The biggest challenge Hockey East goalies will face this season — aside from a barrage of pucks heading straight toward them every night — might very well be a psychological one.
Take Boston College, for instance. Two goalies — junior Jan Korec and freshman Louka Cloutier — are tasked with replacing Jake Fowler, who won the Mike Richter Award as the nation’s top goaltender last season before signing a three-year, entry-level NHL contract with Montreal in April.
It’s a massive question mark for the Eagles: How does one replace Fowler — all-American, Hockey East goalie of the year, who finished 2024-25 in the top three nationally in wins (25), goals-against average (1.63), save percentage (.942) and shutouts (7)?
“We don’t look at it as replacing Jake Fowler,” said BC goalie coach Mike Ayers, who played the position for New Hampshire during the Wildcats’ run to the Frozen Four in 2003.
Ayers said Korec — who appeared in three games for BC last season — will benefit from having spent two years with a front-row seat to watch Fowler dazzle.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for a guy like Jan to showcase himself,” Ayers said. “It’s a great situation for a guy who’s paid his dues. He’s watched Jake for two years and learned a lot from him and was able to grow his game over those two years as well. And now it’s his opportunity to shine and see how he handles it.”
Korec made 26 saves in a season-opening 4-3 loss at home to current No. 10 Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) on Oct. 3. Cloutier started the Eagles’ next two games at current No. 13 Minnesota (B1G) — a 3-1 win on Oct. 9 and a 2-2 tie (shootout loss) the next night. He was also in net last Friday when BC beat Rensselaer, 5-1.
At Connecticut, the Huskies face a situation similar (in some ways) to BC’s. Standout Callum Tung and Tyler Muszelik split time between the pipes in 2024-25 — both finished in the top five in Hockey East in goals against average and top six in save percentage. With Tung signing an entry-level contract with the NHL’s New York Rangers, the senior Muszelik remains as UConn’s most experienced goalie.
UConn coach Mike Cavanaugh said he thinks platooning goaltenders is a good way to prepare young players for the pro game.
“The days of Martin Brodeur playing 78 of the 82 games in the NHL — there seems to be a lot more tandem type,” Cavanaugh said. “You have one who’s going to play 50, but backup goaltenders are now playing 30. I don’t think they want their lead goaltender playing 60, 65 games. That’s a lot of hockey.”
A goaltending competition isn’t necessary a bad thing, Cavanaugh said.
“I think competition is good, knowing that you can’t be complacent because someone might steal my job,” Cavanaugh said. “I always remember Tom Brady, and no one thought Tom Brady was losing his job, but he thought he was. That’s how he performed. He always was thinking, this guy’s coming to try to steal my job, just like I stole (Drew) Bledsoe’s, you know?”
At Northeastern, Brown (ECAC Hockey) transfer Lawton Zacher is expected to be the Huskies’ main goalie to replace Cameron Whitehead, who started 34 games last season. Whitehead finished with a .911 save percentage, tied for 15th in the NCAA, and a 2.62 GAA. He recorded 131 saves for a .949 save percentage and 1.79 GAA in the Huskies’ impressive run to the Hockey East semifinals.
Zacher sported a .917 save percentage and 2.48 GAA last year at Brown. He has started both Northeastern games so far this season, and made 25 saves in a 6-4, season-opening win vs. Holy Cross (AHA) on Oct. 4.
“He’s an energetic kid, (and) he made some big saves for us tonight,” Huskies coach Jerry Keefe told the Northeastern student paper after the Holy Cross game. “So that was big. I mean, we had a 4-2 lead going into the third, and I thought we were in good shape there. We got to do a better job locking it down in front of him.”
At Massachusetts, consistency at goaltending will be key with Michael Hrabal returning for his junior season. Last year Hrabal finished first in Hockey East in total saves (1,028), fifth in save percentage (.924) and sixth in GAA (2.37).
“He needs to be a difference maker,” UMass coach Greg Carvel said. “Last year he grew to the point that we could win with a goalie like that. I’d like to see him win games for us. Ideally we don’t want us to play poorly for him to have to win games for us, but (we want) consistency. (He’s) got a really good defensive core in front of him.”
In addition to Hrabal, Albin Boija at Maine, Mikhail Yegorov at Boston University and Philip Svedebäck at Providence are among the top goalies in the league from last year that are back with their respective teams.
Turnover is nothing new in college sports, and this season will feature a mix of new talent and returning stars. For this season in Hockey East, how both old and new handle the expectations will go a long way in determining who’s still standing come March.