9th year goaltender Mark Dekanich(31) is off to a rocky start with new team Reading Royals early in 2016/2017 after signing a one-year deal with Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
In 10 ECHL games he has a 3-6-0-1 record with a disappointing 3.58 GAA and .893 SV% on a team that is also struggling slightly out of the gate.
This is in sharp contrast to just a year earlier, when the decently-sized net minder appeared in 35 regular season contests for South Carolina Stingrays, while under contract with Hershey Bears.
He recorded a quite healthy 20-9-2-2 mark with a 2.16 GAA and .925 SV% including 2 shutouts, then went 5-3 in 10 Kelly Cup Playoff games with another pair of blankings, 1.69 GAA and .922 SV% through the Eastern Conference Finals before bowing out.
Previous to returning to North American hockey, he had a pair of stints in the KHL for Medevescak Zagreb.
His first season went well but unfortunately deteriorated in his second.
The 30-year old former Colgate University standout may be running out of time on the ice but would make for an outstanding goalie coach post-career.
Mark Dekanich(1) St. John’s IceCaps
5th year goalie Mark Dekanich(1) has always posted a winning record since turning pro in 2008.
He was originally a 5th round pick in the 2006 draft (#146 overall) by Nashville Predators and tended net in their system, mostly with AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals for his first three seasons.
In 2011/2012, his first and only season with Columbus Blue Jackets, a series of high ankle sprains and a groin injury limited his availability to only 5 regular season games with Springfield Falcons.
The 6’2″ 192 lbs. 26-year goaltender is still looked at as a potential NHL backstop (he’s appeared in one game) and Winnipeg Jets think that could be the case as they signed him to a one-year, two-way contract for the upcoming year.
Most likely he’ll compete for the St. John’s IceCaps‘ starting job.