NEW YORK — Dustin Wolf’s hometown stinks and he is aware of it.
The Calgary Flames goaltender is a local of Gilroy, California, which proudly payments itself because the “Garlic Capital of the World.” Drive by means of its farmland, open the home windows and the pungent odor of the garlic harvest envelops your olfactory system like malodorous blanket.
“That is the odor of house,” Wolf informed ESPN.
{That a} star rookie goalie would emerge from Northern California was unlikely. Earlier than Wolf, there had been solely 4 different California-born goalies in NHL historical past, together with San Diego native Thatcher Demko of the Vancouver Canucks, a Vezina Trophy runner-up final season. Wolf’s 60 profession appearances rank second on that unique record.
Additionally unlikely: {That a} goalie his top would break by means of in 2025. Wolf, 23, is listed at 6 toes tall throughout an period of towering netminders. Connor Hellebuyck, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner and Group USA’s starter on the 4 Nations Face-Off, is listed at 6-foot-4. So is Nashville’s Justus Annunen, second in wins amongst rookies this season.
Making these odds even longer: There additionally aren’t many goalies — or gamers for that matter — drafted as late as Wolf who go on to have related NHL careers.
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He was the 214th participant chosen within the 2019 NHL draft. Solely three gamers had been taken decrease than him to complete off the seventh spherical. To place that in perspective: Hockey Corridor of Famer Henrik Lundqvist, heralded as the last word diamond within the tough, was taken 205th total.
That draft was held in Vancouver, Canada. Wolf drove from Everett, Washington, the place he was taking part in junior hockey with the Western Hockey League’s Silvertips. After which he waited. And waited. By means of seven rounds of picks, he sat there in his go well with.
“It was type of at some extent of, ‘OK, let’s strive to determine the place I can get invited to an NHL camp.’ And subsequent factor , you hear your title known as,” he mentioned. “I do not assume anybody anticipated for there to be individuals nonetheless ready to be drafted within the enviornment. The stands had been empty. They’re packing every little thing up. It is really type of wild how shortly they pack every little thing up.”
Wolf defied these odds in making the NHL and has defied expectations in his first season as a starter. Wolf has backstopped the Flames to the Stanley Cup playoffs bubble as a rookie, with a 22-14-5 document, a .912 save proportion and a 2.62 goals-against common by means of 41 video games. His 9.63 targets saved above anticipated locations him close to the highest 10 for all netminders in 2024-25. He has completed this on a staff that has ranked useless final in targets per recreation for many of the season.
“It is clearly no secret that he is a giant cause why we’re combating for a playoff spot proper now. He is obtained a whole lot of swagger and confidence,” Flames ahead Blake Coleman mentioned. “He is the rationale we have received a whole lot of video games, perhaps some we should not have.”
Within the course of, he is solidified himself as a contender for the Calder Trophy, given to the NHL’s high rookie. Within the newest NHL Awards Watch, Wolf was second to San Jose Sharks heart Macklin Celebrini among the many voters surveyed.
“If we’re speaking about who has actually been the very best performing rookie over the steadiness of the season, it needs to be Dustin Wolf,” one PHWA voter surveyed mentioned. “What he is finished in Calgary is outstanding. He is the one rookie within the dialogue who’s been constantly on the high of his recreation all 12 months.”
FOR MANY OBSERVERS, Wolf simply burst onto the scene this season. However Calgary coach Ryan Huska mentioned there was a meticulous progress plan in place for the younger goalie: 4 years within the WHL; elements of 4 seasons within the American Hockey League; and a 17-game style of NHL life final season, when Wolf shared time with present Flames creasemate Dan Vladar and Jacob Markstrom, who was traded to the New Jersey Devils within the offseason to clear a path for Wolf.
“He is grown up inside our group. Prefer it or not — and a few gamers hate it — typically taking part in within the American League slightly longer is a extremely good factor,” Huska mentioned. “Coming again after the summer time, it was totally our expectation that he would have one other nice season and take one other step, which he is finished.”
