Athlete of the Week: Without a nameplate, Patrick Tolan makes a name for himself in Anchorage Wolverines debut
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Patrick Tolan made his Anchorage Wolverines debut this past weekend without his name on the back of his jersey — just the number 13 and a sponsor for a popular cookie chain.
“I was just happy to get a close number to 10,” Tolan said.
But by the end of his first shift Saturday night, he’d already made a name for himself when his number was called.
“He’s definitely making his presence known with the opportunity he’s been given this week,” Wolverines head coach Nick Walters said of Tolan.
While Anchorage is playing their best hockey of the season — collecting a point in 17 straight games with a 15-0-2 record dating back to Feb. 10 — injury and illness left them looking at their list of affiliate players from for skaters to finish out the regular-season.
That is when Tolan, a senior at South Anchorage High School, got called up.
“The assistant GM texted me and was like, ‘Do you want to come skate with the guys?’, and I was like, ‘Of course I do.’”
Tolan participated in his first practice with the team Monday before skating in a few shifts in his official debut Friday.
During the early goings of Saturday’s tilt with Fairbanks, the 5-foot-10 forward was presented a perfect pass from Arvega Hovsepyan in front of the net, where he buried the puck bar-down for the first goal of the game.
”I just went to the net, I was calling for the puck and roofed it,” Tolan said. “The whole place lit up. I’m going to be honest, I didn’t think it went in — I was looking at the ref, but once I figured it out I celly’d pretty hard.”
That earned him his first career junior hockey goal for his hometown team against their biggest rivals at a crucial time in the season.
“The best part was when he scored, I don’t think he realized that he scored — he was so excited, he surprised himself,” Wolverines head coach Nick Walters said. “The staff here on the bench were chuckling a little bit, it is awesome to see, it is an exciting time for sure.”
Tolan played for South until sophomore year, then skating for Fox Motors’ U18 AAA team of the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League until about a month ago.
”The guys are great, they’re super nice. A whole bunch of them are vets, they tell me what to do, they help me out and I have a whole bunch of questions.”
Growing up in Anchorage, he had scored his fair share of goals at this specific rink.
“I have been growing up in Ben Boeke since I was like 3.”
But none quite like the one he scored Saturday.
“That is probably the highlight of my life,” Tolan said with a laugh.
Tolan’s score ended up being Anchorage’s lone goal in a 2-1 shootout loss to Fairbanks, although they still gained a point in the standings.
”He’s done a phenomenal job, he’s been a little spark for us in practice just with the young energy,” Walters said. “Ignorance is bliss so to speak, so he’s just out there playing hard and it just makes practices better — and he did a great job both nights this weekend.”
As an affiliate player, Tolan can only skate in up to 10 regular-season games for the Wolverines, meaning he cannot join the team during their Robertson Cup Playoff run. The Wolverines are currently sitting in 2nd place in the Midwest Division.
However, it may not be the last time he dons a Wolverines sweater.
”He’s a guy that we’ve been tracking for awhile, he’s come to our camps in the past, he knows our staff well and so he’s definitely on our radar.”
Copyright 2024 KTUU. All rights reserved.
