MAYER GETS THE CALL

Robert Mayer has made Saint John Sea Dogs history.

The East Coast Hockey League’s Cincinnati Cyclones announced Tuesday that the former Sea Dog goaltender has been called up to the National Hockey League’s Montreal Canadiens. This is the first time in team history that a former player has been assigned to a NHL club.

Mayer was signed by the Canadiens as a free agent in September of 2008 after attending the club’s training camp.

This season with the Canadiens/Nashville Predators affiliate, Mayer has 16-7-1 rookie with a 2.68 goals against average to go along with a save percentage of 0.895. He has been called up to the American Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs several times this year to fill in for a injured net minder. He never saw any game time however.

One of the most heated debates in hockey at the moment is about the crowded crease in Montreal. Mayer will be a fill in at practice for Jaroslov Halak, who is the starting goaltender for Team Slovakia at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. The Habs’ other net minder is Carey Price.

ESPN The Magazine did a poll a few years ago to see what was the most pressure packed job in sports. Being a Montreal goaltender was named number one with the Boston Red Sox’s managerial job coming in second.

Just how hockey crazy is Montreal? The Montreal Gazette reported that Benoit Pouliot hit the ice for practice at precisely 2:51 pm eastern time.

Mayer was selected by Saint John as the third overall pick in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft. He was once believed to be one of the best goalie prospects in the world and was projected to go in the first round of the NHL entry draft. In his rookie season, Mayer had a record of 16-10-1, a 3.77 GAA, and a 0.877 save percentage. He backed-up Travis Fullerton for much of the season.

He was handed the starting job for the 2008-09 season. He played great on some nights, and was awful on other nights. His inconsistent play led to then head coach and general manager Jacques Beaulieu blaming his 19-year old goaltender on many nights for his team’s loss. The most evident fact of Mayer’s lack of confidence came when he blamed himself for Saint John being swept out of the post-season last year.

In his second campaign, he had a record of 26-25-4, a 3.25 GAA, and a 0.900 save percentage. His two year QMJHL career featured 42 wins, 39 loses, and a GAA of 3.41.

Mayer played in the 2008 Home Hardware Top Prospects Game in Edmonton.

He still holds the team record for wins in a season with 26. He is also tied with Marc-Antoine Gelinas, Marco Cousineau, and Karel St. Laurent for most shutouts in a season with two.