After taking part in a big variety of video games yearly throughout his minor league profession, Wolf mentioned he needed to alter to final season’s function, shuttling forwards and backwards from the AHL and never getting a lot motion within the NHL till March and April.
“Coming into this 12 months, I had a greater concept that I used to be going to get a chance. However you continue to needed to earn it,” he mentioned.
From November by means of January, Wolf earned it: 16-6-2, with a .919 save proportion and a 2.37 goals-against common. The Flames, picked by many to overlook the Stanley Cup playoff reduce, had been very a lot in competition within the Pacific Division.
Getting into Thursday night time’s recreation towards New Jersey, their playoff hopes had been nonetheless flickering: Stathletes gave them a 16% probability of constructing the postseason, odds that had been impacted by a torrid St. Louis Blues run to the ultimate wild-card spot. Wolf does what he can for the Flames on the ice, after which is on the mercy of rival groups as he watches the out-of-town scoreboard.
“Yeah, you are type of hoping for some outcomes. Nevertheless it’s enjoyable. You wish to be in these situations the place you are combating to your life. Granted, you in all probability wish to be extra solidified within the spot,” he mentioned. “I feel if we slip in, I’ve little doubt that it will make it powerful on whoever we play.”
Each recreation issues within the standings, however some video games matter past that. The Flames visited Toronto on Monday for a recreation televised nationally throughout Canada. It ended up being Wolf’s most humbling outing of the season: He gave up 5 targets on 26 pictures and was pulled for the primary time this season.
In Wolf’s protection, the Leafs tallied two power-play targets from Auston Matthews and one other from William Nylander. He noticed loads of high-quality pictures. However Wolf wasn’t accepting excuses after the sport. He particularly needed Matthews’ second purpose again. “I used to be throughout it, and I simply did not get down quick sufficient,” he mentioned. “That is one which I’ll have all day lengthy and simply did not have it.”
He felt unhealthy for needing Vladar to come back on in reduction. He additionally felt unhealthy for, in his estimation, letting his staff down. However his teammates weren’t going to let him stew in these feelings. Defenseman Rasmus Andersson, a nine-year veteran, sought out Wolf after the sport, telling him that it wasn’t the final time this was going to occur as an NHL goalie, however that one recreation of disappointment would not outweigh a season of protecting Calgary within the playoff hunt.
Which, Wolf admits, was good to listen to in that second.
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It wasn’t the primary time Wolf has been pulled in his profession. In reality, it is how his profession began, towards a staff from Toronto no much less.
Wolf made his skilled debut on Feb. 21, 2021, for the AHL Stockton Warmth towards the Toronto Marlies. That outing lasted simply over 28 minutes, as Wolf gave up 5 targets on 11 pictures earlier than being lifted for Garret Sparks.
“I do not know if I might name it a wake-up name, however simply type of like, ‘Welcome to the league.’ You are thrown to the s— and the worst factor that would occur occurs. You may’t go any decrease than that, so all you possibly can go from right here is up,” he mentioned. “In order that’s the very best half: You are studying from it.”
Calgary traveled to New York after the loss to the Leafs. Plans had been for Wolf to hold again on the staff resort in Manhattan on Tuesday morning, however he wanted to get again on the ice. So he walked a number of blocks to Madison Sq. Backyard, the place the Flames would face the Rangers that night time, to work along with his expertise coach for an about an hour. Later, Wolf would analyze video from the Leafs recreation, parsing what went flawed.
“Generally it is advisable to return to stuff that is helped you get this far,” Wolf mentioned. “It would not need to be something loopy. Simply get your toes again beneath you and really feel good.”
Wolf mentioned he by no means thinks about his AHL debut. That loss to the Leafs will ultimately be memory-holed too, after it serves its function as a harsh schooling for a younger participant — one he believes he’ll be higher for experiencing.
“I am nonetheless determining this league and I’ll be figuring it out for a very long time,” Wolf mentioned. “So it was simply a type of steppingstones.”
