Houle makes AHL debut

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Chris Houle has certainly had plenty to write home about during this, his first season as a professional hockey goaltender.

Houle, a native of Caslan, Alta., was in limbo for several weeks. But the Cree Native has certainly shone on the ice when he has been given the opportunities to do so.

Houle, who was never drafted by a National Hockey League club, accepted an offer this past summer to attend the Philadelphia Phantoms' training camp.

The Phantoms, who compete in the American Hockey League, are the top affiliate club of the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers.

Though he was allowed to go to camp and even practice with the Phantoms, Houle, 21, was not able to play for the Philly club-or any other American club for that matter-since he did not have a work visa.

Houle said in the past pro athletes could get such paperwork finalized within 14 days.But now the process can take considerably longer. And Houle's case was further complicated when there was an issue with his social security number.

When the Phantoms opened their season in October, Houle was no longer part of the team's immediate plans since he was still not allowed to officially work south of the border.

Houle, who had starred the past two seasons in the junior ranks with the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights, then agreed to a one-year contract with the New Jersey-based Trenton Titans of the East Coast Hockey League. The ECHL is considered a step below the AHL.

But it was still a couple more weeks before Houle's paperwork was finalized.

He joined the Titans' playing roster on Nov. 6 and promptly went out and won his first four pro contests.

Houle's play prompted the Phantoms to make him an offer for the remainder of this season. But he was not satisfied with the money offered and refused to accept the deal.

"I figured it would be better not to sign and still be a free agent," Houle said, adding an impressive rookie campaign with the Titans would make him an even more valuable commodity for next season.

Fate intervened once again though. Houle, who posted a 5-3-0 record and a sparkling 1.64 goals-against average in his first eight appearances would have been content to finish off this season with Trenton. But he found himself joining the Phantoms in early December.

That's because Flyers' goalie Robert Esche sustained a groin injury.

When the Flyers called up a goalie from the Phantoms, the AHL club needed to find another netminder for their roster.

Houle made his AHL debut on Dec. 12 in Philadelphia.

He played about 40 minutes of the Phantoms' 3-1 loss to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Houle, who played the final two periods, saved all 14 shots he faced in that match.

Though Esche was back playing for the Flyers, at the start of the new year, Houle was still up with the Phantoms.

Titans' coach Bill Armstrong hasn't been surprised at how well Houle has performed this season.

"We knew at the beginning of the season that we could expect big things from Chris," Armstrong said.

Many others have also taken notice.

In fact, despite his late start to the season, Houle has been selected to play in the ECHL's all-star game.

That contest is scheduled for Jan. 21 in Peoria, Illinois.

Like the majority of other players in the minor ranks, Houle is still dreaming of one day making it to the NHL.

"I'm still young," he reasoned. "I just have to keep getting better."