Goaltending is not really a one-person job anymore, be it in the regular season or the playoffs.
Whether it’s the postseason grind, a downturn, an injury or just something to spark a team, AHL teams will use a by-committee approach to goaltending. It’s something that head coaches are comfortable doing.
Good thing, then, that the Laval Rocket have some impressively deep goaltending talent as they prepare to begin their North Division Finals series in Rochester tonight.
First there is Cayden Primeau, who joined the Rocket shortly after Christmas following a difficult start with the Montreal Canadiens. All he did in Laval was post the best single-season record ever by an AHL goaltender (21-2-2) to go with a 1.96 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage in 26 appearances.
Then there is Jacob Fowler, who won the Mike Richter Award as the top goaltender in Division I men’s college hockey at Boston College this season. The 20-year-old Fowler was a third-round draft pick by the Canadiens in 2023 who has been stellar since coming to Laval, including a .953 save percentage in three starts against Cleveland in the division semifinals.
That abundance means some decisions for Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent, however. On the one hand, Fowler is a top organizational prospect who has excelled so far in the AHL. Then again, Primeau had that outstanding regular season and has considerable playoff experience in the form of a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals with Laval three years ago.
Who starts tonight?
“They’re both going to play,” Vincent told the Montreal Gazette. “But they’re so different, and we’re going to keep it inside. We don’t play games. We analyze it with the goalie coach, and we’re very honest with them. It’s a beautiful problem to have – if you can call it a problem. They’re great people and they support each other.”
The Calder Cup Playoffs are not just for the players dressing every game. Plenty of development can happen behind the scenes, especially when a team has a long break as the Amerks have.
Having not played since May 1, the Amerks have had plenty of time between series for practice, rest and development.
For Devon Levi, who allowed only two goals and had back-to-back shutouts against Syracuse last round, it’s a chance to dig into details that a busier schedule would not allow.
But not too much. It’s also about recharging.
“I think it’s important to find balance in times like these,” Levi outlined. “It’s a great opportunity to work on details and get ready for a series and prepare, but that also has to be balanced with time away from the rink – resting, sleeping, time with the boys just getting together – so that when we do get into that series, we’re fresh and we’re ready to go.”
Rochester’s current roster also speaks to the goaltending assets that the Buffalo Sabres have been accumulating in recent years. Along with Levi and back-up Felix Sandström handling their goaltending, the Amerks have prospect Scott Ratzlaff along with veteran Michael Houser in reserve. Ratzlaff, a 2023 fifth-round pick who just completed a solid fourth full season with Seattle of the Western Hockey League, could be with the Amerks to begin his pro career next season.
Three of the eight remaining head coaches won Calder Cups during their playing days.
Hershey’s Todd Nelson was a defenseman on the 1994 champion Portland Pirates. He has gone on to win four more titles as a coach – one as an assistant with Chicago in 2008, and three as a head coach with Grand Rapids (2017) and Hershey (2023, 2024).
Charlotte’s Geordie Kinnear won a Calder Cup as a second-year defenseman with the Albany River Rats in 1995, where he was teammates with current Hershey VP of hockey operations Bryan Helmer.
And Abbotsford’s Manny Malhotra captured the Calder Cup as a 20-year-old forward with the Hartford Wolf Pack in 2000. Malhotra is in his first season as head coach of the Canucks after seven seasons as an NHL assistant with Vancouver and Toronto.
― with files from Patrick Williams
