Montreal Canadiens Zach Fucale Afforded Big Opportunity at Spengler Cup
The Montreal Canadiens once had a shining prospect in Zach Fucale. His demotion to the ECHL was not expected, but he has a chance to rebuild his value during the Spengler Cup.
The Montreal Canadiens had high hopes for Zach Fucale. He was selected 36th overall by the Habs in the 2013 NHL Draft. Fucale was coming off one of the most successful Junior careers a goaltender has ever had.
The goaltender from Laval, Quebec did nothing but win while in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Fucale played three and a half seasons with the Halifax Mooseheads and finished his final campaign with the Quebec Remparts.
In his rookie season, the Mooseheads turned a lot of heads by taking a run all the way to the conference final. Fucale started every game as a 16 year old rookie which put him in unprecedented territory a year before NHL teams could go anywhere near him.
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With many eyes on him during his second season with the Mooseheads, Fucale did not disappoint. Though most elite 17 year old goaltenders (not to mention 16 year olds) are starting for a Midget AAA team or riding the pine in the CHL, Fucale started 55 times for Halifax.
Fucale did nothing but win in Junior
He won 45 of those games, while losing just five times all season in regulation. He would only add one “L” to his record in the postseason as the Mooseheads steamrolled the competition en route to a Memorial Cup championship in 2013.
Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
With Nathan MacKinnon off to the National Hockey League, it was thought the regular Junior cycle would take place and the Mooseheads would soon be cellar dwellers. Fucale was not about to let that happen. His personal 36-9-3 record was excellent, though a considerable step back from the previous year.
However, the Mooseheads would make it to the conference final once again with Fucale in net. This put his playoff series record to 8-2. Clearly, Fucale was a tough guy to beat four times in a short period of time.
His final season in Junior, Fucale was dealt to a powerhouse Remparts team. He helped them reach Game 7 of the QMJHL Final. Fucale added another three series wins to his playoff resume, finishing his Junior career with 11 series wins and 3 losses.
Transition to pro from Junior did not go well for Fucale
The jump to professional hockey has not been as smooth as the transition to Junior. Fucale made his American Hockey League debut last season with the St. John’s Ice Caps. He played 42 games, posted a 16-19-4 record with a 3.13 goals against average and a .903 save percentage.
It was not what was expected from the second round pick when he stepped into a professional crease. This season, Fucale was demoted to the East Coast Hockey League’s Brampton Beast. He hasn’t posted exceptional numbers there either.
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His GAA stands at 2.69 in “The Coast” and his SV% is .908. He does have a strong record of 12-3-1, but you would expect a hot prospect to dominate the ECHL.
Spengler Cup a chance to get career back on track
Earlier this week, Fucale was picked to represent his country at the Spengler Cup tournament. The Spengler Cup is an annual tournament held during the holidays in Davos, Switzerland. It is primarily a collection of the best players playing pro hockey in Europe.
Though it is not exactly NHL competition, it will be a big test for Fucale. The Spengler Cup boasts a lot of former NHL players, plenty of AHL talent and loads of great players from around the globe who happen to be playing pro in Europe.
Suffice it to say, it will be a big step up from the ECHL competition that Fucale has been facing. Though his overall numbers in THe Coast aren’t eye popping, Fucale has been at his best lately.
Fucale heads into tournament playing best hockey of pro career
In his last nine games, the Canadiens prospect has posted a perfect 7-0-0 record with a 2.15 GAA and a .928 SV%. At just 21 years of age, it’s a little early to write off Fucale as a prospect. He has shown in a small sample he can handle the ECHL, and now has chance to shine at a higher level.
Fucale is no stranger to playing well for his country at this time of year either. The last time he wore a Canada sweater was at the 2015 World Juniors. He was undefeated in five starts, posting a sparkling 1.20 GAA and a .939 SV% en route to a gold medal.
Another performance like that for his country and Fucale can expect a call back up to the AHL level. 35 year old Yann Danis is struggling for the Ice Caps, and is leaving the door open for Fucale to steal his spot.
Canada’s tournament begins on Boxing Day when they face Sergei Kostitsyn, Ben Scrivens and the rest of the Dynamo Minsk team.
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