2023 NHL DRAFT CLASS - CARSEN MUSSER

With the 2023 NHL Draft coming up next week, we're profiling some of the players that may be of interest to the Flames in the later rounds. In this edition, we take a closer look at goaltender Carsen Musser of the U.S. National Team Development Program.

Height: 6'4" Weight: 212 lbs.
Position: Goaltender
Catches: Left
Hometown: Fairmont, Minn., USA
Final Ranking: 8th (North American Goalies)

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From the moment he stepped foot in the old Mariucci Arena, Carsen Musser fell madly in love with the college game.

As most Minnesotans do.

In what's affectionally known as the 'State of Hockey' - and where the facility's namesake, former Head Coach John Mariucci, became a legend - some of the game's greatest fans have helped turn passion into a career path under that historic banner.

"I remember the 2014 season like it was yesterday," said Musser, the eight-ranked North-American goalie for the upcoming NHL Draft. "They went all the way to the national championship that year and I must have watched every game.

"They didn't win, but it was pretty amazing - especially with how they got there."

A short-handed goal with less than a second remaining in a 1-1 game sent the Minnesota Gophers past the University of North Dakota and into the NCAA title game. From there, a new generation of locals began dreaming of themselves in that very spot somewhere down the road. For Musser, it was a homegrown talent by the name of Adam Wilcox that provided the biggest inspiration - the South Saint Paul native tending the paint for the Gophers from 2012 to 2015, and providing fans with some of the most electric moments in the history of the program.

"North Dakota was a big rival, so that was incredible on its own," Musser laughed of that unlikely semifinal victory. "But the way it happened? We were all so excited. My dad, my entire family - we were all big Gopher fans. To experience that all with them was pretty special.

"That was definitely good motivation for me as a young player."

Fast-forward nine years and Musser will soon begin his own Division-1 adventure after committing to Colorado College, beginning in the 2024-25 season. The 6-foot-4, 212-lb. puck-stopper - who models himself after fellow skyscraper Frederik Andersen of the Carolina Hurricanes - had a 14-6-1 record, along with an .890 save percentage and a 3.07 goals-against average last year with the U.S. National Team Development Program. He then finished the year with a .947 save percentage in two starts at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship, helping the States win gold.

The numbers won't blow your socks off like they would with some of the higher-ranked goalies in the North-American crop, but the aforementioned size element could certainly be of intrigue for teams looking to bolster their prospect pool.

Certainly, it will take a bit of patience.

But if Musser can develop that raw toolkit and put it all together over the next few years, you can imagine how effective he could be commanding the blue paint.

Just like Andersen.

"I consider him to be more of a hybrid goalie," Musser said. "That's how I picture myself as well."

At the NTDP, Musser was the backup to Trey Augustine - the third-ranked North-American goaltender. But this coming season, he'll likely take on a bigger role with the Madison Capitols of the USHL, before moving on to Colorado Springs. It's there where coaches Peter Mannino and Kris Mayotte - both, former American League puck-stoppers - have an established reputation of helping young netminders.

That path has Musser brimming with excitement.

"They know a lot about the position and can definitely help me reach my goal of playing in the NHL," he said.

"They also just built a brand-new facility. New rink. It's beautiful out there. The day-to-day life away from the campus - you're right there in the mountains, so it was pretty cool to experience that when I went out there. They've got a lot of good recruits going in over the next couple years and we should be a good team coming up this year, which is pretty exciting.

"And at the end of the day, that's why I chose to go there. Obviously, growing up I wanted to be a Gopher. I watched them every Friday and Saturday night.

"But I can tell Colorado College is going to be a very special place to me.

"I wanted to have good academics and pursue something outside of hockey and keep learning in case hockey wasn't the next step, so I always had something to lean back on. That's why I was always leaning towards college. It's a different feel. You get to experience the college life. It's pretty fun watching it. The fans get into it, so it's pretty cool."

On the academic side, Musser is hoping to major in kinesiology. He's taken a great interest in the science behind the sport, and how athletes can maximize their potential.

"I recently became fascinated with anatomy and physiology over the past year," he said. "Just trying to learn more about the body and how I can use those things to help me grow and become the best athlete I can."

And when it comes down to it, that's what the college route is all about in his eyes.