Gudelvskis could make history for Lightning
/Interesting note, via The Tampa Bay Times, about goaltending prospect Kristers Gudelvskis. You remember him from the Olympics, right? He's the goalie for Latvia that stoned Canada shot after shot, to the tune of a 55-save effort in the quarterfinals. He put on a clinic and single-handedly gave a nation high blood pressure, while also dominating Twitter for a few hours.
The article indicates that Gudelvskis, who is backing up Ben Bishop while Anders Lindback rehabs in the AHL, could become what is believed to be the first goalie to play in the ECHL, AHL, Olympics and NHL in the same season. The Lightning has back-to-back games this weekend, after which Lindback may be ready to come back up.
"If I get this game, it would mean everything," Gudlevskis said of his potential NHL debut. "You do everything to get here and get this game."
Jon Cooper offered this: "Would it be kind of cool for him to have on his resume he played in the East Coast, the American league, Olympics and NHL in one season? Yes. But you don't play players because of that. They have to earn the right to get in there. In saying that, he's slowly earning his right to get in there.
"The fact he's here," Cooper added, "is telling you we'd have no problem putting him in net."
Cool tidbit in the article about what Martin St. Louis said to him in the handshake line at the Olympics too.