Former Tisdale Trojan Justen Close makes the save during a contest against Penn State on March 8, 2024. (Brad Rempel/University of Minnesota Athletics)

By Ben Tompkins

Heading south

Former Trojan signs professional hockey deal in ECHL

Aug 30, 2024 | 3:39 PM

A former member of the Tisdale Trojans will soon be playing hockey at the professional level.

Justen Close, a goaltender with the Trojans from 2014 to 2016, has signed a pro hockey contract with the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL.

The Icemen are the affiliate team of the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Rochester Americans, and therefore the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Buffalo Sabres, as well.

Close has spent the past five seasons in the NCAA Division I ranks with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.

The 26-year-old netminder has had a remarkable last three years in the State of Hockey, posting a 14-5 record in 21 games played (GP) during the 2021-22 season, where he registered a 1.95 goals against average (GAA) and a .925 save percentage (SV%).

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He followed that up with a 26-10-1 record in 2022-23 in 37 GP, producing a 2.02 GAA and a .927 SV% to go with six shutouts.

Close finished his final year of eligibility this past season, grabbing a 22-10-5 record in 38 GP, with a 2.36 GAA, .923 SV%, and four shutouts.

The Kindersley native was twice named as an honourable mention to the Big 10 (B1G) Conference All-Star Team in 2022 and 2024 while receiving conference Second Team All-Star honours in 2023.

Close, who stands at 5’10” and weighs 174 pounds, also helped guide Minnesota to back-to-back conference regular season championships in 2022 and 2023.

In Tisdale, his numbers were just as impressive as he suited up 22 times in the regular season during the 2014/15 campaign, recording a 2.09 GAA and a .919 SV%. He went on to add a 1.96 GAA and a .914 SV% in six playoff games that year.

Close wrapped up his Trojan days in 2015/16, spotting a 1.96 GAA and .931 SV% in 22 regular season matches, before backstopping a 2.40 GAA and .911 SV% in 12 postseason contests.

Kindersley’s pride and joy played for his hometown Klippers between his Trojan and Gopher days, twice being named the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s (SJHL) top goaltender.

In his three seasons, Close had 59 wins, 11 of which were shutouts, during a combined 126 regular and postseason games.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8