The Halifax Mooseheads’ goaltending logjam has hardly put a strain on the relationship between Mathieu Corbeil and Peter Delmas.
The 19-year-old Corbeil just got back to Montreal after spending much of the past month staying at Delmas’ Toronto-area home, hanging out and training daily with his 20-year-old goaltending partner.
“Peter’s been a really great guy,” said Corbeil, whose role was reduced last season after Delmas came over in a January trade from the Quebec Remparts.
“I’ve been practising with him on and off the ice and I was with him practically 24/7 for three weeks. He’s a really great guy and I’m happy to have him as a teammate.”
Although they have forged a strong friendship over the past six months, they aren’t expected to be together when the 2010-11 season starts. The arrival of 17-year-old rookie Anthony Terenzio — pegged by management as the franchise’s goalie of the future — means one of the two will be traded.
Corbeil said he loves Halifax and would prefer to stay with the Mooseheads for a third season, but he’s not worried about being dealt.
“Whatever happens, happens … It’s out of my control,” Corbeil said. “Wherever I end up, whether it’s in Halifax or somewhere else, my job is going to be the same, to stop pucks.”
The six-foot-six Corbeil is on the ice in Calgary starting today for Hockey Canada’s three-day camp for elite junior-aged goaltenders. He’s had a good off-season already, finishing second in the dreaded VO2 max test at the NHL draft combine last month in Toronto.
That will only help his stock on draft day. He is ranked 34th overall by Red Line Report and seventh among North American goalies by Central Scouting.
He will be in the stands at Staples Centre on draft weekend, but isn’t setting his hopes too high for fear of disappointment.
“I’m going in without expectations,” he said. “Wherever I come out, I’ll go from there. First round or seventh round, it comes down to what you do on the ice after that.”
