Mike Forman Chief Marketing Officer | Twitter Website
Mike Forman Chief Marketing Officer | Twitter Website
On July 1, 2023, the Carolina Hurricanes re-signed goaltenders Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta, signaling a temporary setback for Pyotr Kochetkov. Despite playing 24 games in the previous season, Kochetkov returned to the American Hockey League (AHL) for a third season.
The Hurricanes anticipated needing Kochetkov due to Andersen and Raanta's injury history. However, he started the campaign in the AHL before seizing an opportunity when Andersen faced a blood-clotting issue. During his brief AHL stint from October 13 to November 1, Kochetkov won all three games he played with the Syracuse Crunch.
Kochetkov took on a leading role in 42 of the team's 82 regular-season games. His performance was interrupted by a concussion on January 11 that sidelined him for nearly four weeks. Nonetheless, he earned recognition as NHL's Rookie of the Month in February and led rookie netminders with 23 wins and four shutouts. He also had the best save percentage (.911) among Eastern Conference goalies.
In December, amid a challenging start to their season, Kochetkov played a pivotal role in turning around the team's fortunes. On December 10, during their Western Canada trek, the team was struggling with no goalie achieving better than a .894 save percentage. By December 12 in Ottawa, Kochetkov delivered a crucial performance that sparked both his and the team's resurgence.
From that point until season's end, Kochetkov posted a record of 19-7-3 with a .923 save percentage over his final 30 appearances. Although Andersen's return limited his postseason action, Kochetkov received praise from teammates for his professionalism.
"He's an amazing character," said Andersen. "Since he's come (to North America), he's taken huge steps... It's cool to see a young guy that has an amazing skill set."
Coach Rod Brind'Amour expressed confidence in Kochetkov's potential: "We've known that the talent is there... It takes time."
Kochetkov is signed through the 2026-27 season with a cap hit of $2 million per year following an extension agreed upon in November 2022.
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