The Chicago Blackhawks have a goalie, Spencer Knight, who, based on his stats, has a bid for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
The Chicago Blackhawks are 7-5-3. That’s nothing special, but it is an incredible start based on where they’ve been in recent years. It is not too early to look at the standings with American Thanksgiving fast approaching.
Part of the reason they have been a good team so far is the play of their goaltender, Spencer Knight. It is fair to consider him a Vezina-caliber goalie based on his play.
Knight, a native of Stamford, Connecticut, has the stats to back up a claim for the United States Olympic team. Entering Sunday, Knight has a record of 6-3-2 with a 2.33 goals against average and a .926 save percentage with one shutout.
Even if you look at an advanced metric like goals saved above expected, Knight’s mark of 17.38 is the best in the NHL. Without him, the Blackhawks would not be where they are. If he were to fall off, they would fall off with him.
At the 4-Nations Face-Off, Team USA came within a goal of the Gold with Connor Hellebuyck in the net. There is no reason not to go back to the back-to-back and three-time overall Vezina Trophy winner, but Knight deserves a spot on the team.
Hellebuyck’s backups at the 4-Nations were Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman. They are elite goalies in their own right, but Knight has been the best of the bunch so far this season.
USA Hockey might go with the guys who have carried the load for them in the past, but Knight has the stats to back up a claim for a roster spot.
It also isn’t like he has no experience with USA Hockey either. Knight has been a part of some prominent World Junior Championship teams and the Development Program as well.
There is plenty of time for decisions to be made, but Knight has entered the conversation.
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