Not too long ago, Ondrej Pavelec packed up his goaltender pads for the summer following a season that ended with him earning fist-bumps and backslaps for his resiliency and perseverance.
Not only did the 27-year-old set career highs for goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts — three of those zeroes coming in the last week of the season when he helped his Winnipeg Jets secure that coveted playoff spot — he was also the club’s Masterton Trophy nominee and finished the spring as the No. 1 puck-stopper for the Czech Republic at the world championship right in his own backyard.