A Piece from the 2024 Stanley Cup Final? Already? Okay Then.

**IrbeFan4Life** · 06-21-2024, 09:59 AM

NEW PIECE ALERT!

Today's stunning "Piece of History" is the 233rd unique NHL goalie to join the vaults of Heroes of the Crease. We had been looking to add a Calvin Pickard item to the museum for quite some time, however, we did not want equipment, we wanted nothing less than a jersey. With his re-emergence as a competent NHL level goalie with the Edmonton Oilers in 2023-24, we figured what better piece to get than this?

What you are looking at right now is a 2024 Stanley Cup Final Edmonton Oilers home jersey worn by Calvin Pickard as the backup to Stuart Skinner on June 13, 2024 vs the Florida Panthers. In it, he took part in the pre-game warmups and also wore it on the bench. It features minimal to no wear as is to be expected, but is an amazing piece from a pinnacle moment of his NHL career. It is NOT for sale, trade, or donation.

Born on April 15, 1992, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Calvin Pickard was drafted 49th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2010, a season which saw him represent Canada at the World Junior Championships. Seeing his first pro hockey action with the Lake Erie Monsters in 2011-12, Pickard established himself as a reliable netminder in the Avs' system. He got his first NHL recalls at the end of 2012-13, but on October 16, 2014, he made his NHL debut. Replacing Reto Berra in goal for the majority of the game vs Ottawa, Pickard stopped 23 of 27 shots that he faced in Colorado's 5-3 defeat. In 2015-16, he appeared in 20 more NHL games and also helped lead Canada to the 2016 IIHF World Championships' gold medal. In 2016-17, Pickard became the 50-game starter of the Avs due partially to Semyon Varlamov undergoing hip surgery that put him out for a large chunk of the season. Pickard also helped lead Canada to a silver medal at the 2017 IIHF World Championships that year.

He was claimed by Vegas in the 2017 Expansion Draft before being traded to Toronto and then winning the AHL Calder Cup with the Marlies in 2017-18. He bounced around the minor leagues and NHL level with several clubs for several seasons including the Maple Leafs, Flyers, Coyotes, (and a brief stint in Austria) before he settled in with the Red Wings' organization for a couple of seasons.

He was signed by the Edmonton Oilers in 2022 and after Jack Campbell was waived in 2023-24, Pickard was recalled and became the number two netminder in Edmonton behind Stuart Skinner, posting solid numbers in 23 games of regular season action. In the 2023-24 NHL playoffs, he also recorded a key win vs Vancouver and provided much needed motivation to Stuart Skinner which helped lead Edmonton to the Stanley Cup Finals.

As his NHL career is very much ongoing, career numbers will not be posted at this time.

This is a picture of Pickard wearing the jersey.

https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/ne...?adppopup=true