Brian Elliot spent the last two years in the shadow of All-American goaltender and fan favorite Bernd Br??ckler. This year Br??ckler is gone, and it's Elliot's turn to show what he can do between the pipes.
Br??ckler is the only notable Badger to graduate after last season, and given the importance of the goaltender position, Elliot is certainly one of the biggest question marks on this year's squad. But not to his teammates.
\We're really confident. [Brian] is going to be the surprise on this team,"" senior captain Adam Burish said. ""He's a kid that can put us on his back and he can carry us. He's that good.""
Elliot, a junior from Newmarket, Ontario, will make his 16th career appearance Friday when he starts against St. Lawrence at the Kohl Center. Despite playing the backup role for the past two seasons, Elliot's stats are impressive, including three shutouts and a 1.16 goals against average last season.
Elliot's stats might be a bit padded due to him facing weaker opponents when Br??ckler needed a break, but he's ready to become the team's everyday starter.
""I got to play in the playoffs last year, which was a big step for me,"" Elliot said. ""I felt pretty comfortable and I think I'm ready to step into the starting role and to work in some of those big games in front of a big crowd.""
He came to the right place to play in front of a big crowd. The Kohl Center can house over 17,000 fans for hockey games, and the student section is one of the largest and loudest in college hockey.
""[The atmosphere] is awesome. It's gonna be great, the student section is going to be huge this year and we're really looking forward to the fans,"" Elliot said.
The Badger faithful will be expecting a lot out of Elliot as he steps in to fill the shoes of Br??ckler, but his teammates are confident he will fill the shoes, and maybe then some.
""I think everyone knows that there's high expectations for Brian,"" said sophomore forward Joe Pavelski. ""We're all thinking he's got a shot to be better than Br??ckler.""
But for Elliot it isn't about being better than Br??ckler, but rather playing the role of Brian Elliot.
""Br??ckler's shoes are pretty big, he set a lot of records for this school,"" Elliot said. ""The way I think about going into the season is just playing my role on this team. I know it's going to be tough, but I think I'm ready for the challenge.""
The challenges of playing goaltender can be lessened with good defensemen, something Elliot says he has.
""[The defense] has gotten a lot bigger and stronger, they look a lot more confident,"" Elliot said. ""I have total confidence in the guys in front of me and that's all you need.""
Elliot's defensemen say the respect is mutual.
""Brian is a tremendous player, we have more confidence in him than we ever have,"" said junior defenseman Jeff Likens. ""[Brian] has worked hard all summer. He's a great goaltender and we're very confident in him.""
Confidence in Elliot may have come in part from his hard work over the summer, when, according to Burish, Elliot had some of the guys ""kind of upset"" because they couldn't put the puck passed him.
Head Coach Mike Eaves called Elliot a representation of his entire team, saying he's good, he just needs to establish himself as a goaltender, much like the team needs to establish itself as a title-contending hockey team.
""Let's see if we can take that step to greatness together,"" Eaves said.
Elliot and his team are ready to take the ice this weekend against St. Lawrence, and take those steps towards greatness.
""I'm sure all the guys, when they get their chance to get in there are gonna prove that they deserve to be there,"" Elliot said. ""I think it's gonna be everyone that shines.""
While St. Lawrence may seem like a meaningless non-conference opponent, the game has special meaning to Elliot.
""A lot of the guys on [St. Lawrence] are from Ontario, where I'm from, so hopefully we'll have a little rivalry.""
