In case you missed it, this past week was dubbed Goaltender Week by the National Hockey League. All week long the NHL has been“celebrating the goaltending position, from Aug. 26 to Sept. 1, reveling in the uniqueness and artistry of the puck-stoppers behind the masks.”
I’m completely on board with this, seeing as this position is one of the most elusive in sports. Just what makes a goaltender tick? What makes them successful? Does anybody really know?! Not many people can call themselves experts when it comes to the magic of the man between the crease. And who the hell wants this job anyway?! Of their own volition, goaltenders repeatedly put their bodies in front of a rubber puck flying at them with great velocity. Not to mention they’re either the saviors that stood on their heads or the scapegoats that lost the game for the team (one extreme to the other!).
With this in mind, I wanted to give some love to the Chicago Blackhawks goalies as we head into the 2024-25 season.
Blackhawks Showcase Hockey Masks
Hockey is such a team-first sport that players tend to shy away from their own individuality. It’s always “we” and “the team”. But goaltenders are unique in that they can express so much artistry and originality in their goalie masks and pads. The Blackhawks showcased some of these masks this week on X.
masks that belong in the Louvre🧑🎨 #NHLGoalieWeek pic.twitter.com/PQNcb8DsxY
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) August 27, 2024
I just love the creativity & artistry that goes into hockey masks. This is something individual & unique in a sport where everyone is encouraged not to stand out from the team. Goaltenders might have one of the hardest jobs in the world. But at least they have this outlet to express themselves.
We see current netminder Petr Mrazek sports a colorful and shiny mask in the picture above. But what else has Mrazek been up to?
Mrazek Enjoys Busy Offseason
The 32-year-old very much stole the show last season. He overcame previous injuries to become the Blackhawks’ No. 1 goaltender, suiting up for 56 contests and posting a .907 save percentage and a 3.05 goals against average. He did this all despite a very porous defense in front of him and a much younger Arvid Soderblom (25 years old) competing for the same job.
Mrazek’s experience and consistency in net earned him a two-year extension with the Blackhawks. He’s already made his mark with his teammates both on and off the ice. But we’ve learned a few other tidbits about Mrazek recently.
For one, he tied the knot over the summer. What a beautiful couple!
Everyone say congrats to the Mrazeks❤️ pic.twitter.com/BNooK4Dn6l
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) August 9, 2024
Apparently Mrazek also really likes his timepieces. Yep, according to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman in his recent “32 Thoughts”, the Czech native visited the luxury watch Adudemars Piguet factory/museum in Switzerland this offseason. He said he was super interested in how watches were made, and called it an “incredible” experience. He owns 20 to 25 high-end watches himself, and has teammates Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno and Seth Jones all interested in the watch world.
Related – Blackhawks News & Rumors: Mrazek, Levshunov, Nazar & More
There you have it! Mrazek can stop pucks, get married AND he’s an expert on watches!
Brossoit Hopes to Compete at High Level, Despite Setbacks
General manager Kyle Davidson made a splash on the goaltender front when he signed Laurent Brossoit to a two-year contract on the first day of free agency. Brossoit has always played in a backup role, starting his career in Edmonton and then moving to Winnipeg, Las Vegas and then back to the Winnipeg Jets before coming to Chicago.
Brossoit’s 2023-24 season with the Jets was one of his best, where he played in 23 games and posted a .927 SV% and a 2.00 GAA. At the time of his signing, the 31-year-old indicated he’d like to push for a starting role.
I think it’s going to be a situation where we [him and Mrazek] can have a healthy competition and I can earn starts and try prove to the organization that I can be a bona fide starter. It was a perfect stepping stone for me to get to the ultimate goal of becoming a starter one day.
(from ‘New Blackhawks goalie Laurent Brossoit eager to prove himself in larger role’ – The Athletic – 07/18/2024).
The Blackhawks and their fans had high hopes for this tandem headed into the season, since last season’s back up, Soderblom, had a disappointing 2023-24 campaign. But on Aug. 28, the Blackhawks announced Brossoit will be out five-to-seven weeks after undergoing meniscus surgery to his right knee. That’s a big blow for the Blackhawks, considering the goaltender will miss all of training camp and likely the beginning of the regular season. The team’s first game is on Oct. 8 in Utah, exactly six weeks from Brossoit’s surgery.
Related – Meet the New Blackhawks: Laurent Brossoit
As a matter of fact, the Blackhawk’s first four games are on the road. So I wouldn’t expect to see Brossoit in net until at least Oct. 17, when the Hawks face the San Jose Sharks at the United Center. Hopefully there won’t be any lingering effects from his surgery, and Brossoit can complement and challenge Mrazek in net like he speaks to above.
A Chance at Redemption for Soderblom?
With Brossoit unlikely to start the season, Soderblom is projected to get the nod as backup before he eventually heads to the Rockford IceHogs. He played previously with the Blackhawks’ AHL team in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. As mentioned above, Soderblom’s 2023-24 campaign with the big club didn’t turn out as planned. Instead of challenging Mrazek for the starting spot, Soderblom just couldn’t seem to find his groove at the NHL level. He only suited up for 32 games, posting a .879 SV% and a 3.92 GAA.
I’m sure the Swedish native sees this as his chance to redeem himself. After all, the Blackhawks weren’t very good last season. That’s a tough spot to put a young goaltender into. With an improved team this season, can he put up a few solid games at the NHL level? Then he could continue to build confidence and fine-tune his game playing for the IceHogs. Besides, one never knows what the season will bring. Injuries could factor in and give Soderblom even more of an opportunity. His current contract only lasts through this season, so he’ll be looking to earn another contract, either in Chicago or elsewhere.
Commesso Can Compete
The last goaltender I’m going to touch on today is prospect Drew Commesso, who the Blackhawks selected in the second round (46th overall) of the 2020 Draft. The 22-year-old had a promising rookie season with the IceHogs last season, posting a .906 SV% and a 2.65 GAA in 38 games. He was also chosen over then fellow teammate Jaxson Stauber to play in three of the IceHogs’ four Calder Cup playoff games, with solid totals of .915 SV% and 2.57 GAA.
As a matter of fact, Commesso was recently ranked at No. 9 in The Athletic’s top-20 drafted goalie prospect rankings. (from ‘Top 20 drafted NHL goalie prospects ranking: Wallstedt, Askarov lead Wheeler’s summer 2024 list’, The Athletic – 7/17/2024).
His strengths include consistency, sound technique, and a poised demeanor. He and Soderblom will likely duke it out for playing time with the IceHogs this season, and should make for some great competition in net.
Related – More Blackhawks Season Preview Articles
There’s so much to love about goaltenders, who put themselves in harm’s way night after night. It’s a unique position in hockey; one where you can gain all the glory for winning or all the fault for losing. These men in the crease should be celebrated, as we did this past week for NHL Goaltenders Week. There’s a lot of promise at this position for the Blackhawks as we look forward to the 2024-25 season.
