The American Hockey League has made a name for itself by developing top goaltending talent for decades.
Whether it is a young prospect or an established pro from Europe adjusting to a new style of play, most goalies have to go through the AHL first before reaching the NHL. Goaltending is at a premium and depth is more important than ever, so NHL teams invest considerably in their AHL goalies.
Here is a look at some of the top young goalies debuting in the NHL’s top developmental league:
Joel Blomqvist, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Pittsburgh chose Blomqvist in the second round (No. 52) of the 2020 NHL Draft and signed him to a three-year entry-level contract April 5 after he completed his second full season with Kärpät Oulu of Finland’s Liiga.
In his first full season with Kärpät in 2021-22, he led the league with a .940 save percentage. He also won a bronze medal with Finland at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he played six games.
The 21-year-old has gone 5-3-1 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton; his 10 games tie him for fourth in the AHL, and he has a 2.15 goals-against average with a .916 save percentage.
Drew Commesso, Rockford (Chicago Blackhawks)
Selected in the second round (No. 46) of the 2020 draft, Commesso turned pro after three seasons at Boston University.
The 21-year-old took on a heavy workload and played 34 games as Boston University reached the Frozen Four semifinal. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with Chicago on April 11.
He is 4-2-1 through seven games with a 2.44 GAA and .907 save percentage in a tandem with fellow prospect Jaxson Stauber. He has one shutout.
Erik Portillo, Ontario (Los Angeles Kings)
The Kings added another prospect to their portfolio when they acquired Portillo from the Buffalo Sabres on March 1 for a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
The Sabres had chosen Portillo in the third round (No. 67) of the 2019 NHL Draft, and he went on to play three seasons at the University of Michigan.
The 23-year-old showed that he could take on a lot of work at Michigan, playing 80 games in his final two seasons. After the trade to the Kings, he signed a two-year entry-level contract April 22. He was 25-11-2 with a 3.00 GAA and .908 save percentage in 38 games as Michigan reached the Frozen Four semifinal.
Through five games with Ontario, Portillo is 4-1-0 with a 2.20 GAA, a .917 save percentage and one shutout.
Clay Stevenson, Hershey (Washington Capitals)
With veteran goalie Zach Fucale departing for the Kontinental Hockey League, a spot opened up on the defending Calder Cup champion.
Stevenson, who played one NCAA season at Dartmouth University, turned pro last season with South Carolina, the Capitals’ ECHL affiliate. They had signed him to a two-year entry-level contract March 28, 2022. He played 36 games with South Carolina last season and finished 19-12-3 with a 2.54 GAA and .916 save percentage.
The 24-year-old leads the AHL with three shutouts and is 5-3-0 in eight games with a 1.75 GAA (third in the AHL) and .927 save percentage (sixth).
Ludovic Waeber, Charlotte (Florida Panthers)
New to North America, Waeber brings considerable experience with him.
Florida signed the 27-year-old to a one-year contract June 12 after he spent six seasons in Switzerland’s National League. Last season with Zurich, he played 19 games and was 8-9-1 with a 2.50 GAA and .914 save percentage. He later represented Switzerland at the IIHF World Championship and played three games.
With top prospects Spencer Knight and Mack Guzda also in Charlotte, Waeber has had to compete for playing time. But with Knight and Guzda both unavailable last week with Charlotte on a West Coast trip, he won a pair of starts at San Diego (Anaheim Ducks). He had a 21-save shutout in a 1-0 win at San Diego on Nov. 17.
He is 4-2-0 with a 2.31 GAA and a .913 save percentage in six games.
