- James Reimer, 38, stopped 35 shots in a 2-0 Wolf Pack win over Providence
- He is the oldest AHL goalie to post a shutout since Wade Flaherty in 2008
- Read below for how Reimer landed in Hartford and what it means for the Rangers
James Reimer just made some AHL history.
The 38-year-old goalie stopped all 35 shots Friday night as the Hartford Wolf Pack beat the Providence Bruins 2-0. At 38 years and 222 days old, he became the oldest goaltender to record a shutout in the AHL since Wade Flaherty did it for the Rockford IceHogs on March 13, 2008. Flaherty was 40 years and 62 days old that night.
The AHL’s own account passed along the milestone:
Liam Greentree broke a scoreless tie early in the third period, and Carey Terrance added an empty-netter to seal it. Providence kept Hartford off the board for two periods, and Reimer made sure it stayed that way.
It was also his first AHL win since Jan. 22, 2011, when he was with the Toronto Marlies. That game was a shutout too. Reimer now has five in his AHL career.
The only reason he’s in Hartford at all is the mess in New York. The Rangers lost Igor Shesterkin for the season and Joonas Korpisalo is still out, so the organization recalled the goalies it had planned to use in the AHL. Hartford signed Reimer to a professional tryout on Oct. 15 to fill the hole.
The Wolf Pack posted the final on their own timeline:
This was Reimer’s first game of the season. He had been an unrestricted free agent since the year started, and he’s been here before. Last season he played one AHL game on a tryout with Belleville, then signed with the Senators in January when their goaltending fell apart.
That path looks tougher this time. Dylan Garand has been the story in New York, and you can see why in our recaps of the 6-0 home start and the first game without Shesterkin. Spencer Martin is the other goalie in New York right now.
Reimer isn’t forcing the Rangers to make a call. But a 35-save shutout at least gives the Wolf Pack a steady veteran while they sort out the crease.
