Strong support staff is helping Jake Oettinger become a star

When you first look at Jake Oettinger's numbers, he seems like an overnight sensation.
The 23-year-old goalie is 2-1 with a 1.01 goals-against average and .969 save percentage in his first three playoff starts. That's amazing, really.

But when you look at the work behind the scenes, Oettinger's been preparing for this moment for years. Not only did he play in huge games in high school, college and world juniors, he's received top-notch training at the pro level.
When the pandemic caused the playoff bubble in 2020, Oettinger was invited to be one of the extra players. He observed to start in the Edmonton compound and then eventually worked his way to the bench and the ice. After Ben Bishop battled an injury, Oettinger was elevated to the backup spot for Anton Khudobin. He watched 21 playoff games from the bench and participated in practices as the Stars fought all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, losing in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He also played in two games, making his NHL debut while allowing no goals on eight shots.
"It was huge for me," Oettinger said. "Just to be that close and observe, it was amazing."
Oettinger said he actually benefitted from the fact that there were no fans in the building, and he had to bunker up with his teammates. Mix in plenty of time with goaltending coach Jeff Reese and both Bishop and Khudobin, and it was a pretty intense classroom.
Teammate Tyler Seguin said that continued this year with veteran Braden Holtby.
"He's been around guys like Anton and seeing Holtby's work ethic and being around guys like Bish, he's kind of come into the perfect environment. He's done a great job," Seguin said.
Oettinger also had a pedigree even before he got to the bubble. The Stars moved up in the 2017 draft to take him in the first round (26th overall), so he definitely had talent. He's listed at 6-5, 220, so he's an athletic specimen. In fact, he said he understands his size and uses it on a regular basis. When he stopped Johnny Gaudreau on a breakaway late in Game 3 while protecting a 3-2 lead, Oettinger said it was a fairly routine play.
"I felt like he didn't have room to make a move, so I thought he was going to shoot," Oettinger said. "You've just got to get out there and take some ice away. I'm a pretty big goalie, and I think if I get out there, there's not much to shoot at."
It's that matter-of-fact attitude that earns confidence from his teammates. Seguin said he knows Oettinger believes he can compete at this level, but also said he doesn't come off as "arrogant."
"He's not scared of the moment, he wants the ball," Seguin said. "You could tell from Day 1 that he has that chip on his shoulder. He doesn't have the arrogance because he's still a sponge."
That sponge factor is where the influences of guys like Bishop, Khudobin and Holtby have helped. Oettinger works with Reese every day and has learned a great deal from the veteran. However, having players like Bishop and Holtby there to simply discuss being a goaltender has been invaluable.
Rick Bowness was an assistant coach in Tampa where Bishop helped the Lightning to the Stanley Cup Final and said the man who saw his career end in injury last season has a special mind.
"Bishop's a true pro, he's very smart and he's got a ton of experience," Bowness said. "He really has an intelligent mind for hockey. When he was playing with us, I'd ask him `What are you seeing out there?' and you'd get an accurate response because he was very smart."
Holtby's won a Stanley Cup and a Vezina Trophy with Washington, and he also has been open with sharing his experience. He's out right now with an injury, as well. Mix in newly acquired backup Scott Wedgewood, and Oettinger's had a great support group.
"Holtby was a great influence on him," Bowness said. "Braden's a wonderful character guy, a team guy, he's won a Cup, won a Vezina, he knows shooters, he knows how to deal with a partner, so there was a tremendous trust there. And I give Scott a lot of credit because we didn't know him, but he's come in and been a positive influence for Jake as well."
That said, Oettinger's the one who has to make the stops. He said that while he was able to watch several of these Calgary players in the bubble, that's not the information he takes away from the experience. Instead, he remembers the vibe when the Flames took a 2-1 lead in the series and were close to closing out Game 4. Then, Joe Pavelski scored with 11 seconds left, Dallas won in overtime, and the Stars moved on with two straight wins.
"The biggest thing I learned is that at times it feels like you're going to be playing golf in three days and the next thing you know you've won the series," Oettinger said. "So obviously this series is far from over."
And that's a pretty mature outlook for a guy who's just getting started.
"This is what it's all about, it's playoff hockey," Oettinger said. "When I was younger, every night was playoff hockey, so being in the position I'm in now is what I've been preparing my whole life for."
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.