Wahlstrom's Shootout Goal Was One for the Ages

This year's Bruins Academy Mini 1-on-1, powered by TD Bank, will take place on Sunday, Jan. 14 at TD Garden.
BostonBruins.com- Oliver Wahlstrom knew he wanted to make his mark.
Day after day, the Maine native - just nine years old - took the ice at his home rink with a stick and a puck to, as he called it, "mess around." There was no specific drill, no pre-meditated plans, just the love of the game and an endless bounty of creativity and imagination.

It was during those sessions that one of hockey's greatest viral moments was born.
"It came natural to me," said Wahlstrom. "It was confidence in my ability to make that move - I practiced a lot. My dad and I, when I was little, got ice all the time. We would skate…maybe like 4 or 5 hours a day. Just get some pucks, do some drills, mess around a little bit, have some fun.
"That's where I kind of picked it up, just getting open ice by myself when I was a little kid and just enjoying the game and playing all the time."
So when Wahlstrom, then a member of the Portland Junior Pirates, took the ice at TD Garden in the fall of 2009 for TD Bank's Mini 1-on-1 tournament, he was confident in his ability to pull off something spectacular.
As Wahlstrom weaved down the middle of the ice, it looked like any other shootout attempt. But when he reached the slot, Wahlstrom swept the puck onto the heel of his stick, spun around, and whipped it by the opposing goalie in a tally more commonly seen on a lacrosse field.

It was, no doubt, the most memorable goal in the tournament's history, and propelled Wahlstrom into the national spotlight. His goal received millions of views on YouTube and even led to a nationally televised morning show interview.
"It was probably a dream of mine at that age to play - I'd never skated on an NHL rink before - so being able to get the opportunity to play, do a shootout tournament on the NHL rink was a very special [memory] of mine," said Wahlstrom.
"On top of that, shootouts are my thing. I love doing them. When I was little, I always had fun with them. So going into that whole tournament, I had a plan in mind to do something funky, do something fun, if I was up a few shots or something.
"I came down to the finals, I was up by two, so I decided I was just going to have some fun with it, try that, and it worked. I was kind of surprised. I think everyone was surprised. I just try new things. It was fun, a good experience."
And one that still follows him nearly a decade later. Wahlstrom, now 17 years old and a member of the U.S. National Team Development Program, still gets asked about the highlight-reel tally.
"It was a long time ago, but people still remember it," said Wahlstrom, who has 34 points (19 goals, 15 assists) in 29 games with Team USA's U-18 team this season. "Some people go, 'Oh my God, you're the kid who did that move.' It's still fun to get some publicity out of that."
The goal, however, was far from the end of his hockey career. In 2013, Wahlstrom became the youngest player ever to commit to a collegiate hockey program when he signed with the University of Maine, the alma mater of his father, Joakim.
It was a dream come true for a Maine kid who was once the Black Bears' stick boy.
"I'll be honest, the U-Maine commit was a little early," said Wahlstrom. "But when I was little I lived close to Orono, I was the stick boy for the U-Maine Black Bears…I would always go to every game. My dad went there, so it was like, 'Wow, of course, I want to play there.'"
But as his game progressed, Wahlstrom decided he wanted to keep his options open, and some two years later he switched his commitment to Harvard, where he will suit up for coach Ted Donato next fall.
"I fell in love with Harvard. The coaching staff is unbelievable. I believe in what they do there," said Wahlstrom, who is projected to be a top pick at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. "Harvard is a good spot for me to play hockey and also get an education. But I think the No. 1 thing on my mind is hockey, and I believe that hopefully I can produce with them and have fun and go to Harvard for 2018."
It appears to be just the beginning of a long and successful hockey career - one that was thrust into the spotlight with a shootout goal for the ages.
"I love hockey, a big passion and that's the only thing I want to do with my life. I want to play hockey as my job, that's my thing," said Wahlstrom. "After that [goal], I just decided to say, 'Hey you know what, I need to take advantage of this and play more hockey, work out harder, and just train because hockey is the thing I love to do.'
"I'm a kid who believes that I've got to work hard, I've got to develop to be able to get to the next level. But I have the confidence that if I keep working, hopefully hockey could be my job in the upcoming future."
And, who knows, maybe some day he'll be back at TD Garden for a repeat performance.