As Justin Pogge sits back in his off-season Los Angeles-area home and watches this season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs enter the second round, he’s reminded of battles he had with two goaltenders.
Once considered a top goaltending prospect in the Toronto Maple Leafs system, Pogge beat out current Montreal Canadiens starter Carey Price for Team Canada’s starting role at the 2006 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.
At the 2006 tournament, which was held in Vancouver, Pogge defeated now Bruins starter Tuukka Rask in the semifinal, en route to a gold medal win over Russia.
With Boston and Montreal squaring off for a record 34th time in the post-season, Pogge believes Price holds the upper hand, having enjoyed success at February’s Olympics.
“He’s had some battles, and I think if you’re going to do it, he’s most prepared for it right now,” Pogge said. “He’ll do really well. They’ve got a great squad there, and they have complete trust in him.
“Tuukka’s got the experience, obviously getting a little further in the playoffs, but I think Price, he’s floating on Cloud 9, full of confidence, got a gold medal around his neck – he’s a supremely talented goalie.”
Pogge just turned 28 and is back in North America after his second season overseas.
The Penticton, B.C., native spent the 2013-14 season with Bofors IK in the Swedish Division I – a league below the Swedish Hockey League (formerly the Swedish Elite League).
He calls it a career year, as he posted a 29-22-0 record in 51 games to go along with a .920 save percentage and a 2.16 goals-against average.
“It was excellent,” said Pogge. “It was a lot of fun and very gratifying making it into that country as a goalie.
“I wanted to go [to Sweden]. I wanted to get a European experience, but to play in Europe you need to make a name for yourself over there. They don’t really care what you’ve done unless you’ve played a lot in the NHL. I started in Italy and worked my way to Sweden, but it’s been kind of all coming together to try and get back to North America in the next couple years.”
Pogge’s 2013-14 campaign did not go unnoticed. He signed a new two-year deal with Färjestad BK of the Swedish Hockey League last week. Ironically, Färjestad BK played an exhibition game against the Toronto Marlies, Pogge’s first professional team, in February.
Playing in Italy, with Ritten Renon during the 2012-13 season, and then in Sweden this past season, has afforded Pogge and fiancée Christina Heinzel the opportunity to enjoy the European experience off the ice as well.
“We travel a lot, take in the culture — it’s been a good run,” Pogge said. “Just being close to all those different countries, I think we’ve been to 10 countries in two years.”
Pogge’s hopes a solid showing in the SHL could lead to doors opening closer to home in North America. The former Leafs third-round selection (90th overall) in 2004 has not played on his home continent since a 37-game stint with the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League in 2011-12.
Pogge caught the eyes of many during the 2005-06 season, when he led the Calgary Hitmen to conference semifinal berth in the Western Hockey League playoffs.
He finished the season with a 38-12-4 record to go along with a .926 save percentage and a 1.72 goals-against average, winning both the league’s player of the year award and taking home a trophy as the league’s top goaltender.
With two up-and-coming prospects in the system and needing immediate help in goal in Toronto, then general manager John Ferguson dealt Rask to Boston for veteran Andrew Raycroft in June 2006.
“I’ve heard that a lot, and I think people kind of have it wrong. Andrew Raycroft was the trade,” said Pogge looking back on the so-called “Rask” deal. “I was part of their property. I feel like everyone puts that on me.”
Pogge turned pro as a 20-year-old and spent three seasons with the Marlies, going 71-56-11 in 142 games. He played his only seven career NHL games (1-4-1) during the Leafs’ 2008-09 season and was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks in August 2009 for a conditional draft pick.
But at 28, Pogge, who also spent time with the San Antonio Rampage, Albany River Rats and Charlotte Checkers before flying overseas, has no regrets about how things went with the Leafs. The journeyman does, however, admit he lacked the experience for a market like Toronto.
“It was fast. I had a lot of fun when I was there, but I just don’t think I was mature enough to be in that kind of situation. A good experience, but just a little too much, at that time, for me, 20 years old.
“I don’t think I could’ve done too much different. I was preparing every year. I would like to say I would’ve tried a little harder, but I tried my best and I just wished I would’ve had the knowledge I do now back then, the maturity level.”
The Leafs have used 11 goalies in six seasons since Pogge made his NHL debut.
When informed James Reimer could be on his way out of Toronto this off-season, Pogge was quick to point out something he’s learned in all his travels: “Sometimes I don’t think it’s the goalie that’s the problem.”
