09/09/2006

Prospects look to impress at Centre ICE

Montoya hopes to be first Cuban-American player

BY JAMES COOK

jcook@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Cuban cigars are often enjoyed by National Hockey League stars in celebatory situations.

But Cuban players in the National Hockey League?

That's never happened.

Al Montoya hopes to change that.

The former University of Michigan goaltender and first-round draft pick of the New York Rangers aims to be the first Cuban-American to play in the NHL.

His mother, Irina Silva, fled Cuba with her parents when she was 9 years old, arriving in Florida and eventually moving to Chicago, where Montoya was born.

"My mom came over right after the Bay of Pigs in Cuba," Montoya said. "They were on the wealthy side and she was able to come over. Typical story — over there she had everything and came over and had nothing. Ended up selling strawberries in Miami and then coming over to Chicago."

Picking up hockey in Chicago — where he grew up across the street from a hockey rink — he played in the North American Hockey league for Texas and the U.S. National U-17 team for a season each before earning a scholarship to play between the pipes at Michigan, where he posted an 81-28-8 record in three years. The Rangers picked him sixth overall in the 2004 draft, an extremely high spot for a goaltender.

One year of minor-league work for the Rangers' affiliate in Hartford produced a 23-9-1 record and 2.61 goals against average, but he's likely ticketed to return to the AHL for another season because of New York's deep goaltending situation.

He says he'd rather head back to play for the Wolf Pack than ride the pine for the Rangers, who have returning 24-year-old starter Henrik Lundqvist and veteran Kevin Weekes in goal.

"I know what I'm capable of," Montoya said. "I need to keep going in the right direction, keep working on my game, keep working hard and it usually works out.

"I'm going to put my best foot forward, but there are a lot of goalies in the system. I'd rather be playing games, and it makes no sense to be up top and not play any games."

In the last four years his highest goals against average is 2.69, and that was as a junior with Michigan, where his record that season was 25-6-3.

His trip to Traverse City for the NHL prospects camp — where the Rangers are one of eight teams competing — is his first return to Michigan since he was drafted.

He almost came back last year for Michigan's alumni game, but held off.

"I couldn't play golf and couldn't play hockey, so I figured next year would be a better time," Montoya said.

The 6-foot-2, 201-pound netminder is making his return to action in Traverse City after a lengthy absence due to surgery on his glove-side shoulder to repair the labrum.

"I'm just getting back in the swing of things," Montoya said. "I need to get my feet back underneath me and get ready for mini-camp."

Montoya will be in the Rangers' full training camp when it starts on Sept. 14.

His time in the NAHL was a little different, as he entered the league with Texas at a very young age, then went back to playing among his peers age-wise with the U.S. National U-17 team.

"Playing with 21-year-olds and then going to play with all 16-year-olds is quite a lot different, but it was exciting and fun," Montoya said.