Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay Lightning Goalie Set to Make NHL Debut a Whopping 11 Years After Being Drafted

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Mar 22, 2025 6:09 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Lightning are debuting a new goaltender on Saturday, and it comes after he was drafted way back in the 2014 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers.

Earlier on Saturday, the Tampa Bay Lightning demoted a veteran goal scorer , and in a corresponding move, they promoted their AHL goaltender Brandon Halverson.

As a result, he officially made his NHL debut on Saturday in a matchup with the Utah Hockey Club, marking the culmination of a very long run to get to the top level for the Michigan native.

That long road took him 11 years to make his NHL debut, as Halverson was originally a second-round pick of the New York Rangers way back in 2014, being picked up No. 59 overall.

In those two years, Halverson has posted a 2.18 and a 2.32 GAA, all while putting together a solid .913 save percentage in both seasons, and at 28-years of age, he's officially found his way back to the NHL.

This game however will simply be his debut as a starter in the NHL, as he got 13 minutes of game time as a backup off the bench in 2017/18 with the Rangers, but since then he's simply not managed to climb this high again.

His first game presents a test against the Utah Hockey Club, a team that have a very promising young offense, but after so long working to get to the NHL, it's safe to say that he'll give his best performance in this one.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: