NEW YORK — Dustin Wolf’s hometown stinks and he is aware of it.
The Calgary Flames goaltender is a local of Gilroy, California, which proudly payments itself because the “Garlic Capital of the World.” Drive by way of its farmland, open the home windows and the pungent odor of the garlic harvest envelops your olfactory system like malodorous blanket.
“That is the odor of dwelling,” Wolf instructed ESPN.
{That a} star rookie goalie would emerge from Northern California was unlikely. Earlier than Wolf, there had been solely 4 different California-born goalies in NHL historical past, together with San Diego native Thatcher Demko of the Vancouver Canucks, a Vezina Trophy runner-up final season. Wolf’s 60 profession appearances rank second on that unique record.
Additionally unlikely: {That a} goalie his top would break by way of in 2025. Wolf, 23, is listed at 6 ft tall throughout an period of towering netminders. Connor Hellebuyck, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner and Staff USA’s starter on the 4 Nations Face-Off, is listed at 6-foot-4. So is Nashville’s Justus Annunen, second in wins amongst rookies this season.
Making these odds even longer: There additionally aren’t many goalies — or gamers for that matter — drafted as late as Wolf who go on to have related NHL careers.
He was the 214th participant chosen within the 2019 NHL draft. Solely three gamers have been taken decrease than him to complete off the seventh spherical. To place that in perspective: Hockey Corridor of Famer Henrik Lundqvist, heralded as the final word diamond within the tough, was taken 205th general.
That draft was held in Vancouver, Canada. Wolf drove from Everett, Washington, the place he was taking part in junior hockey with the Western Hockey League’s Silvertips. After which he waited. And waited. Via seven rounds of picks, he sat there in his go well with.
“It was form of at a degree of, ‘OK, let’s attempt to determine the place I can get invited to an NHL camp.’ And subsequent factor you understand, you hear your title known as,” he mentioned. “I do not assume anybody anticipated for there to be folks nonetheless ready to be drafted within the area. The stands have been empty. They’re packing the whole lot up. It is really form of wild how shortly they pack the whole lot up.”
Wolf defied these odds in making the NHL and has defied expectations in his first season as a starter. Wolf has backstopped the Flames to the Stanley Cup playoffs bubble as a rookie, with a 22-14-5 document, a .912 save share and a 2.62 goals-against common by way of 41 video games. His 9.63 targets saved above anticipated locations him close to the highest 10 for all netminders in 2024-25. He has achieved this on a group that has ranked lifeless final in targets per sport for a lot of the season.
“It is clearly no secret that he is an enormous motive why we’re preventing for a playoff spot proper now. He is bought lots of swagger and confidence,” Flames ahead Blake Coleman mentioned. “He is the explanation we have received lots of video games, perhaps some we should not have.”
Within the course of, he is solidified himself as a contender for the Calder Trophy, given to the NHL’s prime rookie. Within the newest NHL Awards Watch, Wolf was second to San Jose Sharks middle Macklin Celebrini among the many voters surveyed.
“If we’re speaking about who has actually been one of the best performing rookie over the steadiness of the season, it must be Dustin Wolf,” one PHWA voter surveyed mentioned. “What he is accomplished in Calgary is outstanding. He is the one rookie within the dialogue who’s been persistently on the prime of his sport all yr.”
FOR MANY OBSERVERS, Wolf simply burst onto the scene this season. However Calgary coach Ryan Huska mentioned there was a meticulous development plan in place for the younger goalie: 4 years within the WHL; components of 4 seasons within the American Hockey League; and a 17-game style of NHL life final season, when Wolf shared time with present Flames creasemate Dan Vladar and Jacob Markstrom, who was traded to the New Jersey Devils within the offseason to clear a path for Wolf.
“He is grown up inside our group. Prefer it or not — and a few gamers hate it — typically taking part in within the American League a bit of longer is a extremely good factor,” Huska mentioned. “Coming again after the summer time, it was totally our expectation that he would have one other nice season and take one other step, which he is accomplished.”
