has had quite the season. He wasn’t able to participate in training camp due to an injury, and he didn’t get an opportunity to compete. That put him seventh on the Edmonton Oilers’ depth chart at the time behind Stuart Skinner, Calvin Pickard, Matt Tomkins, Connor Ingram (who was added after camp), Samuel Jonsson and Nathaniel Day. Jonsson and Day were drafted in 2022 and 2023 by the Oilers, while Ungar signed as a free agent last season.

He began the season as the third goalie in the ECHL. The Oilers had to find a team for him to play for, because they didn’t want to carry three goalies in Fort Wayne. Day is 20, Jonsson is 22 and Ungar is 24. They all needed to play, and that started Ungar’s unique journey that had him play on four different teams in his first 12 games of the season. That uncertainty might have hindered some players, but Ungar has thrived and now he’s playing great in the American League.

Ungar’s season had him play four games with the Greensboro Gargoyles, then two with Fort Wayne, then five with Orlando Solar Bears, before he was recalled to Bakersfield in the American Hockey League. Ungar has been outstanding with the Condors, going 6-0 with a .955Sv% and 1.32 GAA. Ungar joined me on Sports 1440 to discuss his unique season and journey to pro hockey.

Connor Ungar: Yeah, maybe someone else said that. But never me, it’s always been hockey. I’ve never questioned my ability to do it. I never thought about anything else. But I think goaltending maybe takes a bit longer, but from my perspective, I just kept playing the game, kept learning, kept growing and just getting better ultimately.

Ungar: To be completely honest, they were just the only team that promised, well not promised, but basically said you’re going to play every game. I knew that if I wanted to move on from there, I needed that right. In U Sport you only play what, 30 games, and I knew I couldn’t get away with playing 15. I needed somewhere where I was going to play 25 plus. I just felt like it was a good fit, ultimately, because of the ice time that was going to be available.

Ungar: I think learning the schedule a little bit. It’s obviously a pretty grueling schedule with a lot of three games in three........

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