Al Montoya

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Al Montoya
Montoya with the New York Islanders in 2011
Born (1985-02-13) February 13, 1985 (age 40)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb)
PositionGoaltender
CaughtLeft
Played forPhoenix Coyotes
New York Islanders
Winnipeg Jets
Florida Panthers
Montreal Canadiens
Edmonton Oilers
National team United States
NHL draft6th overall, 2004
New York Rangers
Playing career2005–2019

Álvaro Silva Montoya (born February 13, 1985) is a Cuban-American former professional ice hockey goaltender who played a total of nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Arizona Coyotes, New York Islanders, Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, and Edmonton Oilers. He was selected in the first round, sixth overall, by the New York Rangers in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft after a three-year collegiate career with the University of Michigan. Montoya is the first Cuban-American to play in the NHL.[1]

Playing career

[edit]
Montoya with the Winnipeg Jets in 2013

Montoya was born in Chicago, Illinois, but grew up in nearby Glenview, Illinois. As a youth, he played in the 1999 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Chicago Young Americans minor ice hockey team.[2] He later played for Loyola Academy, and the Texas Tornado of the North American Hockey League (NAHL).[3]

Montoya spent the 2001–02 season with the U.S. National Team Development Program before attending the University of Michigan and playing for the Wolverines ice hockey team the following year.[3] He enjoyed success at Michigan, especially during his final season in 2004–05, where he posted a record of 30–7–3. Montoya twice represented the United States at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, backstopping the team to its first gold medal at the 2004 tournament in Finland; he was named to the tournament All-Star team. The 2005 tournament, hosted by the United States, was a disappointing one for Montoya and the U.S., as they failed to earn a medal, losing to the Czech Republic in the bronze medal game.[citation needed]

Early NHL career

[edit]

After being signed by the New York Rangers to a three-year entry-level contract in the summer of 2005, Montoya made his professional debut with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL), the team with which he spent the majority of the next three seasons. Overall, he posted a 66–34–4 record with the Wolf Pack, along with a 5–5 playoff record.[3]

With the emergence of Henrik Lundqvist as an All-Star caliber goaltender, Montoya became expendable to the Rangers. On February 26, 2008, Montoya was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes, along with Marcel Hossa, in exchange for Fredrik Sjöström, David LeNeveu and Josh Gratton.[4]

After re-signing with the Coyotes on July 2, 2008,[5] Montoya started the 2008–09 season with the San Antonio Rampage, the Coyotes' AHL affiliate. Later that season, on April 1, 2009, Montoya made his NHL debut with the Coyotes, recording a shutout in a 3–0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche.[6] He went on to appear in five games for the Coyotes in 2008–09, posting a 3–1 record. That spring, Montoya was named to the American roster for the 2009 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland. He started one game at the tournament, a 6–2 win over France.[citation needed]

On February 9, 2011, Montoya was traded to the New York Islanders in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick in 2011.[7] With Islanders' goaltenders Rick DiPietro and Kevin Poulin sidelined with injuries, Montoya was provided with an opportunity to play regularly in the NHL for the first time. He went on to play 21 games for the Islanders, posting a 9–5–5 record with a .921 save percentage and one shutout. On March 29, the Islanders re-signed Montoya to a one-year contract extension.[8] Montoya recorded a 9–11–5 record during the 2011–12 season.[3]

Montoya again represented the United States at the 2011 World Championship. He appeared in four games and posted a 2–1 record as the Americans finished a disappointing eighth overall.[citation needed]

Winnipeg Jets and Florida Panthers

[edit]

On July 4, 2012, Montoya was signed by the Winnipeg Jets to back-up starter Ondřej Pavelec on a one-year contract for the 2012–13 season, worth $601,000 after being released by the New York Islanders.[9]

On July 1, 2014, Montoya was signed as a free agent by the Florida Panthers to a two-year contract with an annual salary of $1.05 million.[10]

Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers

[edit]

On July 1, 2016, Montoya was signed as a free agent by the Montreal Canadiens to a one-year contract with an annual salary of $950,000.[11] He was the backup to starter Carey Price. During a November 2016 game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Montoya allowed 10 goals in a 10–0 Canadiens loss, making it the largest margin of losing by Montreal since December 1995. He kept a positive attitude about the embarrassing loss, saying that the setback only made him stronger.