After taking part in a major variety of video games yearly throughout his minor league profession, Wolf mentioned he needed to modify to final season’s function, shuttling forwards and backwards from the AHL and never getting a lot motion within the NHL till March and April.
“Coming into this yr, I had a greater concept that I used to be going to get a possibility. However you continue to needed to earn it,” he mentioned.
From November by way of January, Wolf earned it: 16-6-2, with a .919 save share and a 2.37 goals-against common. The Flames, picked by many to overlook the Stanley Cup playoff lower, have been very a lot in rivalry within the Pacific Division.
Getting into Thursday night time’s sport in opposition to New Jersey, their playoff hopes have been nonetheless flickering: Stathletes gave them a 16% probability of creating the postseason, odds that had been impacted by a torrid St. Louis Blues run to the ultimate wild-card spot. Wolf does what he can for the Flames on the ice, after which is on the mercy of rival groups as he watches the out-of-town scoreboard.
“Yeah, you are form of hoping for some outcomes. Nevertheless it’s enjoyable. You need to be in these situations the place you are preventing in your life. Granted, you most likely need to be extra solidified within the spot,” he mentioned. “I feel if we slip in, I’ve little question that it will make it powerful on whoever we play.”
Each sport issues within the standings, however some video games matter past that. The Flames visited Toronto on Monday for a sport televised nationally throughout Canada. It ended up being Wolf’s most humbling outing of the season: He gave up 5 targets on 26 photographs and was pulled for the primary time this season.
In Wolf’s protection, the Leafs tallied two power-play targets from Auston Matthews and one other from William Nylander. He noticed loads of high-quality photographs. However Wolf wasn’t accepting excuses after the sport. He particularly wished Matthews’ second purpose again. “I used to be throughout it, and I simply did not get down quick sufficient,” he mentioned. “That is one which I will have all day lengthy and simply did not have it.”
He felt unhealthy for needing Vladar to come back on in reduction. He additionally felt unhealthy for, in his estimation, letting his group down. However his teammates weren’t going to let him stew in these feelings. Defenseman Rasmus Andersson, a nine-year veteran, sought out Wolf after the sport, telling him that it wasn’t the final time this was going to occur as an NHL goalie, however that one sport of disappointment does not outweigh a season of conserving Calgary within the playoff hunt.
Which, Wolf admits, was good to listen to in that second.
It wasn’t the primary time Wolf has been pulled in his profession. In truth, it is how his profession began, in opposition to a group from Toronto no much less.
Wolf made his skilled debut on Feb. 21, 2021, for the AHL Stockton Warmth in opposition to the Toronto Marlies. That outing lasted simply over 28 minutes, as Wolf gave up 5 targets on 11 photographs earlier than being lifted for Garret Sparks.
“I do not know if I’d name it a wake-up name, however simply form of like, ‘Welcome to the league.’ You are thrown to the s— and the worst factor that would occur occurs. You may’t go any decrease than that, so all you may go from right here is up,” he mentioned. “In order that’s one of the best half: You are studying from it.”
Calgary traveled to New York after the loss to the Leafs. Plans have been for Wolf to hold again on the group resort in Manhattan on Tuesday morning, however he wanted to get again on the ice. So he walked just a few blocks to Madison Sq. Backyard, the place the Flames would face the Rangers that night time, to work along with his expertise coach for an about an hour. Later, Wolf would analyze video from the Leafs sport, parsing what went mistaken.
“Typically you’ll want to return to stuff that is helped you get this far,” Wolf mentioned. “It does not need to be something loopy. Simply get your ft again underneath you and really feel good.”
Wolf mentioned he by no means thinks about his AHL debut. That loss to the Leafs will ultimately be memory-holed too, after it serves its objective as a harsh training for a younger participant — one he believes he’ll be higher for experiencing.
