Former Erie Otter and Sarnia Sting goaltender has signed with the Chicago Blackhawks AHL affiliate
Former Erie Otter and Sarnia Sting goaltender has signed with the Chicago Blackhawks AHL affiliate
Former Erie Otter and Sarnia Sting goaltender has signed with the Chicago Blackhawks AHL affiliate.
Monday, AHL’s Rockford IceHogs announced the signing of goaltender Ben Gaudreau to a one-year contract for the 2024-25 season.
Gaudreau, 21, was a top 10 pick (seventh overall) in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection coming out of the Northern Ontario region. He played three seasons with the Sarnia Sting up until a trade early this past season which sent him to the Erie Otters.
The Corbeil, Ontario native was originally a third-round, 81st-overall draft pick by the San Jose Sharks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, but the team elected not to sign him to an entry-level contract.
Gaudreau had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic in his draft year, although as soon as he was given the opportunity to showcase his talents to NHL scouts at the 2021 U18 World Championships, he made his mark.
He went a perfect 5-0 for Canada, posting a 2.20 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage, winning a gold medal and voted the tournament’s best goaltender.
Ben also represented Canada at the 2023 World Juniors where he also won gold, suiting up in only two games as the team leaned on Thomas Milic to run the crease.
Gaudreau had a losing record of 10-13-1-1 in his rookie season. Outside of that, he finished every season with a winning record.
He finished his OHL career with a 3.53 goals-against average, a .890 save percentage, and a 74-54-10-5 record.
As a first-year goalie transitioning to the professional level, it's challenging to secure a full-time position in the AHL unless you capitalize on your opportunities when you get the chance to play, or if injuries affect other players. It's probable that he will spend some time in the ECHL playing for Rockford’s affiliate, Indy Fuel.
However, the Blackhawks organization has only four goaltenders signed at the moment and the door is open for Gaudreau to slide in and make his bid to upgrade his AHL contract to an NHL one.
Gaudreau is currently attending the Chicago Blackhawks development camp, which runs from Jun. 30 to July 5.