Dustin Slade facts for kids

Dustin Slade was born on February 28, 1986. He is a Canadian who used to play ice hockey as a goaltender (a goalie). His last team was the Halifax Wolverines in the Maritime Junior A Hockey League (MJAHL). Before that, he played for the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League (WHL). With the Giants, he helped his team win the President's Cup, which means they were the champions of their league. He was also chosen as a WHL West First Team All-Star, meaning he was one of the best players in his position.

Dustin's Hockey Journey

Dustin Slade started his main junior hockey career in the Western Hockey League (WHL) during the 2002–03 season. At first, he played mostly in another league, the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), with the Quesnel Millionaires. In his first full WHL season in 2003–04, Dustin moved to different teams. He played for the Kamloops Blazers, then the Brandon Wheat Kings, and finally the Regina Pats.

Dustin went back to the BCHL in the 2004–05 season to play for the Surrey Eagles. This happened after he had some issues and was suspended by the Regina Pats. Sometimes he struggled to stay calm during games. Once, he even got 26 penalty minutes in one game, which is a lot!

Later, he was traded to the Vancouver Giants for the 2005–06 season. This was a great year for him. He had a 1.90 goals against average (GAA), which means he didn't let many goals in. He also had a record of 36 wins, 13 losses, and 5 ties in 56 games. He was named to the WHL West First All-Star Team. He was also nominated for the Del Wilson Trophy, which is given to the best goalie in the WHL. Dustin helped the Giants win their first ever President's Cup. This win meant they got to play in the 2006 Memorial Cup tournament. He set a WHL record with 17 shutouts (games where the other team didn't score) in one season, including playoffs.

In the next season, 2005–06, Dustin started sharing playing time with a younger goalie named Tyson Sexsmith. Dustin got frustrated because he wasn't playing as much. So, in November 2006, he decided to leave the team. He wanted to try playing professionally in a smaller league. But he couldn't find a professional team. He asked to come back to the Giants, but they didn't let him. The Giants tried to trade him to other WHL teams, but no trade happened.

Because he couldn't find a professional team, Dustin joined a Junior A team, the Halifax Wolverines, in January. He said that the Giants had stopped him from signing a three-year contract with a team in Germany. About a month after joining the Wolverines, Dustin was kicked out of a game. This happened after he used his stick too high on an opponent, which needed 14 stitches, and then got into a fight. After finishing the season with the Wolverines, Dustin was not able to get a job with a professional hockey team.

Awards and Special Mentions

• WHL West First All-Star Team (for the 2005–06 season)
• Nominated for the Del Wilson Trophy (Best WHL Goaltender) in 2006
• Won the Ed Chynoweth Cup as a member of the WHL champions Vancouver Giants (in the 2005–06 season)