The Montreal Canadiens have been waiting for the heir apparent to Carey Price, and he will make his NHL regular season debut on Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jacob Fowler honed his craft at Boston College over the past two seasons, cementing his spot as one of the top goaltending prospects in the sport.
There was a belief that he would develop in the AHL before getting his chance. However, the Canadiens are hitting the panic button and starting him at the NHL level in his first professional season after the struggles of Jakub Dobes and Sam Montembeault, according to a release from the NHL's Official X account.
A sure-fire sign of the impact a prospect could make is when the league itself announces his debut. All eyes will be on the Canadiens on Tuesday night, as a young starting netminder will be the final piece to their already successful rebuild.
Fowler won the Mike Richter Award in the 2024-25 season, an accolade given annually to the NCAA's top goaltender. He also backstopped the United States to a World Junior Gold Medal during his time in college, while also winning a Hockey East title with Boston College.
Fowler looks to follow in the footsteps of past greats, Price, Ken Dryden, and Patrick Roy. The three goaltenders before him are already recognized as the greatest in Canadiens' history, and they all made their first career starts against the Penguins. If Jacob Fowler can have a career anywhere near either of those legends, Kent Hughes and the Canadiens will be very content with the decision to bring him up early.
