The greatest goalie in the history of the Wheeling Nailers almost wasn’t a goalie at all.
He almost chose baseball instead. It was one or the other, and it was close—baseball or hockey.
That’s because Taylor Gauthier was a hell of a ballplayer as a Canadian kid in Calgary, and he played all over the diamond during his Little League days. First base, though, was his favorite, and maybe that’s why some fans notice his “stretch” for the puck. He is, after all, part of the 10 percent of goalies who are left-handed or, as they say about those player between the pipes, “right-handed catchers”.
“I grew up playing baseball at a pretty high level, and I think it’s something that was kind of like hockey and baseball were neck and neck as I was growing up,” the GOAT revealed. “Obviously, I chose to chase my dreams in hockey, but it’s still a sport that I really enjoy. I love watching baseball in the summer, and I’m a huge Toronto Blue Jays fan.
“I still play, too,” he said. “I play in like an adult rec league softball league with a bunch of my buddies and my girlfriend at home in the summer. So, yeah, it’s something that I really enjoy doing, and I think it helped me to become a more well-rounded athlete. I believe playing those multiple sports has really helped me with reaction time, hand-eye, and with all the stuff that goes into being a good goaltender.”
When Gauthier makes certain saves, in fact, he appears to be stretching out like a first baseman to make a close play at first even closer.
“It’s just a straight reaction trying to kill plays as quickly as possible and trying to eliminate all the outside factors with sticks and bodies and all that stuff,” Gauthier explained. “As soon as I glove the puck, the play is over, so I make sure I do that as soon as possible to protect my teammates.
“I didn’t realize I might look like a first baseman sometimes, but it makes sense because of my background,” the goalie said. “I may have chosen hockey as a profession, but I’ve played baseball and a lot of other sports, and I think that past makes me a better goalie.”
The Goalie Jinx?
Not in the Western Hockey League or in the ECHL. Not in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and not in Wheeling or in juniors or when he was playing in the under-15 leagues back home.
Gauthier, who is 21-9 with a .929 save percentage in net this season, has never bought into the “jinx” superstitions that pertain to goalies on every level of the game.
“I think some guys in the game buy into that stuff, but I like to look at myself as just be another guy on the team. I want to be a guy that the young guys can come to and ask advice about, and not someone people are scared to talk to because of something that silly,” Gauthier explained. “I just try and be a good locker room guy and be a guy that my teammates can rely on – and just so happens that I wear the most gear.
“That’s OK with me, so maybe I go about being a goalie a little differently than others do.”
He was named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Month in March, and he’s allowed two goals or less in 11 starts this season, and Gauthier has recorded at least 29 saves on 10 occasions. He’s under an NHL contract with Pittsburgh this season, and according to the Nailers’ director of media, DJ Abisalih, the goalie has seen action in 120 career games for Wheeling.
“I know there’s that stigma about goalies always being in their head and stuff like that, and I don’t know who created those stereotypes, but that’s not me and you can ask my teammates,” he insisted. “The first thing I try to do when I meet my teammates is to let them know those stigmas don’t apply to me at all. I’m a goalie, and I do my best.”
‘The Show’ Can Wait
He’s known as the “GOAT” for good reason.
Gauthier owns Wheeling’s franchise records for career wins (71), shutouts (10), and games played by a goaltender (124) – all milestones he hit all during the month of March – and he was promoted in early April to the same locker room where legends like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin suit up for THE Pittsburgh Penguins.
“It was unbelievable in Pittsburgh,” Gauthier quickly admitted. “I’ve been to a couple of NHL training camps, and I’ve dressed for exhibition games, but that was the very first time I was able to step out on the ice at PPG (Arena) and it was incredible. Something I’ll never forget; that first time.
“And there they were, those great players. Sid (Crosby)and Geno (Evgeni Malkin), (Kris) Letang and (Erik) Karlsson,” he said. “You can just feel their presence out on the ice and you look around and there’s just like rows and rows and rows of kids that idolize those players. They’ve been doing it for so long and all those guys are still playing at a very high level.
“Those guys were my idols when I was a kid, and then I got to step out on the ice with them. It was a dream come true, and I can’t wait to go back.”
Crosby, a three-time Stanley Cup winner and the Penguins’ all-time leading scorer in 21 seasons, made an impression.
“The big-name players in Pittsburgh were nothing but super welcoming to me, and Sid remembered me from when I came to camp,” Gauthier said. “Just like everything everyone says about him, he’s a good person who is true to his teammates. He’s the humblest superstar I’ve ever met. He has no ego.
“He’s just a great human being, and he genuinely cares about everyone in the organization, whether you’re in Pittsburgh, Wilkes-Barre and Wheeling. He really values you as a human being and as a hockey player,” he said. “So, I felt very welcomed, and, obviously, you don’t want to step on any toes coming in on a game day. Shoot, I just tried to stay out of their way, but Sid the others were just awesome people.
His promotion to The Show, though, only last a day before he was dispatched back to Wheeling and Wesbanco Arena.
And that was just fine with him
“I’m so invested in this (Nailers) team,” Gauthier said. “I love this organization. I love everyone that I’ve played with. Obviously, my goal is to make it to the NHL, but I love being here every single day and I want nothing more than to win a championship for the guys in the dressing room and the fans in the city.
“I’ve really grown into the person I am today because of this organization and the people in the city, and I think it would be really cool to see it come full circle,” he said. “I am proud to be a Wheeling Nailer, and I thank the fans for their support. It’s been unbelievable.
“But I can’t wait to put on that Pens jersey on in the future.”
