Forrest in Flint via Powassan
He has made the jump from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to the Ontario Hockey League — and as a 19-year old rookie, no less — but goalie Garrett Forrest is going to have to wait a few weeks before getting back into the net.
Forrest, who was a first-team, NOJHL all-star with the Powassan Voodoos in 2015-2016 before signing with the Flint Firebirds on September 2 after his OHL rights were obtained from the North Bay Battalion in an August 22 trade, has a minor lower-body injury that is expected to sideline him for about two more weeks.
With 1999 birth-year netminder Kyle Keyser up for trade, the plan in Flint is for Forrest and 1998 birth-year holdover Matthew Menna to hopefully be the Firebirds goalies when the OHL regular season begins on Wednesday, Sept. 21.
Once healthy, Forrest will be expected to challenge for the no. 1 job, Firebirds general manager George Burnett told HockeyNewsNorth.com.
“When we traded for (Forrest) we knew we were getting a good goalie with a strong track record who put up good numbers on a good team (Powassan) in a very-good league (the NOJHL) last season,” Burnett began. “And when he came in to our training camp it was very clear that he could help us, which is why we signed him.
“We are lacking experience back there but right now we are comfortable with who we have in Garrett Forrest and Matt Menna,” Burnett said evenly.
As the 19-year old Forrest is an OHL rookie, the 18-year old Menna has played in just 16 OHL games — six with Flint and 10 with the Sudbury Wolves last season.
Meanwhile, with Forrest on the verge of making his OHL debut with Flint, Powassan general manager Chris Dawson is not surprised that his former goalie has moved up a level.
“Garrett is one of the fiercest competitors I have ever seen in goalie and he hates to lose,” Dawson told HockeyNewsNorth.com. “He has tremendous mobility which makes up for his lack of (5-foot-11, 170 pounds) size.
“He never gives up on a puck and has fantastic down-low movement,” Dawson added in further praise of Forrest. “I don’t think anyone in the Voodoos organization was surprised to see him sign an OHL contract.”
At the very least, it has been an improbable route to the OHL for Forrest, who hails from a town not associated with developing hockey players — Ashburn, Virginia.
PHOTO: Flint Firebirds goalie Garrett Forrest.
Good Luck to the kid he’s a dam good goalie / good to see another player from the NOJ move on up to the O.
They still haven’t traded Will Bitten?
Ryan,
When they do, we’ll have it here for you.
That Forrest is a killer goalie! Watched him many times.
That’s a great story indeed.
I think that Flint got them-selves a Goalie who will steel Games and make a diffrence IMO. I saw him win many a game for Powassen last season.
I got to know Garrett on and off the ice last year in Powassan. Flint has a fantastic goalie and a fine young man! It will be Battalion’s loss i am afraid. Garrett will back his team up every day. On and off the ice. Good luck and we will miss you.
Your bang on Diane!