On January 2, 2017, Montoya signed a new two-year contract to last until 2019.[12]

On January 4, 2018, the Canadiens traded Montoya to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.[13]

Post-playing career

[edit]

On September 9, 2021, Montoya was named director of community outreach for the Dallas Stars.[14]

Career statistics

[edit]

Regular season and playoffs

[edit]
Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPWLT/OTMINGASOGAASV%GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
2000–01Texas TornadoNAHL1510307803802.92—11060202.00—
2001–02U.S. National Team Development ProgramNAHL24611413447903.53—————————
2002–03University of MichiganCCHA433010325479942.33.911————————
2003–04University of MichiganCCHA402612223408762.23.917————————
2004–05University of MichiganCCHA40307323599932.52.895————————
2005–06Charlotte CheckersECHL2110123803.92.875————————
2005–06Hartford Wolf PackAHL40239120949122.61.907521257811.87.932
2006–07Hartford Wolf PackAHL482717025569862.30.9147343912013.07.873
2007–08Hartford Wolf PackAHL31168317047202.54.908————————
2007–08San Antonio RampageAHL148607893412.59.91210159404.04.857
2008–09San Antonio RampageAHL29717215628403.23.885————————
2008–09Phoenix CoyotesNHL5310259912.08.925————————
2009–10San Antonio RampageAHL144717713402.65.904————————
2010–11San Antonio RampageAHL21118011306003.19.891————————
2010–11New York IslandersNHL2095511544612.39.921————————
2011–12New York IslandersNHL31911517208903.10.893————————
2012–13Winnipeg JetsNHL73103511712.91.899————————
2013–14Winnipeg JetsNHL28138315415922.30.920————————
2014–15Florida PanthersNHL206729774903.01.892————————
2015–16Florida PanthersNHL25127313524902.18.919————————
2016–17Montreal CanadiensNHL1986411255022.67.912————————
2017–18Montreal CanadiensNHL42102231403.77.863————————
2017–18Edmonton OilersNHL92224702302.94.906————————
2018–19Bakersfield CondorsAHL115605632903.09.879————————
NHL totals1686749249,17040572.65.908————————

International

[edit]
Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing the  United States
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place2004 Finland
YearTeamEventResultGPWLTMINGASOGAASV%
2004United StatesWJC1st place, gold medalist(s)6600360821.33.944
2005United StatesWJC4th63303932203.36.904
2009United StatesWC4th110060202.00.875
2011United StatesWC8th4210208902.60.871
Junior totals129307533022.39.927
Senior totals53102681102.46.874

Awards and honours

[edit]
AwardYear
College
All-CCHA Rookie Team2002–03
CCHA All-Tournament Team2003[15]
All-CCHA Second Team2003–04[16]
AHCA West Second-Team All-American2003–04

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Coyotes' Montoya gets historic 1st start". azcentral.com. March 31, 2009. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
  2. ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d "Al Montoya". Elite Prospects. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  4. ^ "Hossa joins his brother on the move". NHL.com. February 26, 2008. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
  5. ^ "Coyotes sign Montoya, Spina plus two AHL players". NHL.com. July 2, 2008. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
  6. ^ "Coyotes' Montoya make 23 saves to earn shutout in first game". CBS Sports. April 1, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  7. ^ "Coyotes acquire a sixth-round pick in 2011 NHL Draft from Islanders for Montoya". Phoenix Coyotes. February 9, 2011. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  8. ^ "Islanders ink Montoya to one-year contract extension". TSN. March 29, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
  9. ^ "Jets sign backup goalie Montoya". WinnipegSun.
  10. ^ "Florida Panthers active on day one of free agency". Florida Panthers. July 1, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  11. ^ "Montreal Canadiens sign Montoya to 1 year deal". Montreal Canadiens. July 1, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  12. ^ "Canadiens sign Al Montoya to a two-year extension". Montreal Canadiens. January 2, 2017. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  13. ^ "Montoya traded to Edmonton". NHL.com. January 4, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  14. ^ "Stars announce Álvaro "Al" Montoya as director of community outreach | NHL.com". September 9, 2021.
  15. ^ "2012-13 CCHA Media Guide". ISSUU.com. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
  16. ^ "All-CCHA Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Al_Montoya&oldid=1320844454"

