The education of Ty Conklin '01--hockey goaltender--continues. After winning first team All-American and Hobey Baker finalist honors in March, Conklin signed a three-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League a month later. He was called up to the parent club in October, and notched his first two big league wins that same month.

Less than two weeks later, Conklin was sent to the Oilers' top farm team, the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League. "It's part of the life, and part of the development," says Conklin in the same quiet, understated style that marked his UNH playing days.

Outside the Bulldogs' locker room at the Worcester Centrum following a 4-4 tie with the Worcester Ice Cats, Conklin laughed about giving up a goal to another former UNH star, Eric Boguniecki '97, and acknowledged that his first 10 weeks as a pro hockey player have been something of a roller coaster ride.

"I knew I wasn't going to play in Edmonton a lot, and they wanted me to get some experience. So I'm excited to be down here. And, you know, playing in the second best league in the world isn't bad."

"The way Ty was playing, he deserved the opportunity to stay (in the NHL)," Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish notes. "He played two games for us and gave us great goaltending. But at this stage of his career, he needs to be playing regularly."

Conklin's professional reality is this--while he's still number 1 in the hearts of UNH hockey faithful and Number 1 on the Edmonton Oilers' roster--he's number 2 on the depth chart behind All-Star goalie Tommy Salo of Sweden. And with Salo's reputation for durability and the Oilers' schedule, Conklin wasn't going to see much game action. But he's learning. And learning fast.

"He's just gotten better and better," says Kevin Lowe, Oilers general manager and former All-Star defenseman with the Oilers and New York Rangers. "He's a quick study. Like a lot of guys, he looked like he didn't belong the first few days. Then, as our training camp went on, he just kept getting stronger and stronger."

Despite his good showing in the pro leagues and his stellar performance at UNH, Conklin didn't register on the screens of NHL talent hawks, and he was never drafted. "I really wasn't good enough to get drafted when I was younger," he says.

There are likely dozens of NHL general managers shaking their heads about the oversight. "As thorough as the scouting is in the National Hockey League, there is the occasional player who slips through the cracks," Lowe notes. "Fortunately for us, Ty came here." An admitted "late bloomer," the 25-year-old Alaska native signed with the Oilers as a free agent. He impressed Oilers coaches and management during training camp, and they called Conklin up to the Oilers in mid-October. In four NHL appearances, Conklin posted two wins while only allowing four goals, for a meager 1.62 goals-against average and sparkling .939 save percentage.

"I've been lucky to hook up with a good organization, with good guys," says Conklin. "They're willing to give young guys a chance to show what they can do. I'm pretty lucky to be where I am."

The Oilers, apparently, feel the same about Conklin. "We certainly would have no hesitation to call Ty back and put him in the net," MacTavish says. "He's shown us that he's ready to play at the NHL level."

--Brion O'Connor '83