Joel Laing

Joel J. Laing is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former goaltender who was an All-American for Rensselaer.
==Career==
After finishing up his junior career, Laing travelled to New York and began attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the fall of 1996. He debuted for the ice hockey team as a freshman and shared the starting job with fellow freshman Scott Prekaski. The Engineers finished with a winning record, but neither of their two netminders distinguished themselves as the go-to goalie. It was much the same in Laing's second season, with the sophomore spearing to be heading for a good, but not great, college career. Things began to change in his junior year, however, and Laing began to demonstrate an improvement in net. He started 26 of the team's 37 games and finished the year with 5 shutouts, a new program record. Laing's senior season was his crowning achievement as he cut nearly a full point off of his goals against average and posted career highs in most categories. His .947 save percentage was one of the highest single-season totals for qualifying goalies in history and he bested his shotout record by blacking the opposition six times in 27 games. Laing was named as an All-American and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. His performance got the team all the way to the ECAC Championship game and a #13 finish in the national ranking. Unfortunately, they were left out of the 12-team NCAA Tournament.
After graduating, Laing attended the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins training camp and was signed to a minor league contract. He was assigned the Wheeling Nailers and established himself as the team's top goaltender over the course of the season. He was called up to the AHL for 16 games and put up decent but unspectacular numbers. His second season appeared to be going even better, as his performance in the ECHL was improving, but he wasn't retained by the organization. Laing continued his playing career in England, suiting up for the Sheffield Steelers and compiling an outstanding season. He helped the team win the regular season championship, as well as the Challenge Cup, being named as not only the league's top goaltender, but the 2003 BISL Player of the Year. 
Laing retired from professional hockey in 2003 and began working as a senior assurance manager for Ernst & Young. At the same time, he also enrolled at the University of Notre Dame and earned a master's in accounting in 2004. Laing remained with the company until 2012 when he joined the Sleep Number corporation, settling in the Minneapolis area. He worked his way up to Senior Director of Finance (as of 2021).
Laing couldn't stay away from hockey, however, and started coaching youth hockey in 2018. He's worked with several teams since, stick mostly with Squirt (10 and under) and Mite (8 and under) groups.
Laing was inducted into the RPI Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.
==Statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	W 	L 	T 	MIN 	GA 	SO 	GAA 	SV% 		GP 	W 	L 	MIN 	GA 	SO 	GAA 	SV%
1993–94 	Minot Americans 	SJHL 		38 	— 	— 	— 	— 	138 	0 	4.39 	.897 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1994–95 	Minot Top Guns 	SJHL 		36 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	3.79 	.890 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1995–96 	Minot Top Guns 	SJHL 		14 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	5.01 	— 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1995–96 	Melfort Mustangs 	SJHL 		31 	16 	8 	2 	1600 	91 	0 	3.41 	.899 		2 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	3.00 	.910
1996–97 	Rensselaer 	ECAC Hockey		20 	10 	7 	2 	1096 	56 	0 	3.07 	.918 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1997–98 	Rensselaer 	ECAC Hockey		19 	9 	8 	2 	1076 	53 	2 	2.95 	.909 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Rensselaer 	ECAC Hockey		27 	16 	9 	0 	1559 	73 	5 	2.81 	.921 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1999–00 	Rensselaer 	ECAC Hockey		27 	17 	7 	2 	1613 	49 	6 	1.82 	.947 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Wheeling Nailers 	ECHL 		47 	17 	18 	7 	2615 	125 	1 	2.87 	.911 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 		16 	5 	8 	1 	864 	47 	0 	3.26 	.902 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Wheeling Nailers 	ECHL 		43 	20 	20 	3 	2382 	110 	2 	2.77 	.925 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Sheffield Steelers 	BISL 		28 	— 	— 	— 	1710 	44 	— 	1.54 	.941 		17 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	2.74 	.910
2003–04 	Milestone Flyers 	QVHL 		9 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	3.11 	— 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NCAA totals	NCAA totals 	NCAA totals		93 	52 	31 	6 	5,345 	231 	13 	2.59 	.926 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
ECHL totals	ECHL totals 	ECHL totals		90 	37 	38 	10 	4,997 	235 	3 	2.82 	.918 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Awards and honors==
Award 	Year 	
All-ECAC Hockey First Team 	1999–00	
AHCA East First-Team All-American	1999–00	
BISL First Team All-Star 	2002–03	
==References==
==External links==
*
Category:AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans
Category:Canadian ice hockey goaltenders
Category:RPI Engineers men's ice hockey players
Category:Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins players
Category:Wheeling Nailers players
Category:Sheffield Steelers players