By Anthony Pellegrino @Pellegrinoap50 IceInsider.com Predators All Access Reporter
BOSTON--Jaxson Stauber earned his call to Utah when goaltender Connor Ingram was ruled day-to-day on November 20th after suffering an undisclosed lower-body injury.
Although succeeding during his first season in Tucson with Utah's AHL affiliate, and finding himself 8th in leauge save percentage at the time (.930 SV%), Stauber's call-up was on an emergency basis due to Ingram's injury.
In retrospect--Stauber getting any time in the Utah net seemed an unlikely conclusion, unless starter Karel Vejmelka suffered an injury like Ingram. Especially when last weekend, Head Coach Andre Tourigny elected to start Vejmelka in back-to-back outings against Pittsburgh and Toronto.
Practice time has been scarce for the Utah Hockey Club playing just under every other day through November (13 GP). Over the time Stauber has been with the team, he's skated in just one team practice.
Relying on just morning skates for ice time; meanwhile no game action since November 16th.
Yet it's the uncertainty--turned into adversity, that Jaxson Stauber has built the beginning three seasons of his pro career on.
Back in 2022, the Chicago Blackhawks found themselves turning to Stauber in goal after Petr Mrazek, Alex Stalock, and Arvid Soderblom sustained injuries in the same timeframe.
In his debut against the St. Lous Blues, Stauber stopped 29 of 32 for his first win, in his first game. Days later, he stonewalled the Blackhawks past Calagary only allowing one goal on 35 shots.
Then he became the first Blackhawks goaltender to start his career 3-0-0 following a victory to Arizona. Following, a loss to Montreal, and duling wins to Toronto and Dallas.
Ending his Blackhawks tenure 5-1 (.911 SV%, 2.81 GAA).
The beginning of last season became the most challenging of Stauber's pro career. He found himself with a meer 5-7-1-1 record, 3.54 goals-against average, and .887 save percentage in 16 appearances with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Leauge.
This run earned Stauber the opposite of an NHL call-up. He found himself a healthy scratch for just shy of a month.
That's when he flipped the cards; where he once again began to thrive on adversity.
From February 10th to April 20th, Stauber went on a 13-0-0 run, posting a 2.00 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. It became the IceHogs franchise record win streak amongst a goaltender.
“Obviously in January when I wasn't playing, that was hard for sure,” Stauber said on being out of the lineup. “But I just believed that if I kept working and making those changes and if I got an opportunity that eventually that stuff would pay off."
More adversity came the goaltender's way during the summer when Chicago elected to let Stauber walk. Then days later, when free agency hit, he watched goaltenders of his caliber sign one by one.
It wasn't until July 5th that Stauber officially signed with Utah for the 2024-2025 season. When he arrived at training camp in September, it was assumed that Matthew Villalta, who manned the Tucson Roadrunners crease would be the evident starter.
That was presumably until the start of the season, when Stauber made it clear that he would pick up right where he left off, following his play with Rockford.
Through seven games in Tucson, he posted a 5-2 record, .930 SV% ranking 5th in the AHL, and 2.29 GAA.
It all led him to the blue paint, where he's found himself so frequently. Just this time, in front of a sellout crowd of around 18,000 at T-Mobile Arena. Playing against the sixth-best team in the leauge.
He was perfect, blanking the opposition's 29 shots against. In just his seventh NHL appearance, Stauber earned his sixth win and first shutout:
"I was really excited. It's been a while since I've gotten to play in the NHL. (I was just) looking forward to the opportunity." Stauber told reporters following his shutout.
"It was a heck of a first period. Sometimes, guys can go to sleep after (it). But we stuck with it for the full sixty minutes." (On the shutout)..."It feels unreal. It's something you dream of as a kid."
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