Dustin Wolf, born in Gilroy and raised in Morgan Hill through age 10, produced an incredible rookie season with the NHL’s Calgary Flames last year. He recorded a 29-16-8 record, with a .910 save percentage and a 2.64 goals-against average. Wolf was widely credited as being the primary factor in Calgary’s surprise season, which brought them with a single game of the NHL playoffs.
And he has now been rewarded. On Sept. 9, Wolf signed a seven-year, $52.5-million contract extension.
“I’m really excited,” Wolf said in a statement published on the Calgary Flames website. “It means the world. I’ve been looking to hopefully get something done, to come to an agreement. I’m really excited to call this place my home. There’s a lot of excitement here with all the young guys. And there is a lot of buzz with the new arena in two years.”
Brendan Parker of Flames TV commented how the extension shows that the Flames believe in Wolf. They see the club’s future in him.
Wolf racked up 29 wins to easily lead all NHL rookie goaltenders. He also led first-year goalies in saves (1,409) and shutouts (30). The campaign resulted in Wolf being voted second in the Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year) race.
His statistics also sparkled among goalies of any tenure, ranking no. 11 in save percentage, no. 11 in victories and no. 16 in goals against average. His “5-on-5 goals-saved-above-expected-per-60” was eighth best in the NHL.
“Every day, you see his preparation; he’s just focused, hyper-focused on what he needs to do,” Calgary General Manager Craig Conroy said on the team’s website. “I’ve been fortunate to play with some unbelievably great goaltenders in my career; those guys kinda all had what Dustin has. We feel like we do know him well enough.
“It’s not just one year, he’s been in the organization from the time we drafted him, watching him play in junior, all the way through. To get him locked up—with the other guys that we’ve got locked up—you’re really excited for the organization and looking forward to getting going now.”
Wolf has had success at every level along the way to the NHL. He was twice named the Goaltender of the Year in the NHL’s minor league, the American Hockey League. Those were the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. He was named the AHL’s MVP in 2022-23.
Previously, in the Western Hockey League with the Everett Silvertips, he twice won the Goaltender of the Year award (2019-20 and 2020-21). He also won a Gold Medal with Team USA at the 2021 World Junior Championship.
After signing the extension, Wolf sat down with Parker to talk at length. He noted that concerns over size will always be present, as he stands 6-foot and weighs about 165 pounds. Most goalies in the NHL today are taller and larger and take up more of the net.
“Ever since that draft day in Vancouver, I told them, ‘I’m going to prove them right’,” Wolf told Parker. “I believe I am in the process of still doing it. The whole talk was about size. That’ll always be something people point a finger at. At the end of the day, you gotta play hockey. You gotta find a way to get in front of pucks. That’s my goal.
“If I can come out every night and help my team win. I’m excited to continue to prove people wrong.”
Calgary’s bright future previously including signings of forwards Matt Coronato, Martin Pospisil and Connor Zary, along with defenseman Kevin Bahl. It has now been topped off with the Wolf extension.
Ryan Huska is about to start his third season as the Flames’ head coach. He echoed Conroy’s excitement at having Wolf signed for the long extension.
“I think it’s great news for Dustin, his family—and I think selfishly for me—even better for our organization to have a younger, quality player locked up for the long term,” Huska said in a statement posted by the Flames. “Like, we all know the type of goaltender he is, and I think we’re just going to see him get better and better along the way.”
Media analysts roundly praised the deal for both sides.
“A seventh-round goaltender who fell in the draft because of his size, yet still proved to be a winner at every level he’s played, whether in junior or in the AHL,” Julian McKenzie wrote in The Athletic. “The organization believed in him, even when he was third on the depth chart behind Jacob Markström and Dan Vladar. After finally getting his chance to start last season, Wolf didn’t look back. The Flames struggled with scoring, but Wolf nearly single-handedly won them games and put the Flames into the playoff conversation up until the final week of the season.
“He’s more than earned the distinction of being the team’s No. 1 goalie of the present and beyond.”
The Athletic’s Jesse Granger added to the praise.
“This is quite the commitment from the Flames after only one NHL season, but it’s hard to blame them after how great Wolf played as a rookie,” Granger wrote in The Athletic. “He’s one of the best skating goalies in the world, and that quickness immediately translates at the highest level. His 26.38 goals saved above expected were the seventh-most in the league, and the most by a goalie under 24 since Evolving-Hockey began tracking the stat in 2007.
“Wolf has the speed to challenge every shot, and perhaps more importantly, the processing ability to go with it. His reads were excellent for such a young goalie. The future appears bright for Wolf.”
