Hill continues to grow into solid goalie for Winterhawks

So far, the former distance runner and badminton aficionado has done that. Hill has stopped 92.8 percent of the shots he has faced this season, the best save percentage in the WHL. His goals-against average of 2.71 is seventh best in the league.

And he has made the big saves. In a Jan. 28 win over Victoria, for example, Hill made several point-blank saves early and stood strong during a late-game push for a tough 4-3 victory.

“There were a lot of difficult saves,” Hill said after that game. “But it comes down to being calm and relaxed, and knowing I know how to stop the puck and I’ve trained to do that over the years.”

Three years ago, Hill’s passion and focus stood out during his first training camp with the Hawks. He seldom left the rink, even during breaks, and paid attention to the way veteran players handled themselves.

He admits to being a bit intimidated during that first training camp, playing against older players. But Hill did not allow a goal in that training camp tournament, or in the next year’s Neely Cup. It helped that he grew quickly. And kept growing.

Today, Hill stands 6-foot-4, a foot taller than four years ago. Now the athletic ability that got him a shot in the WHL are his fallback. Now Hill presents an imposing figure in the goal crease.

“I used to be very aggressive outside of the crease, scrambling almost, and trying to dive to make saves and just using my athleticism,” Hill said. “Now that I’ve grown I can be a little more calm and relaxed, which is the way goaltender is played more often now.

“I’ve relaxed a lot more now. I just focus on positioning and make sure I’m there before the puck. Then if I have to use my athleticism on certain saves I’ll use it.”

Growing up in Calgary, Hill used that athletic ability in soccer, lacrosse, baseball basketball and a variety of track and field events. He even played on his school’s badminton team, where his goalie skills served him well.

He enjoyed all of those sports. He jokes that if he had grown sooner it would have helped his basketball career, skills he demonstrated by dunking a basketball in dress shoes after the Trail Blazers’ Dec. 30 Winterhawks Night game. But hockey was always his passion.

Hill first played goalie because he was too good as a 7-year-old forward. He would score the allowed three goals in the first period of his youth games in Calgary, so his coach put him in goal. He grew to love being the guy the rest of the team is counting on.

“Your team relies on you and you have huge control on the outcome of the game,” Hill said “If you have a bad game your team will lose, but if you have a good game you can win the game for your team. That’s the best feeling I think there is.”

Hill first experienced that feeling as a Winterhawk last March. In front of a sold out Rose Garden, Hill relieved injured Corbin Boes after Seattle tied the game 3-3. Hill stopped all 12 shots he faced the rest of the way in a 7-3 Portland win.

“I definitely had some shakes, but I settled in and it felt awesome playing in front of that many fans,” Hill recalled.

In four appearances last season, Hill had four wins, a 1.65 goals-against average and .934 save percentage. That small sample proved to Hill he could play in the WHL. The goalie, like the sample size, is bigger now. But Hill, who credits coaches from Calgary to Portland for his improvement, isn’t taking his recent success for granted.

“The biggest thing is to win,” he said. “You can have a great game and give up three goals or you can have a rough game where you struggle to see the puck and give up one.”

Winterhawks coach and general manager Jamie Kompon said the coaching staff has talked to Hill about how to handle the attention that comes with his recent success, including how best to handle questions from scouts and media. The attention spiked after Hill was named Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Week following consecutive shutouts on Jan. 3 and 4.

“I think it was a little overwhelming with all of the attention he’s been receiving. For a young player, that’s our job (as coaches) to help him manage that,” Kompon said.

After a rough game at Kamloops and a tough first period in the next game at Prince George, Hill regained his groove. He helped the Winterhawks to six consecutive was, playing his best in tight games.

“I really believe he is channeling his energy and his thoughts into the game,” Kompon said. “I’m proud of Adin and how far he’s come. I think he still has another level to his game that he’s going to attain. He’s on the right path right now.”