Devon Levi, a young goaltender within the Sabres organization, has been phenomenal for the Northeastern Huskies of the NCAA. Recently, Levi was named as one of the three goaltenders that will represent Team Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. The 20-year-old prospect will be accompanied by Edward Pasquale and Matt Tomkins.
Levi With Northeastern
The Northeastern Huskies are ranked 15th in the nation for NCAA Divison 1 hockey. A big reason for that is Levi, who is having a great year for the Huskies. Currently, he has a .948 save percentage (SV%), and a 1.55 goals-against average (GAA). He also had nine shutouts in 24 games played. These are elite numbers from a goaltender in any league, and he is only going to get better as time passes.
The Huskies are always going to have a chance to win if Levi is in net, and he sets them up nicely for a Frozen Four run in March-April. However, he will miss at least five games during the duration of the Olympics, so the team will have to find a way to win without their star goalie. He will be the first Men’s Hockey Olympian from Northeastern University.
History With Team Canada
Levi is no stranger to Team Canada, having represented the country multiple times. His most recent stint came from the 2021 World Junior Championship, where he was their starting goaltender. Yet again, he posted elite numbers, including a 0.75 GAA. He also recorded three shutouts in seven games and was easily the top goaltender in that year’s tournament. It is unclear if Levi will be the starter for Team Canada since both Pasquale and Tomkins are considerably older than Levi and are playing professionally overseas. Pasquale plays for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), and Tomkins plays for Frolunda HC in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). Both of these leagues are extremely respectable, and it will be interesting to see who gets the nod as the starting goaltender for Team Canada.
Teaming With Owen Power
Fellow Sabres prospect Owen Power will also be joining Team Canada in February. Power is a top asset for the organization, also playing NCAA hockey for the Michigan Wolverines. Unfortunately, the two have not met in the regular season and will only have a chance to meet in the NCAA tournament, assuming both teams were to make it there. They were also not teammates at the World Junior Championships; Levi was on the team in 2021, and Power was on the team in 2022.
Levi and Power could perhaps show the entire world that they are the future of Team Canada in this year’s Olympics. Unfortunately, there will not be players from the NHL representing their countries, but this is a great opportunity for the youngsters. (from ‘Canada men’s Olympic hockey roster: Eric Staal, Owen Power make team, Kent Johnson an alternate, per sources,’ The Athletic, Jan. 24, 2022) Canada is known most for hockey, and the team will be managed by some of the best in the business. Claude Julien will take the reigns as head coach of the team, and veterans like Eric Staal and David Desharnais will be great mentors for Levi and Power. The team looks to be in great shape to compete with the rest of the world. So fans should pay very close attention to the play of both Devon Levi and Owen Power.
Sabres Fans Should Be Excited
If you are a fan of the Buffalo Sabres, you should be ecstatic to see two of your top prospects in the Olympics. Levi was a steal for the team when he was acquired in 2021 from the Florida Panthers. The Sabres traded Sam Reinhart and also received a 2022 1st-round-pick along with Levi. There should be no doubts that Levi will be a future elite goaltender in the NHL, and the Sabres should be excited to have him paired with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. These two goalies will be around for a long time and could perhaps become the new best duo in the NHL. It will be extremely exciting to see Levi representing Team Canada. There may even be a chance he gets named the starting goaltender of the team and we all will get the chance to see the youngster shine.
