Brett Fullerton of the Haliburton County Huskies with the puck from his goalie goal and the team’s player of the game jacket following Friday’s game in Wellington.
By Jim Mason/OJHL Communications
Brett Fullerton of the Haliburton County Huskies doesn’t expect to challenge for the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s scoring title.
But his insurance marker last weekend could be the goal of the year in the 24-team league.
The Ancaster native scored what’s believed to be the first goal by an OJHL goaltender in 11 years in a 3-1 win over the Wellington Dukes in Wellington Friday.
With his Huskies on the power play, Fullerton corralled the puck behind the end line and fired it the length of the ice into the vacated Wellington net.
The 19-year-old celebrated as forwards and defencemen do, hugging his linemates then skating by the bench and high-fiving his teammates.
Of course this being 2023, his phone lit up with text messages and calls all weekend.
“Looking back at it, it is one big blur,” Fullerton told the OJHL. “Watching the video helped.”
Wellington pulled its own goalie while killing a penalty during the last minute of regulation play.
“They were forced to dump it in,” Fullerton said, “and it was right to me. I grabbed the puck and didn’t bobble it all. Saw I had a bit of time and there was an empty net and I just launched it.”
But he wasn’t trying to score.
“Normally, If it was like a 3-1 game, it would be something I’d be thinking about; hoping I’d get the chance,” he said. “But, to be honest, it didn’t even cross my mind. I didn’t say ‘I’m going for the empty net.’ I just grabbed it and shot it.”
Fullerton attempted to score last season while playing Jr. B with the Chatham Maroons but a defender jumped and knocked down his shot at the Chatham blueline.
“It was pretty close. I think it would have gone in,” he said.
“Two years ago with Saginaw (of the Ontario Hockey League), I tried it and it didn’t go anywhere; it got stopped up in the middle.”
Just like Sidney Crosby shooting at the family clothes dryer, there is training involved.
“I used to shoot pucks all the time in my basement when I was younger with my goalie stick and glove and blocker,” Fullerton said. “I think that’s where I got my shot from. I think I’ve got a pretty good shot.”
In Haliburton, Fullerton and goalie partner Logan Kennedy regularly fire pucks end to end during breaks at Huskies’ practice “seeing if we can score on the other guy’s net. I guess that helped a bit.”
Haliburton Head Coach Ryan Ramsay played five years of junior and 16 seasons of pro hockey in North America and Europe. Now 40, he’d never seen a goalie goal before Friday.
“Brett plays like a third defenceman out there,” Ramsay said. “Every night. He’s really, really good with the puck. I think he might have a harder shot than two or three of our own guys. It’s a cannon of a shot.”
Fullerton followed up his goal game with a 24-save 2-1 win over the Stouffville Spirit in Minden Sunday.
Is he a marked man across the OJHL now, with the opposition well aware of his shooting prowess?
“It’s kind of cool, knowing that teams will have to be careful with that,” Fullerton said with a laugh.
Gabe Grunwald of the Georgetown Raiders recorded what’s believed to be the last goalie goal in the OJHL during a 3-0 win over the Mississauga Chargers on Nov. 12, 2012.
Fourteen goaltenders have scored a total of 17 goals in NHL history, including Tristan Jarry who scored the first by a Pittsburgh Penguin on Thursday.
One night ahead of Brett Fullerton’s goalie goal.
