Adleman emerges as one of NA3HL’s top goalies in 2020-21 with Helena
To say AJ Adleman’s first year in junior hockey exceeded his expectations would be an understatement.
The 2020 graduate of Medford Area Senior High emerged as the starting goal tender for the Helena Bighorns about one-third of the way through the team’s 40-game regular season, posted a winning record in his 27 starts, including three shutouts and finished the year representing the Bighorns at the Top Prospects weekend in St. Louis April 18-19, an event that showcases the top talent in Tier III junior hockey.
“Going into it, I really didn’t expect much,” Adleman said. “It went better than I expected. I kind of expected to not really play much this year, especially being a rookie and coming in as like a third-string. I took the spot over and just kind of ran with it. I think I finished the year number four overall in save percentage, which, I’ll take that, especially as a rookie. I was the only rookie in the top 10, I’ll definitely take that.”
Adleman appeared in 29 of the Bighorns’ 40 games. He was credited with a 13-12 record between the pipes with an overtime loss and a shootout loss. He had an impressive .931 save percentage, allowing just 78 goals on 1,136 shots faced, and a solid. 2.74 goals against average. As Adleman’s play improved, so did the Bighorns. After a 2-9 start, the Bighorns wound up just shy of making the playoffs, finishing with 17 wins, 20 losses, two overtime losses and a shootout loss in the Frontier Division of the North American 3 Hockey League.
The way the team played in the second half of the year should give it a momentum boost. Adleman is among more than a dozen players he said are committed to returning in the fall if they don’t get offers to move up to the Tier II North American Hockey League. Junior hockey is one of the primary routes players go to hone their skills and attract interest from college hockey programs.
“Our team made some very good pickups throughout the year that definitely turned our season around,” he said. “With all of those guys coming back, this next year I wouldn’t doubt us winning. We’re going to have an unbelievable team next season. I’m super excited.”
As for his performance in 2020-21, the All-Great Northern Conference honorable mention goalie from the previous winter, said the day-in, day-out work that goes into playing at the junior level took his game to new heights.
“The way I see the game is the same,” Adleman said. “But my game knowledge and understanding of how plays are going to happen and seeing things before they happen – that’s just completely changed. It’s progressed so much. Not only that, my ability to play the puck from behind the net and kind of be that third defenseman, that’s completely progressed. I went from barely being able to lift a puck with my goalie stick to now I can call plays and redirect it. It’s crazy.
Other things I’ve done to improve are my hand-eye coordination. When you’re working that much every day, constantly playing, it’s going to increase. I didn’t expect it to get that much better. Everything kind of progressed.”
The big moment in Adleman’s season came Dec. 11 when he notched his first shutout in a 2-0 win at Great Falls.
“I think it was my sixth or seventh game,” he said. “We played Great Falls, which is Helena’s biggest rival. They were number one at the time. I think it was our third win. I had a 52 or 53 save shutout. It was just a huge game. We were up 1-0 throughout the game and we scored an empty netter at the end. But it was just a huge game that kind of solidifi ed my spot as one of the better goalies in the division. Just a huge head-turner moment. It was awesome, everything about it.”
It was the start of a three-game winning streak for Adleman. He earned his second shutout Jan. 5 in a 6-0 win at Yellowstone, needing just 17 saves. He stopped 47 shots in an 8-0 blanking of the Butte Cobras on Feb. 20.
He had a season-high 54 saves in 1-1 overtime tie at Great Falls, who eventually won the game in a shootout.
The season ended with Adleman being one of three Bighorns being selected to play in the Top Prospects event, with one of the others being Rhinelander’s Harland Wojtusik. Adleman said those two weren’t the only Great Northern Conference representatives there. Gunner Schiffman and Zach Maillette of Northland Pines played in the event, which featured four all-star teams playing two games apiece. Brady Snedden of Northland Pines was part of the Oklahoma City Blazers, who were among the final four teams in Tier III’s Fraser Cup playoffs.
“There was definitely some representation from the GNC, which was kind of cool to see.”
At Top Prospects, Adleman split goal tending time with Trevor Mellen of Great Falls for Team Bauer, which lost its first game 5-3 to Team Krampade April 18 and blasted Team K1 9-1 the following day.
“I was told going into it it was going to be a lot faster, a lot like the NAHL, the league above us,” Adleman said. “I think I let in four goals on 40 shots or something like that. I’ll take that, especially going against the competition we were facing. Every kid there knows how to play. Every kid there is good. Knowing I can play at that next level is kind of nice to know.”
Adding to the buzz about next year for Helena was the announcement in April that the team had new owners, Jed Snyder and Mike Greene, who both played for a previous junior team in Helena. Adleman said they’ve been busy upgrading the rink and locker rooms, introducing new logos and jersey and they have connections that could give players more chances to advance.
“I’m definitely looking forward to that,” Adleman said. “I have a few chances to make the NAHL this summer, but if that doesn’t work out I’m more than happy to go back.”