“I am nonetheless determining this league and I will be figuring it out for a very long time,” Wolf mentioned. “So it was simply a type of steppingstones.”
He returned to the ice on Thursday night time seeking to rebound in opposition to New Jersey. Wolf surrendered three targets within the first two durations — one deflecting off his personal defenseman and into the web — however he was there when it counted. That was very true within the third interval, when Wolf saved the rating 3-2 by stopping a shorthanded breakaway by Devils middle Dawson Mercer:
Dustin Wolf makes an unbelievable breakaway save!
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/QKQszA1GDM
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) March 21, 2025
Quickly after, the Flames would rating twice in a minute to take the lead en route a crucial comeback highway win, 5-3.
“Typically you simply want one save right here or there,” Wolf mentioned afterwards. “We’ve got to discover a means. We’re in do-or-die vary proper now.”
MORGAN FROST HAS TO keep in mind typically that his beginning goalie is a rookie.
“I do not assume that occurs too typically for that place,” the Calgary ahead mentioned.
Frost arrived by way of commerce from the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 30. Again within the Jap Convention, he had heard about Wolf’s Calder-worthy marketing campaign for the Flames. Seeing it for himself was revelatory.
“It has been enjoyable to look at a few of these video games, particularly the place we’re missing some purpose scoring and you have form of bought to grind it out and win 1-0. You’re feeling good when he is again there for these,” Frost mentioned.
Wolf is 4-11-2 in video games the place the offensively challenged Flames scored two or fewer targets this season.
“Granted, I would like us to perhaps rating a pair extra [goals],” he mentioned. “However now we have lots of talent on this room, and should you put all of it collectively, we work very well.”
The Flames have been a shock to everybody however the Flames.
“Coming into the yr, everybody had us written off as most likely a bottom-five group, and I feel anyone on this room might let you know that we did not imagine that,” Wolf mentioned.
His function in elevating the Flames has put Wolf into Rookie of the Yr rivalry. Goalies are incessantly a part of the Calder Trophy dialog — Stuart Skinner (Edmonton), Alex Nedeljkovic (Carolina) and Jordan Binnington (St. Louis) have been all finalists in recent times. Successful the Calder is one other matter. The final rookie goalie to win NHL Rookie of Yr was Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2008-09. Over the previous 40 years, 5 goalies have received the Calder: Mason, Andrew Raycroft of the Bruins (2003-04), Evgeni Nabokov of the Sharks (2000-01), Martin Brodeur of the Devils (1993-94) and Ed Belfour of the Blackhawks (1990-91).
It is the identical story for league MVP: The NHL hasn’t had a goalie win the Hart Trophy since Montreal’s Carey Worth in 2014-15. After Dominik Hasek received the award in back-to-back seasons from 1996 to 1998, just one goalie captured the Hart moreover Worth: Montreal’s Jose Theodore in 2001-02.
Do goalies get sufficient awards love outdoors of their very own trophy, the Vezina?
“Goaltending is the hardest job in sports activities in my thoughts. And do I feel we must be appreciated extra? Most likely,” Wolf mentioned. “It’s the greatest place although. You would not need to be wherever else. When issues are going nice, you are on prime of the world, and when issues usually are not so sizzling, you are form of on the backside of the stomping block.”
Wolf appreciates the help surrounding his Calder candidacy — “It is cool to have your title out like that,” he mentioned — however his focus is squarely on incomes the prospect to play video games past the common season.
“We’re within the battle for our lives and entering into the playoffs,” he mentioned. “I do not need to deal with something outdoors of that and I’ve no management over what folks need to assume. All I can do is attempt to cease as many pucks as I can.”
The awards consideration is an attention-grabbing shift in perspective for Wolf, the height-challenged goalie from Gilroy and the participant drafted three slots away from being “Mr. Irrelevant.”
“I have been underrated my entire profession, a big majority of it resulting from how tall I stand,” he mentioned. “And I feel that is a blessing in disguise, as a result of then you may simply go about what you are promoting.”
