We’ve completed six full seasons since top-flight European ice hockey returned in 2014. Over those Champions Hockey League campaigns some players have stood out on more than one occasion, and over the next few weeks we’re going to be taking a look at those that are on top of Europe.
We continue with the Top 10 Goalie by Save Percentage!
As always with goalie stats, we’ve had to set a minimum number of games played for inclusion. We’ve set this at 10 games – that means a netminder needs to have played more than one season, or got his team into at least the Quarter-Finals in a single participation.
Our leading man is a goalie who backstopped his team all the way to the CHL Final back in 2016: Finn Sami Aittokallio. He helped Kärpät Oulu to their only final to date and played 11 games during that season, plus a further four the year after. In 15 CHL games, he has a continent-leading 93.84 save percentage!
Up next is a netminder that really excelled this season. Mountfield HK’s Marek Mazanec helped his team all the way to the final with some stellar performances, particularly in the playoffs where he conceded just one goal in each round before the final. All 12 of Mazanec’s CHL appearances came this season and he finished by turning away 94.25% of shots faced.
Completing the top three is another Czech: Dominik Hrachovina. Playing his first season this time around in Ambri-Piottà, the 25-year-old saved 95.24% of the shots he faced in the group stage. However, Hrachovina was no stranger to the CHL despite it being his new team’s debut season – he’d already played 10 games over four seasons for Tappara Tampere to give him a total save percentage of 93.96%.
Finishing the top five are Norwegian Lars Haugen and Finn Jussi Olkinuora. Veteran Haugen played in this season’s CHL with KAC Klagenfurt but had appeared for Färjestad Karlstad in 2015/16 and 2016/17 for 11 games and 93.87% of shots saved. Olkinuora played nine games for JYP Jyväskylä on their way to lift the European trophy in 2018, and also played one game for SaiPa in 2016/17 to get ten overall. He has turned away 93.77% of shots faced.
Skellefteå AIK’s Markus Svensson comes next at 93.40% over 15 games, seven of which were with Färjestad; followed by Niklas Schlegel who played five games for SC Bern this season – but the bulk of his 14 in the CHL were played for ZSC Lions. He slots in on 93.35%.
Stephan Michalek played ten games for Red Bull Salzburg in their run to the Semi-Finals in 2018/19, ending with a save percentage 92.29% to put him in at #8 of all time, while Ryan Zapolski’s 93.11% puts him next across 16 CHL games – 13 for Lukko Rauma in 2014/15 and 2015/16, and three for Vienna Capitals this past season. The Top 10 is completed by Elvis Merzlikins who stopped 93.06% of shots in 14 games across two seasons for HC Lugano – before he went off to the NHL!
Honourable Mentions
2019 CHL Runner-Up Danny aus den Birken just missed out on the Top 10 but comes next on 92.97% in 22 games; while Leonardo Genoni has played the most games of any goalie in the CHL – an impressive 45, saving 92.30% of the shots.