Denver goalie Tanner Jailletap mask is a work of art that begins each season as a blank canvas.
After an NCAA championship and the Mike Richter award as college hockey’s top netminder last season, Jaillet laid out design elements for his final go-round with the Pioneers: a Canadian flag, a Bible verse, the years from all eight DU national championship seasons and the image of a Pioneer goaltender that came long before him — Ron Grahame (1969-73).
Grahame is now DU’s director of athletics with more than three decades as a Pioneer through several different roles. With DU set to begin NCAA Tournament play at 5 p.m. Saturday against Penn State in Allentown, Pa., Grahame’s place in school history is being challenged by the same goalie who now honors his legend with a mask tribute.
Grahame won a program-record 82 career games in net. Jailletap all-time mark sits at 81. So if DU advances to the national semifinals, Jaillet will stake his claim as the most successful goalie in team history.
“I am very proud of the record, but I’d love nothing more than to see Tanner break it,” Grahame said. “He’s a quality young man. He’s done a wonderful job here at DU. He’s grown as an athlete, a person and definitely as a goalie.”
Added DU coach Jim Montgomery: “Ron Grahame was a terrific goaltender, and I’m not saying this because he’s my boss, but I remember watching him play in the NHL when I was a kid. The fact that Tanner is approaching his wins record or is close to it speaks volumes for what he’s done here at the University of Denver.”
Jaillet again proved to be among the nation’s best this season as one of five finalists for the Mike Richter award. No player has ever won it twice. But the pressure to repeat was amplified by a youth movement on DU’s roster that led to increased opponent scoring opportunities. Jaillet’s motto: “Control what you can control.” He posted a 21-8-7 record with a 1.85 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and five shutouts.
All the while, Grahame’s likeness shined brightly on Jaillet’s mask.
“We’ve got an amazing program here with a really proud history and I thought it would be cool to do something a little throwback,” Jaillet said. “Plus, Ron is a legend at DU and is still a huge part of our program here.”
Grahame was lost for words when he discovered the tribute.
“I was a little overwhelmed to be perfectly honest,” he said. “It was a remarkable gesture on his part and I was very humbled by it, but also very appreciative that he would think of me in that way.”
TALENTED TANNER
DU senior goalie Tanner Jaillet’s statistics as the Pioneers begin NCAA Tournament play Saturday:
133: Career games, most in school history
81: Career wins, second in school history
.929: Save percentage this season, second in the NCHC
1.85: Goals-against average this season, seventh in the NCAA
5: Shutouts this season, tied for fifth in the NCAA