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Red Wings Prospect Top CHL Goalie
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

A  few months ago, this route wasn’t available to Detroit Red Wings prospect Rudy Guimond. Today, it’s a path that’s led him to be recognized as the hottest netminder in the CHL.

Playing for the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL, Guimond was named the CHL’s Goaltender Of The Month for February. He turned in a month to remember while backstopping Moncton to the No. 1 ranking in the CHL.

During February, Guimond went 7-0 with a 1.26 goals-against average, .956 save percentage and two shutouts. His GAA and save percentage were both tops among CHL puckstoppers for the month.

Over his seven starts, the 19-year-old from Montreal, Que., allowed one goal or fewer on five occasions. Guimond stop all 29 shots he faced against the Cape Breton Eagles on February 1. He later registered a 20-save shutout against those same Cape Breton Eagles on February 21. The 6-foot-4, 175-pound netminder also made a career-high 42 saves in a big 4-1 victory over the Drummondville Voltigeurs on the last day of the month. In total, Guimond registered four performances with 25-plus saves in February.

Red Wings Prospect Joined Moncton In November

Drafted in the sixth round (169th overall) of the 2023 NHL entry draft by the  Red Wings, Guimond is committed to play NCAA Division 1 hockey for Yale University next season in. Up until a November rule change, CHL players were ineligible to play NCAA hockey.

When that rule changed, Guimond was almost immediately making the decision to leave the USHL Cedar Rapids RoughRiders to join the QMJHL Wildcats.

“When it opened up and Moncton was the best team in the country, I was like, ‘I gotta go there,'” Guimond told the Wildcast podcast.

Guimond admitted he had to adjust his game upon first arriving in Moncton.

I think the biggest thing for me was how good teams are at making East-West plays on the rush,” Guimond said. “Being deeper in my net so I’m able to make those saves.”

For the season, Guimond is 13-0, tying the CHL record for the most wins to start a career. He’s showing a 1.59 GAA and .946 save percentage.

This article first appeared on Detroit Hockey Now and was syndicated with permission.

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