Laval – At what age is a goalie considered too old to attempt a push towards the NHL?
25 years old? 30 years old? 35 years old?
“There is no age to arrive,” Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent said this week, before qualifying his thoughts.
“Actually yes, there is an age… At 45 it’s a bit late. »
In 2002, Tim Thomas was 28 years old when he returned for good from Europe, where he had spent most of his professional career until then, to try his luck in the Boston Bruins organization.
Three years later, the former 9th round pick of the Quebec Nordiques established himself full time in the big league. In 2009, he won the first of his two Vezina trophies. Then, in 2011, he lifted the Conn Smythe Trophy – of which he is still the oldest recipient at 37 – and the Stanley Cup in quick succession.
In short, for some, it’s never too late.
It is in this state of mind that Connor Hughes recently reported to the Montreal Canadiens camp, then to that of the Rocket earlier this week at Place Bell. After seven seasons climbing the ranks of Swiss professional hockey, the Ontario goaltender is making the big move.
At 28 years old. Like Thomas.
“Nowadays, goalkeepers start to reach their peak around 26, 27 or 28 years old. I felt that if I didn’t take my chance now, it would probably never happen,” confided Wednesday the man who signed a two-year, one-year contract with the Habs this summer.
“I’m starting to be in my prime, so maybe being ready now rather than developing here works to my advantage. »
Never drafted in the NHL, the player from London went into exile in Switzerland in his early twenties to make his professional debut in 2017-2018 in the second division. Quietly, he worked his way up to the first division, obtaining a first mandate as goalkeeper no. 1 with Fribourg-Gotteron HC in 2022-2023.
However, it was his excellent campaign with Lausanne HC last year that piqued the interest of NHL teams, including a Canadian looking for a goalie to support his prospect Jakub Dobeš within the club. -school.
Over the course of last season, Hughes went 10-6-0 in 19 games, posting a 1.73 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage before shining in the playoffs.
The imposing 6’4″, 233 lb goaltender then posted 11 victories, helping his team reach the final with a 1.91 GAA and a .933 save percentage.
“A lot of young goalies don’t get the opportunity to play as much as other skaters. That’s kind of what happened to me. I had to work hard in training to build myself up, but when I was offered my chance to start at 25, I jumped at it and took advantage of it. »
“He is still in a position where he can be seen,” explained Vincent. In his attitude, you see, he is a man. He is mature and has experience. […] I was talking about it with Marco Marciano (the Rocket goalkeeper coach, Editor’s note) and it’s obvious that he is hungry. He wants to learn. He wants to establish himself and we will give him opportunities. »
Here to play in the NHL
The mandate that will be granted to Hughes this season will undoubtedly be that of auxiliary to Dobeš, who for the moment has still not been removed by the Canadian.
Not having a real safety valve worthy of the name in his professional debut last year, the CH’s 5th round hope in 2020 initially struggled in the first half of the campaign, before pulling himself together and to shine despite his heavy workload. With 2867:39 minutes spent in the Rocket’s semi-circle, the 23-year-old Czech was trailed only by Matthew Villalta of the Tucson Roadrunners (3048:41) when the regular AHL schedule ended.
“No matter who is No. 1, my job as a veteran is to be a good teammate. I don’t know what their plan is, but if it’s Jakub, I have no problem with it. If it’s someone else, that’s OK,” assured the man who also says he is ready to play the role of mentor, even if it seems premature to him.
“It’s a bit weird because on the one hand I know I’m older, but on the other hand I’m also trying to propel my career. I didn’t come here to play the rest of my AHL career. As fantastic as the environment is, I’m here to play in the NHL. »
And it’s not Pascal Vincent who is going to complain about the latter’s ambitions. Because as the regular season approaches, the tandem at its disposal to defend its net is emerging as one of the strengths of the young team.
“From what we see so far, I think so,” agreed the coach. The Canadiens organization is in a good position currently. »
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