The NCAA announced the 10 semi-finalists for the Mike Richter Award, which is given to the top goaltender in college hockey. Two Montreal Canadiens goalie prospects have been named among the semi-finalists: Alexis Cournoyer and Emmett Croteau. Cournoyer is currently in his first season with Cornell University, and there is no question that the Canadiens prospect has impressed. In 19 games with the school on the year, the 20-year-old goaltender has a 14-5-0 record, a 1.91 goals-against average, and a .922 save percentage. These are undoubtedly strong numbers from the 2025 fifth-round pick, so it makes sense that he is in the running for the award. Yet, Croteau has also been impressive this season with Dartmouth College. In 15 games this season, the 2022 sixth-round pick has a 10-3-2 record, a 1.85 goals-against average, and a .923 save percentage. With this, there is no question that the 2022 sixth-round pick has had plenty of success in 2025-26. Seeing two Canadiens goalie prospects thrive at the collegiate level is undoubtedly encouraging. It will be interesting to see how Cournoyer and Croteau continue to develop from here.
