Garret Sparks
| Garret Sparks | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
June 28, 1993 Elmhurst, IL, USA | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Catches | Left | ||
| NHL team | Toronto Maple Leafs | ||
| NHL draft |
190th overall, 2011 Toronto Maple Leafs | ||
| Playing career | 2013–present | ||
Garret Sparks (born June 28, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL. Previously, Sparks has also played for the Leafs' minor league affiliates, the Toronto Marlies and Orlando Solar Bears. Sparks was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the 7th round, 190th overall in the 2011 Draft.
Playing Career
Sparks played minor league hockey with the Chicago Mission of the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League, before joining the Guelph Storm of the OHL in 2010. Sparks made 19 appearances for the Storm, going 8-6-1 for a .890% save percentage, playing well enough to pick up by the Toronto Maple Leafs 190th overall in the 2011 Draft that year. Sparks would spend the next two seasons with the Storm, briefly playing in 3 games for the Toronto Marlies at the end of the 2012-13 season. The next year, Sparks would split time between the Marlies and the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL.
Going into the 14-15 season, Sparks was expected to be the Marlies starter, however, a poor training camp lead to goaltenders Christopher Gibson and Antoine Bibeau beating him out on the depth chart, forcing management into sending Sparks down to the Solar Bears for most of the season, only seeing brief time with the Marlies when one of their goalies was injured. Sparks excelled with Orlando, recording a .936 save percentage in the regular season, adding a .921% in the playoffs.
The following season saw Gibson traded to the Islanders as part of a package deal for Michael Grabner, leaving an empty roster spot on the Marlies. Sparks succeeded in retaining the job, and served as the backup to Bibeau to start the season. However, an injury to Jonathan Bernier on the Leafs forced management to call up Bibeau, leaving Sparks with the starting duties. Sparks took off with the job, and was named the AHL's 1st start of the week for November 8th, 2015. Sparks had stopped 96 of 101 shots faced during his time as the starter in Bibeau's absence, which was good enough to hold to job once Bibeau returned. When injury once again plagued the Maple Leafs, this time falling on James Reimer, Sparks was called up, in reward for his recent solid play. Bernier had struggled up to this point, remaining win less through the first two months of the season. Following a poor showing against the Rangers, where Bernier was criticized by head coach Mike Babcock, Sparks was informed he would make his first NHL start on November 30th, 2015, in a home game against the Edmonton Oilers.