Maier’s heart will always be with Blades, his only WHL team

Record setting netminder sees Saskatoon as second home

Nolan Maier has a WHL record 122 career regular season wins.

Nolan Maier will always wear his heart on his sleeve when it comes to the Saskatoon Blades, and he expects it will take some time to digest his playing career has come to a close with the team.

On top of being the team’s overage star netminder, Maier played his entire WHL career with the Blades. He joined the team full time as a 16-year-old on November 14, 2017.

He came to the Blades after playing for Team Canada Black at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge that was held jointly that year in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C.

Maier’s WHL career officially came to a close with a 6-3 loss to the Warriors in Moose Jaw in Game 5 of a WHL first round series on Friday, April 29. The Warriors took the best-of-seven series 4-1.

Over the course of five seasons, Maier put a tremendous investment into the Blades and has become fond of Saskatoon as a city itself. Even eight days after the campaign ended, it is a tough pill for Maier to digest that won’t be playing for Saskatoon’s WHL side anymore.

“It is emotional,” said Maier. “I think when you spend a good part of your life in one spot and you get to know a lot of people very well and just like seeing you guys (the media members) every day at the games being around the rink it is very emotional.”

He still feels the sting of the post-season ending loss in Moose Jaw at Mosaic Place.

“It still hurts,” said Maier, who stands 6-feet and weighs 172 pounds. “I think none of us wanted it to end like that or that way at all.

Nolan Maier has a Blades record 5,788 career regular season saves.

“We all thought we had more in us. I think I’m just more grateful that it happened, and I was around such a great group of guys and coaches and management for my whole time here the whole five years. It has just been an honour for me so far.”

Maier departs the Blades as one the team’s all-time greats. He appeared in 216 career regular season games posting a 122-72-18 record, a 2.89 goals against average, a .905 save percentage and 12 shutouts.

Along with those statistics, Maier has played 12,609 career minutes in goal for the Blades and made 5,788 career saves.

His 122 career regular season wins is a WHL record. Maier’s career shutout, games played, minutes played and saves totals are all Blades regular season franchise records.

Getting the WHL career wins record was Maier’s highlight with the Blades. He took sole possession of the record with his 121^st win that came on April 8 with a 2-0 victory over the archrival Prince Albert Raiders before 4,802 spectators at the SaskTel Centre.

Maier made 20 saves to pick up his 12^th and final regular season shutout of his career.

He moved past Corey Hirsch and Tyson Sexsmith for top spot on the WHL’s career regular season wins list. Hirsch and Sexsmith sit tied for second on that list with 120 victories.

Hirsch picked up his 120 victories playing four seasons with the Kamloops Blazers from 1988 to 1992. Sexsmith collected his 120 wins over five seasons with the Vancouver Giants from 2005 to 2009. He also had one non-decision relief appearance for the Medicine Hat Tigers late in the 2004-05 campaign.

Nolan Maier makes a save as a 16-year-old rookie in Nov. 2017.

“It is something I will never forget,” said Maier. “It was kind of the perfect ending just to have it home against P.A. while you get a shutout.

“It was almost like that storybook ending. To get that record definitely means so much, especially just with the same jersey on my back for five years. That definitely meant more to me just to have that.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the team and obviously management for trusting me to play me as much as they did when I was young. That was the only reason I was able to come close. It was something that I will never forget and super special.”

The Yorkton, Sask., product said the WHL wins record wasn’t his greatest achievement with the Blades.

“I think the friendships and the family is what I’m most grateful to achieve,” said Maier. “I think that is something that I will never forget.

“The record, obviously, means a lot to me and is close to my heart, but just the people and everyone that I’ve known and love for the past five years here will be forever.”

Over the past five seasons, the Blades didn’t have any questions in net with Maier playing goal. The Blades will return backup Ethan Chadwick, who is a graduate of the Saskatoon Contacts under-18 AAA team, and associate player call up Austin Elliott, who played most of 2021-22 with the Notre Dame Hounds in the junior A ranks of the SJHL, to be in the goaltending mix as 18-year-olds in 2022-23.

Maier believes the Blades future is bright in goal with the youngsters.

“It will be fun to watch,” said Maier. “I think I will be able to just see from a different view almost as a fan now and just always keeping an eye on them.

Nolan Maier makes a save versus the Raiders on Dec. 27, 2021.

“They have bright futures, and they just got to stick with it and just kind of play their game, because they are here for a reason. They just have to find their own way and just kind of get as many games in as they can, because that is all you have to do especially coming in as a young person. They’ll be fine.

“I’m extremely happy to kind of see their careers unfold.”

As for his future in hockey, Maier doesn’t know what is going to happen. While he has put of great statistics, the 21-year-old has never been drafted by an NHL team or even invited to an NHL training camp.

The fact he stands just 6-feet tall and isn’t at least 6-foot-2 or 6-foot-3 is the obvious drawback as most NHL personal look at size in goaltenders.

Maier said he doesn’t let the lack of NHL opportunities bother him.

“It used to drive me nuts,” said Maier. “It is just that nothing has unfolded yet.

“I’m just looking forward to hopefully something happening this summer. I’m just getting ready for any chance I get.”

Maier is still hoping to play professionally. If that doesn’t work out, he would like to play for a post-secondary school team.

The veteran netminder said he has talked to a lot of post-secondary school teams, but he hasn’t gone any further on that route.

Nolan Maier (#73) departs the Blades as one of their all-time greats.

“I don’t have one picked at all or if I am going to go the school route,” said Maier. “I’m just trying to digest everything kind of coming to an end here.

“I don’t what the future is going to hold, but I will know later on.”

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