With the Regular Season of the Champions Hockey League but a memory, we thought it a great time to take a look back at some of the best of the best. This time around, we’ll be focusing on goaltenders - some of whom are familiar faces - that gave their team a chance to win every time they stepped between the pipes.
Daniel Lebedeff
In his first-ever CHL season, Daniel Lebedeff has put on a masterclass in netminding for Lukko Rauma with four wins in four games played all the while compiling a 94.44 SV% and 1.50 GAA. The Finnish netminder has been among the leaders in goaltending among those backstops that have played four or more games this season and has only allowed six goals against on 108 shot attempts.
The 24-year-old from Helsinki spent some time in North America during his development but migrated back to Europe for the start of the 2020/21 season where he suited up for HPK for three seasons before making his way to Rauma for the 2023/24 campaign.
But while his numbers in Liiga haven’t been what the young netminder could’ve hoped for, his play against Europe’s elite has been nothing short of stellar – particularly his most recent performance against Swiss competitors Genève-Servette where Lebedeff stopped 39 of 41 shots en route to a 3-2 victory.
Felix Brückmann
The German netminder first entered the pan-European competition during the 2016/17 campaign as a member of Grizzlys Wolfsburg, and since then has gone on to participate in four tournaments with his latest iteration as part of Adler Mannheim being his best.
Felix Brückmann’s numbers this season have seen improvements in every area from his past performances as he currently holds a 95.95 SV% to go along with a 1.00 GAA and one shutout in three games played. His previous bests: an 85.37 SV% in 2017/18 and a 3.00 GAA in 2016/17.
The netminder has yet to lose this season as he helped Mannheim secure three of their five victories and end the Regular Season at the top of the standings. Not bad for the 32-year-old former Olympian who, in his last CHL season in 2021/22, compiled a 2-2 record with an 83.48 SV% and 4.75 GAA.
David Rautio
Age is just a number and 38-year-old David Rautio is proving it with his play this season for Skellefteå AIK. The Luleå native has put together a 3-1 record for the Swedish side and has helped send Skellefteå to the Playoffs for an eighth consecutive time.
In his five years of CHL experience, the 181 cm, 80 kg netminder possesses an incredible 15-4-2 record and a career save percentage of .914 as well as a goals-against average of 2.15. During that span, Rautio has suited up for four different clubs and has rarely allowed his save percentage to dip below .900 while his goals-against average has never risen north of 3.00.
Currently, Rautio’s 92.86 SV% sits second among netminders who have laced up for four games this season and his 1.26 GAA leads the bunch in that same category. He also secured one shutout – a 4-0 decision – against Red Bull Salzburg in Skellefteå’s season-opener.
Carl Lindbom
On the opposite end of the age spectrum, Carl Lindbom who still is yet to crack 21 years of age and was a seventh-round pick for the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, has been lights out for a Färjestad Karlstad team that has won four of its last five and currently sits fourth in league standings.
The youngster has played 180 minutes of hockey through three games where he’s conceded five goals on 70 shots. His 92.86 SV% is tied for 13th-place among all netminders while his 1.67 GAA has him tied for 12th-place league wide.
Despite splitting time with Färjestad’s Maxime Lagacé, himself a former NHLer and Vegas Golden Knight, Lindbom has made a case to man the crease each night for a Swedish team that boasts a strong presence with a 5-1 record and looks to finally advance beyond the Round of 16.
Tyler Beskorowany
Of the three netminders who suited up for all six games of the Regular Season – another of which was reigning CHL Champion Christian Heljanko - Tyler Beskorowany produced the best numbers and was a force in the Belfast Giants’ final three games.
Unfortunately, a slow start would be Beskorowany’s undoing, but when he was on point, the Canadian netminder gave his team a chance to pull off the victory. This is no more evident than in his latest contest against Playoff-bound Dynamo Pardubice whom Belfast went on to beat 3-2 in a dramatic comeback victory after Beskorowany gave up two goals in the first period.
The 2023/24 campaign was the backstop’s second time in the CHL and this year saw a vast improvement in the netminder’s play. In his first iteration with HC05 Banská Bystrica during the 2019/20 season, Beskorowany was lit up for 19 goals against over five games played and finished that year with a 1-4 record and a 90.1 SV% coupled with a 3.68 GAA.
This year, the 33-year-old mustered a respectable 93.02 SV% with a 2.01 GAA and only 12 goals allowed over 358 minutes of hockey. He also posted two consecutive shutouts in front of his home crowd.
Stay tuned for more Top 5s as we continue to roll out the best of the best from the Regular Season!