Former Swift Current Broncos goaltender Joel Hofer earned his first professional shutout on Wednesday.
Hofer, 20, stopped all 41 shots he faced as the Utica Comets defeated the Binghamton Devils 3-0.
Hofer began the season on the St. Louis Blues taxi squad, but has since been reassigned to the American Hockey League. He has a 2-3-0-0 record with the Comets as well as a 3.43 goals against average and a .902 save percentage.
He was selected in the fourth round, 107th overall, by the Blues in the 2018 NHL Draft.
The 6’5’’ Winnipeg product began his Western Hockey League career with the Swift Current Broncos. He posted an 8-3-1-1 record during the 2017-18 championship season with a 2.61 GAA and a .914 save percentage.
The following season he appeared in 30 games in Swift Current before being dealt to the Portland Winterhawks in exchange for six draft picks, including first-round picks in 2019 and 2021.
Hofer led Canada to the 2020 World Junior Hockey Championship gold with a 5-0 record, a 1.30 GAA, and a .946 save percentage as he was named the Top Goaltender at the tournament.
The Comets have played the least amount of games in the AHL due to COVID-19, but they improved to 9-6-0-1 after the shutout win.