    Al Montoya
    Montoya with the New York Islanders in 2011
    Born (1985-02-13) February 13, 1985 (age 40)
    Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
    Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
    Weight225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb)
    PositionGoaltender
    CaughtLeft
    Played forPhoenix Coyotes
    New York Islanders
    Winnipeg Jets
    Florida Panthers
    Montreal Canadiens
    Edmonton Oilers
    National team United States
    NHL draft6th overall, 2004
    New York Rangers
    Playing career2005–2019

    Álvaro Silva Montoya (born February 13, 1985) is a Cuban-American former professional ice hockey goaltender who played a total of nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Arizona Coyotes, New York Islanders, Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, and Edmonton Oilers. He was selected in the first round, sixth overall, by the New York Rangers in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft after a three-year collegiate career with the University of Michigan. Montoya is the first Cuban-American to play in the NHL.[1]

    Playing career

    Montoya with the Winnipeg Jets in 2013

    Montoya was born in Chicago, Illinois, but grew up in nearby Glenview, Illinois. As a youth, he played in the 1999 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Chicago Young Americans minor ice hockey team.[2] He later played for Loyola Academy, and the Texas Tornado of the North American Hockey League (NAHL).[3]

    Montoya spent the 2001–02 season with the U.S. National Team Development Program before attending the University of Michigan and playing for the Wolverines ice hockey team the following year.[3] He enjoyed success at Michigan, especially during his final season in 2004–05, where he posted a record of 30–7–3. Montoya twice represented the United States at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, backstopping the team to its first gold medal at the 2004 tournament in Finland; he was named to the tournament All-Star team. The 2005 tournament, hosted by the United States, was a disappointing one for Montoya and the U.S., as they failed to earn a medal, losing to the Czech Republic in the bronze medal game.[citation needed]

    Early NHL career

    After being signed by the New York Rangers to a three-year entry-level contract in the summer of 2005, Montoya made his professional debut with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL), the team with which he spent the majority of the next three seasons. Overall, he posted a 66–34–4 record with the Wolf Pack, along with a 5–5 playoff record.[3]

    With the emergence of Henrik Lundqvist as an All-Star caliber goaltender, Montoya became expendable to the Rangers. On February 26, 2008, Montoya was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes, along with Marcel Hossa, in exchange for Fredrik Sjöström, David LeNeveu and Josh Gratton.[4]

    After re-signing with the Coyotes on July 2, 2008,[5] Montoya started the 2008–09 season with the San Antonio Rampage, the Coyotes' AHL affiliate. Later that season, on April 1, 2009, Montoya made his NHL debut with the Coyotes, recording a shutout in a 3–0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche.[6] He went on to appear in five games for the Coyotes in 2008–09, posting a 3–1 record. That spring, Montoya was named to the American roster for the 2009 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland. He started one game at the tournament, a 6–2 win over France.[citation needed]

    On February 9, 2011, Montoya was traded to the New York Islanders in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick in 2011.[7] With Islanders' goaltenders Rick DiPietro and Kevin Poulin sidelined with injuries, Montoya was provided with an opportunity to play regularly in the NHL for the first time. He went on to play 21 games for the Islanders, posting a 9–5–5 record with a .921 save percentage and one shutout. On March 29, the Islanders re-signed Montoya to a one-year contract extension.[8] Montoya recorded a 9–11–5 record during the 2011–12 season.[3]

    Montoya again represented the United States at the 2011 World Championship. He appeared in four games and posted a 2–1 record as the Americans finished a disappointing eighth overall.[citation needed]

    Winnipeg Jets and Florida Panthers

    On July 4, 2012, Montoya was signed by the Winnipeg Jets to back-up starter Ondřej Pavelec on a one-year contract for the 2012–13 season, worth $601,000 after being released by the New York Islanders.[9]

    On July 1, 2014, Montoya was signed as a free agent by the Florida Panthers to a two-year contract with an annual salary of $1.05 million.[10]

    Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers

    On July 1, 2016, Montoya was signed as a free agent by the Montreal Canadiens to a one-year contract with an annual salary of $950,000.[11] He was the backup to starter Carey Price. During a November 2016 game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Montoya allowed 10 goals in a 10–0 Canadiens loss, making it the largest margin of losing by Montreal since December 1995. He kept a positive attitude about the embarrassing loss, saying that the setback only made him stronger.

