The Montreal Canadiens had high hopes for Zach Fucale when he was drafted. A demotion to the ECHL was not in their plans, but many great goaltenders have found themselves where Fucale is today and turned their career around.
The Montreal Canadiens drafted goaltender Zach Fucale with the 36th pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. He was coming off a dream season for the Halifax Mooseheads, and was the first player at his position taken in the draft.
Fucale had already won a Memorial Cup on a stacked, young Mooseheads team. He won almost every game he started that year, reeling off an unbelievable 16-1 record in the postseason.
Fucale would play two more seasons of Junior hockey after his draft season. He continued his winning ways, even after the Mooseheads lost first overall pick Nathan MacKinnon to the Colordao Avalanche. Fucale would play 14 playoff series in his Quebec Major Junior Hockey League career and won 11 of them.
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His team made the Conference Final every year he was in the league. It was an incredible run of dominance for a Junior team in a league where teams typically go from powerhouse to bottom feeder overnight.
ECHL Never In Fucale’s Plans
Fucale suited up for Team Canada at two World Junior Hockey Championships. He won a gold medal at posted fantastic number for his country at the event in 2015. His Junior career was without a doubt one of the best ever.
That is why his demotion to the ECHL today could not have been predicted.
Fucale will pack his bags and head for Brampton where he will become a member of the Beast organization.
The Laval, Quebec native had an up and down year last year in his first pro season. With the St. John’s Ice Caps all season, Fucale posted a goals-against average of 3.13 and a .903 save percentage.
Fucale played just two games with the Ice Caps this season. He allowed five goals in his first start, but bounced back to allow just two in his second outing.
Habs Goaltending Depth Led to Demotion
In goal, the Ice Caps have Charlie Lindgren who was signed out of College last season. He posted a 50 save victory in his first game of the season. He spent the first week of the year with the Montreal Canadiens serving as the backup while Carey Price was battling the flu.
The Canadiens also signed 35 year old veteran netminder Yann Danis. This gave them three goaltenders in the American Hockey League, and it was inevitable one of them would be shipped to Brampton.
It turns out that will be Fucale. Though the demotion is a step back for the young goaltender, this is not a sign that his career is not going to ever take off. Many goaltenders began their pro careers in the ECHL and turned out just fine.
Many Great NHL Goaltenders Have ECHL Experience
Braden Holtby spent some time in “The Coast” when he was 20 years old and he won the Vezina Trophy last season. Jonathan Quick was 22 years old when he played for the Reading Royals of the ECHL and he still managed to win a pair of Stanley Cups.
Jaroslav Halak was a Long Beach Ice Dog, Michael Neuvirth played for the South Carolina Sting Rays, James Reimer was a Royal and a Sting Ray, Mike Smith played for the Lexington Men O’War (seriously).
These goaltenders ECHL careers have a few things in common. They were young when they played there. They didn’t stay for more than half of a season. They also played quite well while they were in The Coast. Even if they were wearing a sweater that had Men O’War on the front.
What this tells us about Fucale is that, at 21 years old his career is not over because of his demotion. It also tells us that he had better step his game up, play well for the Beast, and make sure he is called back up the Ice Caps well before the end of the season.
If Fucale is still in The Coast in March, I will be worried about his prospects of ever making the NHL. However, it’s possible he can get his game back on track and dominate in the low minor league. That could be the turning point and wake up call he needs in his young career.