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56 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2009 Di Salvo making most of opportunity in Barrie By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF hen the last of the 211 names was called out at the NHL Entry Draft in Montreal in June, Peter Di Salvo couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Di Salvo was coming off a strong season with the Barrie Colts in which he got his first chance to play significant minutes and was rated 14th among North American goalies. Though being drafted was no guarantee, he made the trip to Montreal. After sitting through all seven rounds without hearing his name, the 18-year-old Oakville native would have his spirits lifted before leaving the Bell Centre. He was approached by St. Louis Blues scout Basil McRae, who offered Di Salvo an invitation to the team's rookie camp. At the camp this fall, Di Salvo worked with the Blues' minor league goaltending coach, Ed Belfour -- a goalie who didn't do too badly for himself despite not being drafted. "It was a good experience," Di Salvo said. "It was a good way to get an advantage coming into this season." Di Salvo has always had to work a little harder to earn his opportunities, but has always made the most of them. A second-round pick (and the first goalie chosen) in the 2006 Ontario Hockey League draft, it wasn't until this year -- his fourth in the league -- that he came into training camp knowing the starting job was his. And the Blues' rookie camp provided the perfect springboard to meet that challenge. He came into the season in the best shape he ever had. Now, as the Colts head into the Christmas break, the team is riding a 21-game winning streak and is ranked third in the country. OHL's top goalie in November Di Salvo has been a big reason why. He has won his last 15 games, highlighted by an 8-0-0 November in which he posted a 1.48 average and .946 save percentage to earn OHL goalie-of-the-month honours. It has been that kind of consistency that Colts coach Marty Williamson says has been the biggest difference in Di Salvo's game. Williamson said Di Salvo has found a way to win when things aren't going as well. "He's always had that ability to have huge games but this W PHOTO COURTESY OF TERRY WILSON PHOTOGRAPHY HORSE POWER: Goaltender Peter Di Salvo has backstopped the Barrie Colts to a 21-game winning streak (and counting) in the Ontario Hockey League. The fourth-year OHLer is the No. 1 goalie on his team for the first time since his minor hockey days. year he's brought some consistency. You look at our last game against Sudbury. He let in four goals, which he hasn't done very often, but some of the saves he made -- the game could have gotten ugly. Things didn't go his way early but he battles and stays in there." And the Colts win 5-4. "Obviously we don't want to lose, but we don't want to win because of the streak," Di Salvo said. "We want to win because we want to go to the Memorial Cup." Di Salvo's play has not gone unnoticed around the league. He was named to the OHL team for the Subway Super Series against a team of Russian juniors. Playing in front of the home fans at the Barrie Molson Centre, Di Salvo shared the net with Michael Hutchinson, his former Barrie teammate. It was Hutchinson's trade to the London Knights that See Trade page 57