Storm goaltender Cody Creasy scored a goal in Friday night's 5-2 win over Summerland (Image Credit: CFJC Today)
GOALIE GOAL

Storm goaltender Creasy makes history after scoring goal

Jan 30, 2023 | 5:31 PM

KAMLOOPS — Storm goaltender Cody Creasy is the talk of the KIJHL — and some parts of the country — as his goal Friday night against Summerland has gone viral.

Creasy says it’s only the second time in league history that a goalie has scored.

With the Storm up two, the Brandon, Manitoba native scored with two seconds left and was bombarded by his teammates.

“I didn’t even look at the clock to be honest and shot the puck as hard as I could, hoping it would go in,” he said. “It went over a couple guys, so I guess I got lucky.”

However, luck doesn’t tell the whole story. The goal wasn’t just Creasy scoring on a whim. With an injured Summerland player on the ice, the Storm gathered at the bench — and being up two goals — talked about the possibility of setting up Creasy for a shot.

“It was around the three or four-minute mark, our assistant coach Andrew Fisher gave us the idea that if their goalie gets out we’re going to pass it back to [Creasy] and try and go for it,” said Storm captain Jameson Rende, who was the player to feed Creasy. “A couple minutes went by, it was near the end of the game. The original plan was to get up the ice and hinge it back to him, give him some time, but there wasn’t much time left, so I just throw it — a hope play — thank God it worked out.”

Creasy added, “Hats off to Jameson Rende, our captain, who actually pulled off the pass to me. I didn’t really have much time to get the shot off, but I put my head down and shot it.”

Once the puck went in, the team swarmed Creasy, who then the fly-by on the Storm bench — a moment he won’t soon forget.

“My guys were crazy, jumping on me, giving me hugs and everything,” he remembered. “It was unbelievable. The fly-by that I did, I wasn’t wanting to do it, but I think that’s one of the most memorable parts of it, having all the guys being a part of it, and even afterwards, getting a little water shower from the guys. Our dressing room was soaked, but it’s something I’m going to be able to remember for my whole life.”

Rende added, “We were kind of just all jumping, like little kids, then he led the fly-by, which was pretty cool as well.”

Storm head coach Jan Ludvig has been around the game for a long time, playing for the Kamloops Junior Oilers for one season before a seven-year NHL career. He was also a long-time scout in the league.

He had fun being on the bench for Creasy’s goal.

“It was a pretty special evening. I’ve actually been around, of course Ron Hextall in my day when I was playing and then Marty Brodeur when I was scouting, but this is my question for all of you hockey buffs and historians. This could be the first set play ever because Jameson could’ve gone up the ice and he looked up and played it back to Cody,” said Ludvig. “Cody, of course, roofed it. I wondering if this is the first-ever in hockey, a set play.”

Regardless, it was a special moment for the players, coaches and fans in attendance at Friday night’s game and something that likely won’t happen again anytime soon.

“Every goalie dreams about, whoever straps on the pads dreams about it,” said Creasy. “I think I’m the second goalie in the league to ever to score a goal, so it’s going to be a really memorable moment for myself.”