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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Hockey Club coach André Tourigny didn't know what to expect from goalie Jaxon Stauber heading into Saturday's game.
To be fair, how could he? The backup goaltender had been with the team for less than two weeks and had only gone through one full practice.
Stauber began the year in the AHL after signing with Utah in July as a free agent. He had been good with the Tucson Roadrunners — posting a .930 save percentage through seven games — so when Utah needed another netminder following the injury to Connor Ingram, he was called up.
His first start will go down in Utah Hockey Club lore.
Stauber stopped 29 shots to earn the first-ever Utah Hockey Club shutout in Utah's 6-0 win over the high-powered Las Vegas Knights Saturday.
"I thought he did great," said forward Nick Schmaltz, who scored two goals. "I didn't know much about his game before he came up here. I thought he was really calm back there. It's a tough building to play in."
Stauber was making just his seventh NHL career start and the first in nearly two years. The 25-year-old goalie last played for the Chicago Blackhawks in Feb. 2023 — a short, but successful run. He posted a 5-1 record with a .911 save percentage in six games with Chicago.
He said that time helped him know what he could accomplish against NHL scorers.
"That was a great learning experience for me," he said. "And I think it's helped me be prepared for today to know that I've been in the situation before and I've played well, so that kind of gave me some confidence even though it was two years ago. I like to think I'm a better goalie today than I was at that time."
He won't find many who will disagree with him after what he did to the Knights.
Congrats to Jaxson Stauber on the first @pepsi shutout of his career! 👏 pic.twitter.com/UC3XWd1xUY
— NHL (@NHL) December 1, 2024
Six minutes into the game, Stauber faced Alexander Holtz on a one-on-one break and stopped Hotlz's elevated shot. Near the end of the second, he blocked three straight close-range chances from the Knights before covering up the puck. In the third, Tomas Hertl had a clean look in the slot that Stauber was blocked away.
Those were just a few of his big saves in Vegas.
"It's impressive because he didn't play or practice for a while," Tourigny said. "He skated with Schwaby (Utah goalie coach Corey Schwab) a few times. Credit to him and Schwaby, they managed to get him to the right place. Mentally, he was ready for that. He was hungry. He wanted that started, so good for him."
It helped, too, that Utah came out and scored four goals in the opening period. That immediately took some pressure off Stauber and allowed him to settle into the game. Toruringy was hopeful his team would provide such a chance for the young goalie.
"If you want to win the game, you need to play good defense," he said before the game. "But they just bring a little little spark in how important it is to give him a chance to establish himself in the game and get comfy."
There was rarely a time he didn't look comfortable on the Vegas ice. And now he's part of Utah Hockey Club history. So as Utah's lead grew, did he allow his mind to drift to the shutout?
"Yeah, the last minute of the game," he admitted. "I try not to think about it. Just stay in that moment and keep playing the game."
After Saturday's performance, there may just be more moments for Stauber on the horizon.
