University of Calgary’s Dustin Butler—went without incident despite the Canucks bench urging then-coach Alain Vigneault to play Butler in the dying minutes of a 4-1 game.

This marks the third UBC goalie used in an emergency situation. In 2011 the San Jose Sharks signed UBC’s Jordan White to an emergency one-day contract after Antero Niittymaki suffered an injury in practice before a road game against the Canucks.