NHL fans, it is about time that we start to remember the name Sam Hillebrandt. The 18-year-old has put himself on the scouting map quickly. He is part of the Barrie Colts’ goaltending tandem along with Ben West. Both are spectacular goalies and people, but Hillebrandt’s journey to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has been a very unusual one.
Hillebrant was just recently named to the USA World Junior training camp roster and is currently in Plymouth, Michigan. He is expected to be named to the team as the third-string goalie behind Trey Augustine (Detroit Red Wings) and Jacob Fowler (Montreal Canadiens).
However, if you ask Hillebrandt, he has other plans. “In my mind, my main goal is to just go there and win that number one job.” Regardless of what happens, the team and the fans are extremely proud of his accomplishments. I asked his teammate KaShawn Aitcheson about Hillebrandt’s invitation, and he proudly said, “Honestly, so deserved.”
I had the opportunity to sit down with Hillebrandt this past week and talk to him about his journey to the OHL as well as his USA 2024 World Junior invitation.
A Little About Sam Hillebrandt
Hillebrandt was born on Feb. 25, 2001, in Port Huron, Michigan but is considered to be a native of Riverview, Florida. He grew up wanting to be just like his father, Jon Hillebrandt. Jon was a goalie himself and was drafted by the New York Rangers in the 10th round of the 1990 NHL Draft. He also played for the USA Olympic team in 1994. Unfortunately, he never made it to the NHL; however, he did go on to play 10 seasons in multiple different leagues.
When I asked Sam about his dad, he had this to say: “My dad played when he was younger, and I wanted to try it out myself. I was just trying to be like him.” His hope for himself is that his name will be called during the 2024 NHL Draft. I asked him if he had a team or two that he would like to be on their watch list, and he had some fun choices. “Honestly, any team that would be able to pick me, but if I got to choose, it would probably be the Tampa Bay Lightning or Nashville Predators, great fan base and not a bad spot to be.”
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It was no surprise to hear one of the two Florida teams on his list because he is a Florida native. When I asked about the recent success of NHL teams in the Sunshine State and the impact it has had on Florida, he answered, “Definitely a big impact. With them doing so well as of late, it’s drawn a lot more people into the sport.”
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Regardless of what team drafts him, they will be getting a very well-spoken young man who battles night in and night out. In the interview, I asked Hillebrandt about his experience playing hockey in Florida, to which he replied, “But it was interesting compared to Michigan. You have to travel more, especially to find a better team. There’s not as much ice around, so it is kind of a struggle to get team practices.”
Hillebrandt Reflects on His Career
As I previously mentioned, Hillebrandt has had a very unique journey to the OHL. How many players in the OHL can say that they played a year in Junior C the year prior and are now starters for their respective OHL team? Not many; however, he managed to stay humble when I asked him about his journey: “My journey is unusual compared to others, but no one has the same journey.” Last season, he played three games with the Colts and had a 1-1-0 record, with a 3.76 goals-against average (GAA) and a .898 save percentage (SV%), and was deemed the third-string goalie on the team.
He also suited up for the Stayner Siskins of the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL), and this is where he found his game. Hillebrandt dominated this league, but at that time he worked on his fundamentals and used what he learned to get to where he is today. During his time with the Siskins, he played in six regular season games and was 6-0-0 with a 1.98 GAA and a .931 SV%. In the playoffs, he was 5-0-0 with a 2.82 GAA and a .907 SV%. When I asked him to reflect on his time with the Siskins, he humbly answered, “Every day I just try to do my best to get one percent better. You’re going to have your ups and downs; just stay level-headed, take the positives out of everything, and just try to make yourself a better human and athlete as possible.”
This season, he reflected on his favourite thing about playing in Barrie: “Probably the coaching staff and fans.” Colts fans are very passionate and love to cheer on their club. He also mentioned that his favourite moment as a Colt was winning his first game in overtime. In my experience watching the Colts this season, I truly haven’t seen a tandem of goalies that manage to raise their game to another level in overtime like Hillebrandt and West do for Barrie. It reminds me of Joseph Woll for the Toronto Maple Leafs; they just find a way to make a much-needed save and give their team the best chance to win.
Now that Hillebrandt has been given the opportunity to represent his country at the 2024 World Junior Championship, he will prepare his game and hope to win the gold medal. He described what it was like to get the call from Team USA: “At first, it was unbelievable; I was really happy, like there was every possible emotion running through my head.” He will be the first Colt to play for Team USA since Erik Reitz in 2002, and they finished fifth, failing to bring home a medal. The last Colts’ goalie to represent a country at the World Juniors was Mackenzie Blackwood in 2016 for Team Canada, and they finished sixth, also failing to medal. This gives Hillebrandt a chance to be the first Colts’ goalie and American to bring home a medal.
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I also asked Hillebrandt a few quick questions, like who his favourite player was, and it came as no surprise to hear him say fellow American Patrick Kane. He also mentioned that Dustin Wolf was his favourite goalie in the NHL as of right now. Lastly, I asked him to look ahead and talk about what would happen if he didn’t get drafted, to which he replied, “Your play will take care of itself.” As I mentioned before, he is extremely well-spoken, and based on his play this season, he will find a new home at the next level. However, before we get that far, both he and his club are focused on this season in hopes of locking down a playoff spot and playing meaningful games in April 2024.
Either way, for Hillebrandt personally, I believe I speak for all of Colts Nation – as well as the organization and his teammates – when I say we are all proud of you and hope you make the USA proud this holiday season. Good luck in Sweden, Sam!
