Tyler Palmer Reaches 3,000 Career Saves
October 28, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Everett Silvertips News Release
EVERETT, Wash. - Mothers are innately tuned to the big moments in their kids' lives.
Credit Tyler Palmer's mom for being on top of her son's milestone watch.
"I was on the phone with my mom just the other day," the 20-year-old netminder explained. "She was like, 'hey, you know your next game is going to be your 100th game, and you may get to 3,000 saves.' I was like, 'man, stop making me feel old.'"
Palmer notched his 3,000th career Western Hockey League save 12:18 into the third period in a 6-2 win over the Tri-City Americans on Wednesday, Oct. 25. It was hardly a highlight-reel-worthy stop; he easily froze a trickling puck just in front of the crease for his 22nd save of the night.
But as the whistle blew, the Angel of the Winds Arena scoreboard flashed a graphic of his accomplishment and fans gave the stop a raucous standing ovation as if it were a game-saver.
"When they put that up on the jumbotron," assistant coach Mike Field said with a grin, "guys on the bench said 'woah, 3,000? That's a lot of saves.'"
Palmer has been something of an underdog story in his rise through the Western Hockey League. Originally selected 215th-overall in the 10th round of the 2018 WHL Draft by the Spokane Chiefs, he went unsigned and continued to play for the Northern Alberta Elite 15s where he backstopped the team to a CSSHL U16 championship in 2019.
He spent the 2019-20 campaign with the Northern Alberta Xtreme Prep squad, where he skated with future Victoria Royals teammate Gannon Laroque and future Everett Silvertips teammate Ben Hemmerling. Palmer went 15-2-0 with a 2.40 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage, splitting the net with future WHLer Drew Sim (currently with the Regina Pats). Still, Palmer remained unsigned by any WHL clubs.
As a 17-year-old, Palmer played Junior A with the Spruce Grove Saints of the AJHL, appearing in 13 games in the Covid-shortened 2021 season. While his numbers didn't leap off the page, he showed encouraging signs of growth and a natural athleticism that made him an intriguing prospect. At 6-foot-0, 194-pounds, his speed and strength in the crease were- and are- his strongest attributes.
"There are a lot of things mentally you have to work on to be able to consistently play well every night," Palmer told Area51 Sportsnet's Lizz Child in 2022. "I had a lot of ups and downs last year with my season in the AJHL, and I think that definitely helped me with my success [in the present]."
It wasn't until Aug. 11, 2021 that he signed a Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Victoria Royals.
Palmer appeared in 61 games over a season and a half with the Royals. While the team spent the majority of his time on Vancouver Island on the outside of the playoff picture, his underlying numbers grew stronger. He posted a 17-23-2 record with a 3.49 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage in 2021-22, highlighted by a 50-save shutout of the Vancouver Giants on Dec. 29.
A trade to the Silvertips on Dec. 27, 2022 paid big dividends for Palmer. In 33 games with Everett last season, he notched a 16-14-2 record with a 3.37 GAA and .900 save percentage. His finest performance came on Feb. 4, 2023- a 35-save shutout of the eventual WHL Champs in the Seattle Thunderbirds in front of a sold-out Everett crowd.
"He's got an impeccable work ethic," noted Silvertips general manager/head coach Dennis Williams. "He works every day in practice, getting second, third, fourth saves. He's emptying the tank on all opportunities to make a stop. I know our guys look up to him because of his approach to the game and his demeanor."
Palmer is just the second overage goaltender the Silvertips have had in their 21 years as a franchise. The first, Jeff Harvey, was a member of the inaugural season in 2003-04 when the team was allowed extra overager slots as an expansion team. Harvey helped lead the team all the way to the 2004 Ed Chenowyth Cup Final.
The start to Palmer's final season was spent just down the highway from Everett, as he attended Seattle Kraken Training Camp as an unsigned invitee. There he skated with some familiar faces, including Kraken draftee Kaden Hammell and fellow Everett invitee Eric Jamieson. Palmer credited Philipp Grubauer with being a welcoming and informative mentor during his time there.
Since retuning to Everett, he and 19-year-old Ethan Chadwick have formed a formidable tandem for the Tips.
"He and Ethan are competitive with each other but so supportive of each other," Williams said of his goalie tandem. "I think that starts with the older guy. When you have an overager goaltender with a great team-first mindset who's just a good human, it's contagious. He enjoys working and competing and he's been a great sounding board for Chaddy and for all our players."
Palmer has blossomed into a crowd favorite in Everett, with fans chanting his name and waving palm leaves after big saves becoming a regular occurrence. Having averaged over 30 saves a night for his entire career, he's no stranger to big moments and tough workloads. Now, rounding out his third and final WHL season, Palmer is focused on finishing strong and taking the next step to the pro scene.
"It's flown by," Palmer said of his WHL journey, "that's for sure. I don't know, I guess I'm just going to keep going for more."
"Three-thousand is just a number really," he continued. Then, a smile: "It's a big number, though."
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Western Hockey League Stories from October 28, 2023
- Tyler Palmer Reaches 3,000 Career Saves - Everett Silvertips
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