The Calgary Flames might have an advantage this Saturday as they continue their push for a wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Bruce Cassidy, the head coach for the Vegas Golden Knights, suggested to reporters after the morning practice that Akira Schmid, their third-string goalie, will be in net against the Flames on Hockey Night in Canada. Wes Gilbertson from Postmedia also confirmed that Schmid is likely to start.
“We have a young goalie playing. We want him to see the puck,” Cassidy stated, explaining Vegas`s focus on defending the area in front of their net against Calgary.
Schmid has appeared in two games for the Golden Knights this season but hasn`t started yet for the team leading the Pacific Division. In these brief appearances, the 24-year-old stopped 14 shots and has not conceded any goals.
Drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the fifth round in 2018, the Swiss goalie had played 43 NHL games before signing a two-year contract with Vegas this past off-season.
Throughout the 2024-25 season, Schmid has mostly played for the Henderson Silver Knights in the American Hockey League, where he has a record of 9-18-4, with a 3.58 goals-against average and a save percentage of .886 in 30 games.
This season, Ilya Samsonov and Adin Hill have been the primary goalies for the Golden Knights.
As they head into Saturday`s game, Vegas has already secured a playoff berth. However, they are only three points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings for the top spot in their division.
Meanwhile, Calgary is five points behind the Minnesota Wild, but they have played two fewer games.
You can watch the Flames try to gain ground on Saturday while Minnesota is not playing. The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. MT / 10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on Sportsnet or available for streaming on Sportsnet+.
