It is not yet known whether goalkeeper Pyotr Kochetkov will have as long and successful a career as Ron Hextall, but he seems to have the same energy.
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The 23-year-old doorman has made headlines several times since the start of March. He put the icing on the cake Thursday by shutting out the Philadelphia Flyers in his first National Hockey League (NHL) game in nearly two months.
Even though he only took part in 20 games with the “Canes” this season, the Russian thus tied an organizational record for the most shutouts for a rookie in a campaign, with four.
His two previous starts, with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League, had been tumultuous to say the least.
On March 3, against the Manitoba Moose, he scored the first goal of his career. The footage made the rounds of the web: not only did he find the back of the net, but he also launched himself onto the bay window in celebration.
The captain of the Winnipeg Jets school club, Quebecer Jimmy Oligny, did not digest the surge of joy of the masked man. With 25 seconds left in the game, he rushed Kochetkov, and a general scrum led to the latter’s ejection.
Only two days later, Wolves and Moose faced off again. This time it was Kochetkov who freaked out. In the final seconds of the game, he threw away the gloves on his way to the middle of the ice, hoping to find out with the opposing goaltender, Oskari Salminen.
Thus, in two consecutive meetings, Kochetkov received 22 penalty minutes and was expelled.
The 2019 second-round pick, the former Continental Hockey League player has a 14-4-5 record and a .915 save percentage in 23 games on the Bettman League.
As of next season, he could compete with Jordan Binnington, of the St. Louis Blues, for the title of the hottest goaltender in the NHL.