Absurd Goalie Monday: Scott Bailey

While many say hockey is a game of fate, there's some who believe that it's actually a game of faith. A bad opening, sure, but I'm never good at these things. This week's AGM found that he had a higher calling for him after his time in the sun on the rink was over. This week, the profile of Scott Bailey.

Bailey started off his career in midget AAA playing for the Calgary AAA Flames for the 1988-89 season, while also playing in two games for the WHL's Moose Jaw Warriors, going 0-1-0 in those games. Bailey play in the Alberta Junior League in the 1989-90 season for 17 games before moving to the WHL full-time for the 1990-91 season with the Spokane Chiefs. In that season, Bailey went 33-11-0 in 46 games, with four shutouts. However, that season, former AGM Trevor Kidd was acquired, relegating Bailey to the bench for the playoffs (in which the Chiefs won the WHL) and only getting into one game (a win) in the Memorial Cup finals-- which the Chiefs also won. Bailey was named Rookie of the Year in the WHL and named to the Second-Team All-Star roster. Bailey would be the starter for the Chiefs in the 1991-92 season, posting a 34-23-5 record in 65 games, then going 5-5 in the playoffs. It would be the second straight season Bailey would have Second-Team All-Star honors.

During the Draft, Bailey was selected in the 5th Round by the Boston Bruins. The 1992-93 season saw Bailey in the ECHL with the Johnstown Chiefs, playing in 36 games and finishing with a 13-15-3 record. Bailey would spend the majority of the 1993-94 season in the ECHL, but this time with the Charlotte Checkers, going 22-11-3 in 36 games, while also going 1-2 in three playoff games. Bailey would also get promoted to the AHL's Providence Bruins that season, going 2-2-2 in seven appearances. Providence would be Bailey's home for the 1994-95 season, with a 25-16-9 record with the P-Bruins, while going 4-4 in the playoffs.

The 1995-96 season had Bailey spend the majority of it with Providence, going 15-19-3 in 37 games, but in the middle of the season; Bailey got a call to the Boston Bruins, where he would play in 11 games and put up a 5-1-2 record. That record and a solid training camp allowed Bailey to be with Boston from the start of the 1996-97 season, however-- he would go 1-5-0 in eight games, which would see him be sent to Providence. With the P-Bruins, he would go 11-17-2 in 31 games, then 3-4 in seven playoff games.

Bailey moved to the IHL and the San Antonio Dragons for the 1997-98 season; where he would put up an 11-17-3 record in 37 contests. Bailey would be back in the IHL for the 1998-99 season, playing in 17 games with the Orlando Solar Bears, putting up a 5-7-0 record before moving to the ECHL's Birmingham Bulls for 27 games and finishing with a 16-8-2 record, then going 2-3 in five playoff games.

The start of the 1999-2000 season had Bailey play in Finland for a six game stint, going 0-4-2 with Tappara Tampere; but would be signed by the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL in December of 1999, where he would play 31 games and post a 10-16-4 record. The Checkers would loan out Bailey to the AHL's Saint John Flames for four games, where he would go 0-1-0. Bailey stayed with the Checkers in the 2000-01 season, splitting time with Jason Labarbera-- playing in 29 games and putting together a 10-12-5 record, then going 1-2 in three playoff games.

Bailey went to the extremes in the 2001-02 season, first playing a game with the London Knights in the British League, before going half-way across the globe to sign on with the Anchorage Aces of the Western Coast League for 10 games, going 1-7-1 in those games before he would hang-up the pads.

Post-hockey, Bailey worked on his college life, attending Taylor University College in Edmonton where he would earn a degree in Religion and Theology, while minoring in Biblical Languages (Greek and Hebrew). Right now, Bailey is working on his Masters in Bibical Studies at Trinity Western University in British Columbia; as well as blogging about a variety of things at Scotteriology.

As a late-bloomer, Bailey was able to mature faster into the professional game, but it seemed that one thing or another stopped his sticking power in the organization he was in; resulting in bouncing all around the globe. But, as he tells it, he's blessed to have had the chance to do what he's done.