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Dec 11, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Montreal Canadiens goalie Jacob Fowler before his debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

Canadiens’ Jacob Fowler Extends Rookie Goalie Magic

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Seth Dowdle | Last updated Dec 12, 2025 4:30 PM ET

Pretty much every goaltending legend in the history of the Montreal Canadiens has one thing in common: They started their careers against the Pittsburgh Penguins. For rookie Jacob Fowler, who also made his NHL debut against the Penguins, he hopes that strange but awesome trend parlays itself into sustained success for years to come.

Fowler, a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, was recalled by the Canadiens ahead of their matchup with the Penguins on Dec. 11 because of Montreal’s goaltending struggles. Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis stressed before the game that he wasn’t expecting Fowler to be the savior of the season, but after what the rookie from Florida did at Pittsburgh, those expectations might shift a tad.

Fowler made 36 saves against a Penguins attack that looked to make the rookie feel uncomfortable all night. In the face of legends such as Sidney Crosby, Fowler never blinked and helped lead his team to a needed 4-2 win.

The Greats All First Play Versus Pittsburgh

When one thinks of the greatest goalies in Canadiens franchise history, three names that probably come to mind are Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy and Carey Price. What those three players have in common with Fowler is that they also made their NHL debuts against the Penguins.

Dryden, who won the Vezina Trophy five times and had a career goals-against average of 2.24, saved 35 shots in a 5-1 Canadiens win on March 14, 1971, against the Penguins. Fourteen years later, Roy — also one of the most celebrated goalies of all time — accomplished a similar feat when he helped Montreal beat Pittsburgh 5-3 after picking up 24 saves. Fast forward to the 21st century with Carey Price, who had 26 saves in a 3-2 Canadiens victory on Oct. 10, 2007.

If the trend continues, then Fowler might just be destined for hockey greatness. Of course, it’s a bit premature to shower him with that much praise, but his performance against the Penguins warrants at least some celebration because of the strange yet wonderful trend that it continued.

It Was a Special Night

To Fowler, his NHL debut could’ve happened anywhere; he was just happy to deliver a win to the Canadiens in a place that meant a lot to him.

“I mean, I could have played anywhere tonight,” he said after the game. “And to get your first win, it’s going to be special. But been to a lot of games [in Pittsburgh]. Grew up a Pittsburgh fan. [Sidney] Crosby and [Marc-Andre] Fleury were my favorite players growing up.”

Jacob Fowler in his NHL debut:

- 33 Saves
- 35 Shots Faced
- .942 SV%
- 1 Win

Canadiens as a team had a .874 SV% entering tonight pic.twitter.com/cQWupKSiCj
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 12, 2025

Crosby had some praise for the young goalie after the game, too.

“He was solid,” Crosby said. “We had some good looks. He looked pretty good in there. It would have been nice to get a little bit more traffic in front of him and test him more that way. The pucks that he was able to see, he did a good job.”

It’s too early to know whether Fowler will ultimately solve the Canadiens’ goaltending issues. What we do know is he turned in an impressive performance against the Penguins, much like many Montreal netminders who came before him.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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