TORONTO — Although it's technically a school day, a horde of children and teenagers flocks toward the practice facility at the MasterCard Centre in hopes of getting an autograph from Joe Thornton, Brent Burns, and Logan Couture before the San Jose Sharks take the ice.
Aaron Dell, who's posting numbers that rival any goaltender in the league, breezes through the crowd without being recognized. "The World's Okayest Goalie" has outperformed his nickname, but widespread acclaim has yet to follow.
It seems apparent to everyone but Dell - and, perhaps, the legion of otherwise awestruck children - that the 28-year-old is becoming one of the NHL's most surprising stars. Across 15 appearances (11 starts), he's posting a superlative .934 save percentage and 1.98 goals-against average entering Thursday's road game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both of those stats rank third in the NHL.
Though Dell seems to have outgrown his nickname, he isn't concerned about changing it.
"The name is kind of a joke in the first place, just kind of the way my demeanor is. Just kind of laid-back. I try to go out and give the team a chance to win. I really didn't take too much into it, I guess for the actual meaning of it. I've been having a good season this year and hopefully I can continue," Dell told theScore.
With Martin Jones entrenched as the Sharks' starter, Dell remains the backup, though his situation could change next season - he's set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Dell is reticent on that topic, but his teammates are happy to offer testimonials about the quality of his goaltending.
"They should watch the San Jose Sharks when he's playing. Not enough people watch the Sharks because we start late," defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic told theScore.
"He's a very good goalie - just watch him play."
Blue-liner Justin Braun has noticed a slight change in how Dell carries himself on the ice, but notes that his approach hasn't changed.
"He does look more confident in games but that's never really been an issue for him," Braun said. "He just goes about his business and gets the job done. It's impressive."
Dell's waited a while for the opportunity to impress at the NHL level. In 2010-11, he broke Ed Belfour's single-season record for wins at North Dakota, but the achievement barely registered nationally. He went undrafted, signed with the Central Hockey League, and was named its Most Outstanding Goaltender in 2012-13.
After bouncing around the ECHL and AHL, he signed an entry-level deal with the Sharks in March 2015. Strong play with their AHL affiliate persuaded the big-league club to re-sign him to a two-year contract in July 2016, and he made his NHL debut last season, ultimately appearing in 20 games.
"Every once in a while I just kind of sit back and reflect on it - 'Wow, it's actually happening,'" Dell said. "It's been my dream since I was 5 years old, so every once in a while I've got to think about it and realize I'm pretty lucky to be here. All of the things that had to fall into place and the opportunities, the chance at the right times."
In part due to his long journey to the NHL, it's evident that his teammates couldn't be happier for him.
"He's a really popular guy in the locker room," defenseman Brenden Dillon said.
Though Dell is exceptionally polite and humble about his stellar season, the skaters in front of him agree his old handle no longer fits.
"I didn't know he had that name. ... He's quiet, does what he has to do and when he's in net we have a lot of confidence in him," Vlasic said. "Solid guy, works hard every day. We have two very good goalies."
Dillon added, "I don't know that's much of a nickname for him anymore. I don't know who gave that one to him. But he's a guy that continues to get better every year, at every level he plays at."
Blue-liner Dylan DeMelo says Dell has some other monikers that the general public may not be privy to.
"He's got like 15 nicknames on the team, all probably from Joe Thornton. That's one of many," DeMelo said. "He's done a great job every time he's been in the net. Yeah, I guess you could say he's not the 'World's Okayest Goalie' anymore."
The Sharks are more than OK defensively too. Entering their game in Toronto, they're one of just four teams in the league that have yet to allow 100 goals, and Dell's made a significant contribution to that accomplishment.
Two years removed from an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, San Jose is hanging tough in the Pacific Division and hoping to return. If Dell helps the Sharks lift their first Cup, maybe people will finally call him something more flattering.
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