He returned to the ice on Thursday night time seeking to rebound towards New Jersey. Wolf surrendered three targets within the first two intervals — one deflecting off his personal defenseman and into the online — however he was there when it counted. That was very true within the third interval, when Wolf stored the rating 3-2 by stopping a shorthanded breakaway by Devils heart Dawson Mercer:
Dustin Wolf makes an unbelievable breakaway save!
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/QKQszA1GDM
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) March 21, 2025
Quickly after, the Flames would rating twice in a minute to take the lead en route a essential comeback street win, 5-3.
“Generally you simply want one save right here or there,” Wolf mentioned afterwards. “We have now to discover a approach. We’re in do-or-die vary proper now.”
MORGAN FROST HAS TO keep in mind typically that his beginning goalie is a rookie.
“I do not assume that occurs too typically for that place,” the Calgary ahead mentioned.
Frost arrived through commerce from the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 30. Again within the Jap Convention, he had heard about Wolf’s Calder-worthy marketing campaign for the Flames. Seeing it for himself was revelatory.
“It has been enjoyable to observe a few of these video games, particularly the place we’re missing some purpose scoring and you have type of obtained to grind it out and win 1-0. You’re feeling good when he is again there for these,” Frost mentioned.
Wolf is 4-11-2 in video games the place the offensively challenged Flames scored two or fewer targets this season.
“Granted, I might like us to perhaps rating a pair extra [goals],” he mentioned. “However we’ve a whole lot of talent on this room, and if you happen to put all of it collectively, we work rather well.”
The Flames have been a shock to everybody however the Flames.
“Coming into the 12 months, everybody had us written off as in all probability a bottom-five staff, and I feel anyone on this room might inform you that we did not imagine that,” Wolf mentioned.
His function in elevating the Flames has put Wolf into Rookie of the Yr competition. Goalies are continuously a part of the Calder Trophy dialog — Stuart Skinner (Edmonton), Alex Nedeljkovic (Carolina) and Jordan Binnington (St. Louis) had been all finalists lately. Profitable the Calder is one other matter. The final rookie goalie to win NHL Rookie of Yr was Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2008-09. Over the previous 40 years, 5 goalies have received the Calder: Mason, Andrew Raycroft of the Bruins (2003-04), Evgeni Nabokov of the Sharks (2000-01), Martin Brodeur of the Devils (1993-94) and Ed Belfour of the Blackhawks (1990-91).
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It is the identical story for league MVP: The NHL hasn’t had a goalie win the Hart Trophy since Montreal’s Carey Worth in 2014-15. After Dominik Hasek received the award in back-to-back seasons from 1996 to 1998, just one goalie captured the Hart apart from Worth: Montreal’s Jose Theodore in 2001-02.
Do goalies get sufficient awards love outdoors of their very own trophy, the Vezina?
“Goaltending is the hardest job in sports activities in my thoughts. And do I feel we needs to be appreciated extra? Most likely,” Wolf mentioned. “It’s the finest place although. You would not wish to be anyplace else. When issues are going nice, you are on high of the world, and when issues aren’t so scorching, you are type of on the backside of the stomping block.”
Wolf appreciates the assist surrounding his Calder candidacy — “It is cool to have your title out like that,” he mentioned — however his focus is squarely on incomes the possibility to play video games past the common season.
“We’re within the combat for our lives and entering into the playoffs,” he mentioned. “I do not wish to concentrate on something outdoors of that and I’ve no management over what individuals wish to assume. All I can do is attempt to cease as many pucks as I can.”
The awards consideration is an attention-grabbing shift in perspective for Wolf, the height-challenged goalie from Gilroy and the participant drafted three slots away from being “Mr. Irrelevant.”
“I have been underrated my complete profession, a big majority of it because of how tall I stand,” he mentioned. “And I feel that is a blessing in disguise, as a result of then you possibly can simply go about your enterprise.”
