The Chicago Blackhawks have been getting the opposite of good goaltending as of late — but that was not the case in Spencer Knight’s debut between the pipes on Monday night.
After being acquired as part of the trade that sent Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers, Knight made 41 saves on 42 shots in a 5-1 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Kings on Monday night.
The 23-year-old was stuck behind star netminder Sergei Bobrovsky in Florida, but he’ll have a chance to vault right to the top of Chicago’s depth chart. And after Monday’s performance, he’s likely to see the bulk of starts in the Windy City for the rest of the 2024-25 season.
“I’ve been through a lot of difficult challenges in my life,” Knight said after the triumph. “This is another step in the journey. I think I’m looking to bring what I witnessed and was a part of in Florida, and bring that here.”
Knight entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in 2023, and spent the entire 2023-24 campaign in the American Hockey League. But he was solid in a backup role with the Panthers last year. Now, he’ll have a chance to be part of what figures to be a bright future with the Hawks.
“I said I don’t care if we’re in first place or last place or anywhere in between, we come to the rink and play to win every night,” Knight continued. “That’s my motto, at least, going forward. I’m here to build a championship-winning team whether that’s a year, two years, five, I don’t know. But that’s what we’re working toward.”
Knight managed a 12-8-1 record along with a .907 save percentage in 23 games with Florida before the trade.
It looks like the Blackhawks have their goalie of the future
Although the Hawks are one of the league’s worst teams in 2024-25, they have a strong young core led by former No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard. And the squad is likely to get another top-three pick in June’s NHL Draft.
And if Monday night was any indication, they may have also found their goalie of the future.
“It was a good thing that he was warm going into that game because that start, we gave (up) 2-on-0s, backdoor plays, and everything, and he stood tall,” Hawks defenseman Connor Murphy said. “You could tell he’s really determined, and it’s not easy to be that focused in a new environment.”
A former 13th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Knight enjoyed his first start at the United Center as a member of the home team.
“Awesome. I don’t know what else to say, it’s just awesome,” he said. “I played in here with the Panthers. It’s cool when it’s an away rink. But playing here as a Blackhawk, that’s pretty sick.”
Chicago’s goaltending tandem also includes 25-year-old Arvid Soderblom and 33-year-old Petr Mrazek, although it’s expected the latter will be traded before Friday’s NHL Trade Deadline.
The 19-35-7 Hawks are back in action against the visiting Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night, and Knight is likely to earn a second consecutive start after Monday’s terrific performance.
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