Steve Mason(ice hockey) |
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Steve Mason (born May 29, 1988 in Oakville, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Steve Mason started his junior career in 2005–06 with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). After playing 12 games in his rookie junior year as a backup, he was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 3rd round, 69th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Mason started the 2007–08 NHL season with the Columbus Blue Jackets but was returned to London after being a healthy scratch for Columbus' first two games of the season. While competing for Team Canada at the 2008 World Junior Championships, he was traded by the London Knights to the Kitchener Rangers on January 4, 2008, hours before the semi-final game.
Upon returning from the World Junior Championships with a gold medal, Mason was briefly recalled by the Blue Jackets on an emergency basis in February, but did not appear in a game and was quickly returned. Nearing the end of the season back with the Rangers, Mason suffered a knee injury, but with the playoffs approaching, he tried to play through it for several weeks. After defeating the Plymouth Whalers in the first round, Mason was pulled out of the lineup and underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on April 18, causing him to miss the remainder of the OHL playoffs, as well as the 2008 Memorial Cup. Kitchener won the OHL championship without Mason, but lost 4-1 in the Memorial Cup final against the Spokane Chiefs.