For Carolina Hurricanes prospects, this has been a tough season as they don’t have an AHL team, and despite not being the main NHL affiliate of the Norfolk Admirals, the two teams have an agreement, which is where the Canes have been sending their prospects this season, at least the ones who have stayed in the United States and one of those prospects is goaltender Yaniv Perets, a Quebec native who seemed to click with the sport, “Hockey was one of my first sports, I don’t know what drew me to it, my parents always told me when I was a kid that I always had a helmet on or a pacifier in my mouth just something I’ve always connected with, grew up playing street hockey and just always had a hockey stick in my hand and I guess it’s something that just clicked with me and it always seemed like goaltending from the start was where I wanted to be” said Perets.
Perets spent three years at Quinnipiac University, where he spent three years with the Bobcats and was the starter in his last two years as he put up incredible numbers going 56-9-5 with a 1.34 GAA, .935SV% and 27 shoutouts while also taking numerous awards including being a Hobey Baker Finalist twice, Goaltender of the Year twice, and the Bobcats would go on to win the National Championship in 2023 after beating the University of Minnesota 3-2 in OT, “I’ll forever be indebted to that program there, just like for all the alumni that made that program what it is today is pretty special, all the coaching staff all the coaches that were there before, just being there was amazing. The culture there, professionalism and the school also was great, really beautiful, great people around you and just some of the best friends I’ll ever make in my life. It was pretty special to be there for my time; I look back at that and know I’ll always have a home in Hampton, “said Perets when talking about his time at Quinnipiac.
The 23-year-old Goaltender signed his Entry-Level contract with back in April and has played in 20 games this season, with 19 of his 20 games coming with the Norfolk, where he has a 7-9-1 record with a 3.09 GAA, .885SV%, along with one shutout, “That’s pro hockey, right, it’s been fun, we got a good group here in Norfolk, and we got a good group in Carolina, every time you get called up it’s a privilege, you take it one day at a time and whatever happens happens, I don’t really see it as anything, I just go with the flow so I don’t really think about that much” said Perets when talking about his year bouncing between Norfolk and Carolina with his first call-up coming on December 19th and he would finally make his NHL Debut on January 15th when he stopped the only shot he faced vs. Los Angeles Kings when coming in relief of Antti Raanta , when asked about his NHL Debut, Perets once again brought up the word privilege, “It’s obviously a privilege, right, I’m thankful to the Carolina Hurricanes organization for giving me that opportunity; it’s amazing being there, great group of guys there, great staff, great everyone, they push the guys hard, it’s really a privilege every day that you’re there, so for me to even get into the game for a little bit was awesome, my family and myself will forever be thankful for that opportunity.”
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