Young Mavericks goalies represent the future for NHL’s Calgary Flames

There’s a good chance the future goaltender of the Calgary Flames currently resides in Kansas City.

Meet the Kansas City Mavericks’ Tyler Parsons, 20, and Mason McDonald, 21, a formidable one-two punch for the Flames’ ECHL affiliate.

Parsons was selected in the second round (54th overall) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. The Chesterfield, Mich., native holds a .906 save percentage on a league-leading 509 shots fired in his direction.

His blend of athleticism and quick lateral movement makes him an elite defender.

“He’s consistently competing and looking for the shot lane where the puck is coming from,” Mavericks coach John-Scott Dickson said of Parsons. “He can make those second opportunity saves if there is a rebound sitting there.”

In just his first professional season, Parsons is still learning the tools necessary to become an NHL goalie. However, he has already notched some pretty remarkable achievements.

Last year, he guided the U.S. team to a World Juniors (U-20) championship. He managed a 2.18 goals-against average and .917 save percentage across five games.

“That was an unbelievable experience for me,” said Parsons, who recorded 46 saves, including five when Team USA won 5-4 in a shootout. “It was pretty cool being Team USA and winning in Canada.”

Parsons also played junior hockey last season for the London Knights, a member of the Ontario Hockey League in Canada. He helped the Knights win the OHL Championship and CHL Memorial Cup, a tournament matching Canada’s best junior teams. He had the league’s best save percentage in 2016 and was selected an OHL second-team all-star.

His junior accolades don’t stop there.

Parsons helped the Knights win the Dave Pinkney Trophy by posting the league’s lowest goals-against average. And when the Knights won the CHL Memorial Cup, it was Parsons who won Most Outstanding Goaltender for the tournament.

More recently, Parsons was named CCM ECHL Goaltender of the Week after leading the Mavericks to a 4-0-0 record, including a shutout. He posted a 1.49 goals-against average and a .957 save percentage while powering the team to a season-high five-game winning streak.

McDonald only adds to the Mavericks’ riches in goal. A native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, McDonald has been competing for playing time in KC after spending his first professional season with the Adirondack Thunder, the former ECHL affiliate of the Flames.

He has appeared in a game with the Stockton Heat, the Flames’ AHL affiliate, and ended last season with 2.72 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in 29 games with the Thunder. In 2013-14, he was named best goaltender in six games for bronze-medalist Team Canada at the World Juniors U-18 Tournament.

While Parsons is the more athletic of the two, McDonald is an even-keel goaltender who excels at limiting opponents’ second chances.

“He plays the puck really well,” Dickson said. “He’s calm in the net and he eats up his rebounds.”

McDonald has typically used his 6-foot-4 frame to protect the goal. But now, in his second year as a pro, he’s becoming more mobile in the net and stopping more plays on his feet.

“Mason kind of relies more on size and positioning, whereas Tyler’s style is centered around his athleticism and his ability to be quick,” said Flames goalie development coach Colin Zulianello. “Pretty contrasting styles, but both are trying to get the same thing accomplished, and that’s to be in position to make saves.”

Either or both young goalies could eventually make their way to Calgary, but each knows he first has business to take care of in Kansas City.

“I knew going into pro hockey that it was going to be a process to try and make it up the ranks,” McDonald said. “So I’m just grinding away here, doing the best I can every day and enjoying it at the same time.”

“The biggest thing is just being there for each other and being there for the team,” Parsons said. “You’ve got to be the team’s backbone.”

This story was originally published December 5, 2017 at 5:49 PM with the headline "Young Mavericks goalies represent the future for NHL’s Calgary Flames."