Arizona Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram may be out for at least a week injured, but the team has identified his replacement until further notice.
The ‘Yotes announced that Matt Villalta has been recalled from the Tuscon Roadrunners (AHL) on an “emergency basis.”
Villalta has played 34 games for the Roadrunners after signing a one-year contract with the Coyotes last summer.
On Tucson, the 24-year-old has totaled a 22-11-1 record, 2.58 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and two shutouts.
Because of his efforts down in southern Arizona, he was named a 2024 AHL All-Star along with Josh Doan.
Before arriving in the desert, Villalta was a member of the Ontario Reign, the Los Angeles Kings’ AHL affiliate, from 2018-23. He also spent eight games in the ECHL with the Fort Wayne Komets in the 2019-20 season.
Villalta will assume the Coyotes’ backup role behind Karel Vejmelka until Ingram recovers and is ready to return.
As the Coyotes have a back-to-back against the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 18-19, Villalta might have a chance to make his NHL debut sooner rather than later.
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