After the departure of Pheonix Copley due to his contract signing with the Washington Capitals, the starting goaltending situation for Michigan Tech Hockey was labeled with a big question mark.
The opportunity was there and instantly seized by the Caledonia, Ontario, native Jamie Phillips. To start off his junior year in his career with the Huskies, Phillips posted 10 straight wins with two shutouts, setting a university record for most consecutive wins and all the while maintaining a top-five spot in the national rankings of best Division I goaltenders.
Twice this season already, Phillips has been named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week. He boasts a 1.42 goals against average and a 0.950 save percentage through 12 consecutive starts.
The Winnipeg Jets prospect remains calm and humble through all the praise and expectations placed upon him, stating, “Hockey is just a game, and we play it for fun. So I don’t really think about that.”
Upon being asked if there’s more pressure now that the team is ranked among the top in the nation, he responded, “No, not at all. We’re a good team. There’s a little pressure, but I don’t really feel it. I believe in our team’s abilities.”
While Phillips clearly takes his position seriously, he has added some fun to his game, most noticeably in his helmet design which pays tribute to the fans and the surrounding Keweenaw Peninsula.
On one side, there’s a miner and a photo of the Quincy Mine, paying tribute to the historic industry that created the Keweenaw culture. On the other side, there’s the Husky logo. Running down the middle are the Mitch’s Misfits stripes, because, as he puts it, “We have some of the best fans in college hockey.” Printed on the chin is part of the ever so “Tech-y” exdx chant that the Misfits have stapled into their repertoire of cheers. Also down the middle are some snowflakes, which are there for very obvious reasons.
On another part of the helmet, there’s a group of kids playing pond hockey since “that’s how most of us started our hockey careers and how the love of the game grows,” as Phillips put it.
On the back plate is a photo of the Upper Peninsula, the popular internet meme “doge” and a cancer ribbon in support of Phillips’ mother.
Many goaltenders have their own personal rituals and superstitions that they practice before and even during each game they play in. Patrick Roy was famous for never skating over any ice lines; he would always step over them. Similar to Marc Andre Fleury, Phillips will “give the pipes a shout out if they make a big save.” Aside from that, Phillips also practices the same routine every game, and it starts before arriving at the rink.
Since he was about 17 years old, he’d listen to the same songs in the same order through every step of the game-prepping process, including the drive or bus ride to the rink and while getting dressed in the locker room.
Phillips explains the process as mental preparedness tactic. “If you doing something again and again, hopefully the brain and body are able to make a connection and know that it’s game time.”
Now at age 21, the star goaltender surely has his superstitions working in his favor, even for starting down the goaltender’s path at a later age.
Yes, unlike many other premier goalies who start as early as seven or eight years of age, Phillips started his career when he was 12. Since then, he has received opportunities to play through house leagues, AAA and junior hockey in Ontario, which led him to his current home at Michigan Tech.
After the series against Minnesota State, Phillips is now 10-2-0 on the season in the WCHA and ranks third among all goaltenders in Division I hockey.