    On January 2, 2017, Montoya signed a new two-year contract to last until 2019.[12]

    On January 4, 2018, the Canadiens traded Montoya to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.[13]

    Post-playing career

    On September 9, 2021, Montoya was named director of community outreach for the Dallas Stars.[14]

    Career statistics

    Regular season and playoffs

    Regular seasonPlayoffs
    SeasonTeamLeagueGPWLT/OTMINGASOGAASV%GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
    2000–01Texas TornadoNAHL1510307803802.92—11060202.00—
    2001–02U.S. National Team Development ProgramNAHL24611413447903.53—————————
    2002–03University of MichiganCCHA433010325479942.33.911————————
    2003–04University of MichiganCCHA402612223408762.23.917————————
    2004–05University of MichiganCCHA40307323599932.52.895————————
    2005–06Charlotte CheckersECHL2110123803.92.875————————
    2005–06Hartford Wolf PackAHL40239120949122.61.907521257811.87.932
    2006–07Hartford Wolf PackAHL482717025569862.30.9147343912013.07.873
    2007–08Hartford Wolf PackAHL31168317047202.54.908————————
    2007–08San Antonio RampageAHL148607893412.59.91210159404.04.857
    2008–09San Antonio RampageAHL29717215628403.23.885————————
    2008–09Phoenix CoyotesNHL5310259912.08.925————————
    2009–10San Antonio RampageAHL144717713402.65.904————————
    2010–11San Antonio RampageAHL21118011306003.19.891————————
    2010–11New York IslandersNHL2095511544612.39.921————————
    2011–12New York IslandersNHL31911517208903.10.893————————
    2012–13Winnipeg JetsNHL73103511712.91.899————————
    2013–14Winnipeg JetsNHL28138315415922.30.920————————
    2014–15Florida PanthersNHL206729774903.01.892————————
    2015–16Florida PanthersNHL25127313524902.18.919————————
    2016–17Montreal CanadiensNHL1986411255022.67.912————————
    2017–18Montreal CanadiensNHL42102231403.77.863————————
    2017–18Edmonton OilersNHL92224702302.94.906————————
    2018–19Bakersfield CondorsAHL115605632903.09.879————————
    NHL totals1686749249,17040572.65.908————————

    International

    Medal record
    Men's ice hockey
    Representing the  United States
    World Junior Championships
    Gold medal – first place2004 Finland
    YearTeamEventResultGPWLTMINGASOGAASV%
    2004United StatesWJC1st place, gold medalist(s)6600360821.33.944
    2005United StatesWJC4th63303932203.36.904
    2009United StatesWC4th110060202.00.875
    2011United StatesWC8th4210208902.60.871
    Junior totals129307533022.39.927
    Senior totals53102681102.46.874

    Awards and honours

    AwardYear
    College
    All-CCHA Rookie Team2002–03
    CCHA All-Tournament Team2003[15]
    All-CCHA Second Team2003–04[16]
    AHCA West Second-Team All-American2003–04

    References

    1. ^ "Coyotes' Montoya gets historic 1st start". azcentral.com. March 31, 2009. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
    2. ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
    3. ^ a b c d "Al Montoya". Elite Prospects. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
    4. ^ "Hossa joins his brother on the move". NHL.com. February 26, 2008. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
    5. ^ "Coyotes sign Montoya, Spina plus two AHL players". NHL.com. July 2, 2008. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
    6. ^ "Coyotes' Montoya make 23 saves to earn shutout in first game". CBS Sports. April 1, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
    7. ^ "Coyotes acquire a sixth-round pick in 2011 NHL Draft from Islanders for Montoya". Phoenix Coyotes. February 9, 2011. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
    8. ^ "Islanders ink Montoya to one-year contract extension". TSN. March 29, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
    9. ^ "Jets sign backup goalie Montoya". WinnipegSun.
    10. ^ "Florida Panthers active on day one of free agency". Florida Panthers. July 1, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
    11. ^ "Montreal Canadiens sign Montoya to 1 year deal". Montreal Canadiens. July 1, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
    12. ^ "Canadiens sign Al Montoya to a two-year extension". Montreal Canadiens. January 2, 2017. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
    13. ^ "Montoya traded to Edmonton". NHL.com. January 4, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
    14. ^ "Stars announce Álvaro "Al" Montoya as director of community outreach | NHL.com". September 9, 2021.
    15. ^ "2012-13 CCHA Media Guide". ISSUU.com. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
    16. ^ "All-CCHA Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
    • Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Al_Montoya&oldid=1320844454"