Five days after Jujhar Khaira netted his first National Hockey League goal, another player from Surrey recorded an NHL first in an Edmonton Oilers uniform.
Laurent Brossoit, a goaltender from the Cloverdale Minor Hockey Association, registered his first NHL victory Saturday night at the Saddledome in Calgary, defeating the Calgary Flames 7-3.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Brossoit, 23, who was called up from the Oilers’ Bakersfield Condors earlier this month. Brossoit has been backing up starting netminder Cam Talbot since he was called up, and knows it might be a while before he gets another start. Talbot has started 18 of the past 19 games.
“I’m going to be patient. I’m not trying to win a starting spot this year,” said Brossoit. “I know my role. I’m just going to work hard in practices and just be ready for opportunities like this to play.”
Brossoit faced 41 shots from the Flames, and turned aside 38 of them to get his first NHL win. Calgary outshot the Oilers 13-8 in the first period, but Brossoit was perfect and Edmonton led 3-0 after 20 minutes.
“We’re all really happy for him,” said Edmonton head coach Todd McLellan. “I’m sure this will do wonders for his confidence as he moves forward.”
Khaira, who scored the winning goal in Edmonton’s 3-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Monday night, didn’t play Saturday due to a wrist injury.