George Richards, FHN Publisher
Three years ago, Florida Panthers goalie Chris Driedger was at the low point of his hockey career.
Cut loose by the Senators after four years of bouncing between Ottawa and various minor league outposts, Driedger had so few options, he was thinking about giving Europe a try.
Manny Desousa, Driedger’s agent, told him to hold on. The Panthers had an offer. It was a minor league contract with the likelihood Driedger would be the No. 5 goalie within the organization.
It definitely wasn’t much, but it was something.
“I knew at the time that the NHL wasn’t going to be an option,” Driedger told Florida Hockey Now on Wednesday.
“Maybe I should just cut my losses and see what Europe has to offer. My agent talked some sense into me. I was 24 at the time. He was telling me I was still a young man and I should stick it out. I reluctantly agreed. He had my best interest at heart. He was really positive and had to listen to me moan and complain about what was going on.”
Driedger, as we all know by now, took that minor-league lifeline thrown out by the Panthers.
It has worked out pretty well for both sides.
Today, Driedger is an established NHL goalie, the owner of 21 wins over the past two seasons with the Panthers and a big reason Florida is in the spot it is right now.
In 23 games as the “1-B” option to Sergei Bobrovsky, Driedger has gone 14-6-3 with three shutouts.
Driedger’s 2.07 goals-against average and .927 save percentage are both ranked fifth in the league among regular goalies. His goals-saved above average ranks eighth at 11.78.
He will also be a free agent again this offseason. Unlike in 2018, Driedger and his agent will have plenty of options.
Driedger perservered and turned his career around. He has gone from floating around six different minor league towns with the Senators and two with the Panthers to become a legitimate NHL starter.
Soon, he will be paid like it.
On Monday, Driedger was announced as the nominee of the Florida chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
The award goes to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.”
“It is great he is getting recognition for the Masterton,’’ Florida GM Bill Zito said. “He is a deserving candidate.
“As an ambassador for all that is good about our sport as far as perseverance and respect for the game … he’s a first-class person, teammate and representative of this organization. I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
THE ROAD TO SUNRISE
Driedger, a native of Winnipeg, was drafted in the third round of the 2012 Draft by Ottawa and was on the Sens’ roster for parts of three seasons, appearing in just three games.
Most of his work was at the minor league level, playing 92 games over five seasons with AHL Binghamton/Belleville.
Driedger also played for five different ECHL teams: The Elmira Jackals, Evansville Icemen, Wichita Thunder, Brampton Beast and Manchester Monarchs.
Speaking to the media on Monday night after he pitched a 4-0 shutout in the season-finale against the Lightning, he joked that his minor league resume likely led to his nomination for the Masterton.
“It’s obviously very humbling,” Driedger said.
Then, with a smile: “I was joking with the guys here. I said ‘They probably saw my hockeydb(.com) page that showed I played for five teams in the East Coast League.’ That’s pretty crazy. That’s a lot of teams in the Coast. But it has been a really incredible journey and I am extremely fortunate to be given these opportunities.”
Driedger had admitted in the past that he probably didn’t commit to his craft as seriously as he thought he was when he was with the Ottawa organization.
He’s is now.
It wasn’t much of a surprise that the Senators did not make him a qualifying offer in 2018.
The Panthers offered him a lifeline with a minor-league contract. When his agent called, Driedger wasn’t exactly thrilled.
“Manny told me there was a deal in Springfield to be the fifth guy for Florida,” Driedger recalled. “I was like ‘that’s it? That’s the best we’ve got?’ It was.
“He told me he liked my chances. I wasn’t too sure, man. At that point, that was my first legitimate option. That’s all I had on the table. Maybe I could have gotten something more had I waited. Maybe not.
“So I took the deal. Whatever happened, I was going to give it my absolute best shot. I made that pact with myself and things started happening. Now we’re here. It has been a wild ride.”
Driedger came to camp in 2018 with Roberto Luongo, James Reimer, Sam Montembeault and Michael Hutchinson and ended up being where he started as Florida’s No. 5 goalie.
“My goal was to be the No. 4,’’ Driedger said. “It’s kind of disheartening when they ask you to have a great attitude being the No. 5 guy. I just went to camp wanting to move one spot up the depth chart and that has been my goal ever since. Don’t look too far, just play well and good things will happen.”
Driedger was sent to the Manchester Monarchs of the ECHL because Hutchinson and Montembeault would man the nets at AHL Springfield.
But Luongo was hurt in the 2018-19 season opener in Tampa and Hutchinson was quickly recalled to Florida. Driedger packed and went to Springfield.
