Condon comes to tend goal

With goaltender Robert Mayer in Switzerland playing for his adopted homeland in the Spengler Cup, the Hamilton Bulldogs have sought help from their East Coast affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers.

Mike Condon, a 23 year-old Princeton grad, has been turning heads in his first season as a pro, and he hopes to continue to do so with the Bulldogs.

Mike Condon arrived in Hamilton in a bit of a whirlwind. He had just returned to Wheeling, West Virginia from a road trip in Florida when he got the call from the Bulldogs. He then drove all night through a snowstorm, and arrived in Hamilton only a few hours before the team hit the ice for practice: “It was great, only a couple hours sleep, I’m a little slap happy right now. I’m sure I’ll crash in about 20 minutes, so. “Being ready for practice is my biggest goal every day. Take care of that and the games will be easier.”

The Montreal Canadiens signed Condon following his senior season at Princeton, and was immediately loaned to the Houston Aeros after skating in four East Coast League games. This year with the Wheeling Nailers, Condon has won ten of the eighteen games he’s played, making 520 saves, for a .925 percentage.

Condon says: “I’m just trying to get used to the pro life. More consistent. My senior year I only played 24 games I’ve already played 18 games and we’re not a quarter way through the season, so.”

Head coach Sylvan Lefebvre says he isn’t sure when Condon will get to play, but he’ll be with the Bulldogs for at least the next two weeks, while Robert Mayer plays back home for the Geneve-Servette Hockey Club at the Spengler Cup: “We thought it was a good opportunity for Robert to go and show what he can do for the Swiss National team and also for him to get into games at that level.”

Condon says: “I’m ready to fill-in whenever necessary and just go from there, not think too much about it.”