Texas Brahmas player profile: Joe Palmer

With his first win as a Brahma behind him, the rookie goaltender looks forward to the regular season

Fans first learned about 21-year-old Joe Palmer from a press release two weeks ago from the Rockford Ice Hogs (AHL). Since then, the 6'1", 205 pound native of Yorkville, New York has all but been named the Brahmas second goaltender for the 2009-10 season and has earned his first victory on the ice for the purple and black, in a 4-3 pre-season match against the Allen Americans last Thursday.

Chicago Blackhawks General Manager of Minor League Affiliations Mark Bernard announced on September 29th that the IceHogs had assigned Palmer to the Brahmas. It was the first time in the three years that Rockford has been a member of the AHL that the team has assigned a player to a non-affiliate.

“I feel very strongly that it is important for Joe to play as many games as possible this year and the opportunity for him to play for Texas allows this,” Bernard said. “We have three young goaltenders that we have to get into games and after a very frustrating season last year with Ohio State, it is imperative that Joe go to the location that will give him playing time.”

Side note: Brahmas assistant coach Ron Vogel was a goalie with the Ice Hogs who played in 65 games during the 2003-04 season and 42 games during the 2005-06 season.

Palmer, a three-year letter winner for the Ohio State Buckeyes, was a three-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and two-time Academic All-Big Ten choice as a communication major. He played in 68 games for the Scarlet and Gray, recording 25 wins, a 3.04 GAA and a .889 save percentage, along with two shutouts.

He was a member of Team USA at the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship. He was also a fourth-round draft pick (#96 overall ) of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

You can read some detailed information on Palmer's time at Ohio State here.

Palmer attended his third consecutive training camp when he joined the Brahmas on the ice at the NYTEX Sports Centre this past week. Nearly a month ago, he was at the Chicago Blackhawks camp and then was assigned to the Ice Hogs on September 16th. Palmer appeared in one preseason game with Rockford, stopping 20 shots en route to a 4-0 shutout of the Chicago Wolves.

Here's a talent analysis from hockeysfuture.com:

A strong skater with good balance and flexibility. At 6’1, 205 lbs, he has good size and plays in a low crouch butterfly stance; he’s also very good at covering the lower portion of the net and is very quick in his lateral movements, which allows him to stay square to the shooter. His quickness and reactions are very impressive for a goalie his size. Palmer also displays on-ice intelligence, as he does a good job of reading and following the play and is hardly caught out of position.

Emulating his idol Martin Brodeur, Palmer is smart at handling the puck and making good decisions when moving the puck up to his forwards or leaving it for his defense. Palmer always comes out of his net to challenge shooters and cut down the angle and is not afraid to use his poke check. He is a very focused and determined competitor who never gives up on a play, and his mental toughness helps him thrive in big-game situations. Palmer uses his frame and strength to his advantage when fighting to gain proper position and recover any loose pucks in his crease when there is traffic in front of the net.

Palmer was invited to the 2006 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, N.Y.. He saw action in three games for Team White at the camp, leading all goalies with three wins (3-0) allowing four goals and making 44 saves.

Palmer spent two years with the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He won gold medals at both the 2005 and 2006 IIHF Under-18 World Championship and was named Team USA Player of the Game in gold-medal winning game vs. Finland in the 2006 World Championship. Palmer played in 47 games for the NTDP Under-18 Team in 2005-06, with a 2.49 goals-against average and .903 save percentage.

In 2004-05, he saw action in 25 games for the Under-17 Team and two games for the Under-18 squad, posting a 3.22 goals-against average and .903 save percentage, along with four shutouts. He also played for Team USA in Four Nations Cup in 2003-04 and 2004-05.

A well-rounded athlete, Palmer played baseball, football and participated in track & field in high school. Now an avid golfer, Palmer is sure to be hitting the links at many of the area golf courses whenever he gets the opportunity.

There's a great set of photos from Ohio State here.

Photo Credits: Robert Keith (top), Getty Images (bottom)