Although Driedger bounced between Springfield and Manchester for a few weeks, Hutchinson was so bad in his time with the Panthers that Florida eventually traded him to Toronto before the New Year.
Driedger was called up to Springfield full time.
“I was up and down three separate times and I had to pack up my entire life and move back and forth between Springfield and Manchester,” he said. “There was a lot of packing and unpacking. Then they traded Hutchinson. That was, basically, the first good bounce I had had in three or four years.”
As the year went on, Driedger’s play got better and better.
He ended up going 6-5-0 (2.75/.911) with Manchester and 18-12-1 (2.45/.924) with Springfield.
When Montembeault was recalled for his NHL debut after Reimer got hurt, Driedger became the AHL starter.
Florida offered Driedger a two-year, two-way contract.
“It was a wild 12 months from signing an AHL deal to getting an NHL extension,” Driedger said. “Quite a journey. I learned a lot. It was humbling and I am glad it happened to me. I learned a lot about myself and how to battle through some tough situations.”
The rest of the story has been told many times: Driedger started the 2019-20 season in Springfield with Montembeault backing up Bobrovsky; Driedger was terrific in Springfield, Montembeault so-so in Florida.
By November, Montembeault was sent to the minors and Driedger was called up. Bobrovsky had a rough game in Washington the night before Thanksgiving and Joel Quenneville gave the next start to Driedger.
It was his first NHL start. At least he didn’t look nervous.
“Honestly, I’m speechless at this point,” Driedger said after making 27 saves and earning a shutout in a 3-0 win against visiting Nashville.
“It has been a long time coming. I was definitely pretty nervous going into it, but once the puck dropped I kind of felt good.”
Driedger did go back to Springfield — but it was only for a rehab stint after he was hurt in January.
He ended the regular season as Florida’s starter, playing perhaps his best game in what turned into the pandemic-shortened season finale in St. Louis.
Bobrovsky played all of the games later in the summer bubble, but Driedger had made his mark.
Things only amplified this season.
“He really took advantage of his opportunity,” Joel Quenneville said. “I love his composure, his demeanor and his attitude. He fits right in with the group. He goes about his business in a real good, calm manner.
“He got more responsibility based on performance. I think he pushed Bob in a good way. I think it’s been a healthy rotation.’’
WHAT’S NEXT?
Driedger is going to be a free agent once this season comes to a close.
He has outgrown the Panthers.
Although thankful for the opportunity, Driedger almost assuredly will be leaving.
Florida, with $10 million a season committed to Bobrovsky, cannot afford to give Driedger the kind of money he has earned.
Driedger is now looked upon as a starting NHL goalie and he will paid as such.
Deservedly so.
“It’s really hard because this is a guy you wish you could keep,” Zito said. “My pedigree was as an agent. I have spent 25 years watching guys like Driedge try and make it, have the perseverance and the discipline and the guts to stick with it when they know they’re good.
“This guy didn’t just make it. He is elite. He did it with character, professionalism, class and dignity. The commitment to our team and his contribution has been invaluable. You can’t measure this guy’s value and how much respect I have for him.
“The story reminds me of Tim Thomas (a former Zito client) and what he battled through to make it. It’s just remarkable.”
On Wednesday, Driedger said he isn’t looking any farther into his future than what is in front of him. And that’s the playoffs.
Bobrovsky is expected to be Florida’s Game 1 starter, but Quenneville’s plan after that is not known.
“My goal is to win a Stanley Cup,” Driedger said. “I’m just trying to enjoy this as much as I can. This has been a special season we had here in Florida and I think we have a great chance here in the playoffs.
“I think as soon as you lose track of what’s in front of you, things can easily slip away from you. I’m trying to stay short sighted here.”
On Monday night, Driedger was named the first star.
In his postgame interview with Katie Gaus, Driedger looked up into the stands and gave a heartfelt thank you to the fans who continued to cheer him on.
Playing for the Panthers truly was a dream come true.
“A buddy of mine who I have known for years is also a goalie,” he said. “When we were 15 or 16 we were joking around. I said ‘you know what the best job in the world would be? Backup goalie in Florida.’ My buddy brought that up to me last year. He said look at you now, you’re hungry for more.
“It’s funny how things come full circle and how things change. Florida has been great to me and I am lucky to be part of this.”
Driedger is ready for whatever is next.
“Every day in the NHL is a blessing, being able to do what I love,” he said. “My parents paid for me to play hockey as a kid. You don’t do it to make money.
“There have been a lot of ups-and-downs but to be able to do it at the highest level has been quite the honor. Hard to put into words how lucky I feel to be able to do it.”