Al Montoya

Álvaro " Al " Montoya ( born February 13, 1985 in Glenview, Illinois) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender who plays for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League since July 2012. He is the first kubanischstämmige Americans playing in the NHL.

• 2.1 International

• 3.1 International

Career

Montoya played in his youth, among others, for the Texas Tornado in the North American Hockey League and from 2000 to 2001 for the U.S. National Team Development Program. Another stop was the ice hockey team of the University of Michigan. NHL Entry Draft 2004 Al Montoya has been selected in the first round to sixth position overall by the New York Rangers.

After he had signed a three-year entry-level contract with the New York Rangers in the summer of 2005, Montoya made ​​his professional debut with New York's farm team, the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League; with this team, he also spent most of the next three seasons. Overall, he was in 119 games for the Wolfpack used, of which he won 66 games. February 26, 2008 Montoya was transferred by the Rangers along with Marcel Hossa to the Phoenix Coyotes, the Blueshirts got in return the player Fredrik Sjostrom, David and Josh Gratton LENEVEU.

Montoya started the 2008/09 season with the San Antonio Rampage, Phoenix's AHL farm team. Late in the season the goalkeeper came for the Coyotes in the NHL used. In his first game in the National Hockey League with a game on 1 April 2009 against the Colorado Avalanche he had a shutout. Overall, Al Montoya graduated five games for the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2008 /09 season. The 2009/10 season he spent as a complete substitute goalkeeper Rampage of the American Hockey League.

On February 9, 2011 Montoya was delivered to the New York Islanders in exchange for a sixth- round vote in the NHL Entry Draft in 2011. After the goalkeeper Rick DiPietro and Kevin Poulin had fallen out due to injury, Montoya came in 21 matches for the Islanders used, thereby pass him nine wins and a catch rate of 92.1 percent and a shutout. On 29 March 2011 the Islanders extended his contract by one year.

In July 2012, Montoya was taken as a free agent by the Winnipeg Jets under contract.

Internationally

Montoya represented his country in both the junior and senior level.

His first international tournament he played in the U20 World Youth Championship in 2004, when the U.S. team defeated Canada in the final and won the gold medal. Montoya had with his performances great contribution to the success. He was voted the best goalkeeper, appointed to the All- Star team and also had the highest catch rate and the lowest among all goalkeepers Gegentorschnitt on. A year later he was at the U20 World Junior Championships 2005 fourth with the Americans after both the semi-finals and the match for third place were lost.

For the seniors the goalkeeper denied the World Championships in 2009 and 2011. After he came 2009 behind Robert Esche to use one in a 6-2 victory against France and had finished fourth with the U.S., he was eighth in 2011. This time he came four times to use and completed as many games as Ty Conklin, with whom he shared the items in the target.

Awards and achievements

• 2003 CCHA All- Rookie Team
• 2003 CCHA All- Tournament team
• 2003 CCHA Championship with the University of Michigan
• 2004 CCHA Second All- Star Team

• 2004 NCAA West Second All-American Team
• 2005 CCHA Championship with the University of Michigan
• 2006 AHL All- Star Classic

Internationally

• 2004 Gold medal at the U20 World Junior Championships
• 2004 Best goalkeeper in the U20 World Junior Championships
• 2004 All- Star team the U20 World Youth Championship
• 2004 Lowest Gegentorschnitt at the U20 World Youth Championship
• 2004 Highest catch rate in the U20 World Youth Championship

Career Stats

Internationally

Represented the U.S. at:

• U20 Junior World Championship 2004
• U20 World Junior Championships 2005
• World Cup 2009
• World Cup 2011

( Key to the goalkeeper stats: GP or Sp = Total Games; W or W = Wins, L = Losses, or N, T or D = Draw or shootout defeat, min = minutes; SOG or ZAT = Shots on goal, GA or GT = Goals against; SO = shutouts, GAA or GTS = Gegentorschnitt; Sv % or SVS % = quota, EN = Empty Net Goal; Play-downs/Relegation 1 )