Silvertips’ Wolf signs entry-level contract with NHL’s Flames

Dustin Wolf has been as good as it gets during his two seasons as the Everett Silvertips’ No. 1 goaltender. That proved enough for the Calgary Flames to pledge their commitment to Wolf.

Everett’s star netminder is officially a member of the Flames organization after the NHL franchise announced Friday it had signed Wolf to a three-year entry-level contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

BIG BAD 🐺

The #Flames have signed Dustin Wolf (@dwolf2332) to a three-year entry-level contract: https://t.co/gqmNcQInEb pic.twitter.com/a9l5zkEO6m

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) May 1, 2020

Wolf, a California native and current Lake Stevens resident who just completed his 18-year-old season with the Tips, was one of the last picks of the 2019 NHL draft — his selection by Calgary at 214th overall in the seventh round made him fourth-from-last. This was despite an impressive 17-year-old campaign in which he went 41-15-2-2 with a 1.69 goals-against average and .936 save percentage en route to being named the Western Conference’s first-team All-Star. Wolf’s 6-foot, 165-pound frame, which is small for an NHL goaltender, was considered the reason why he slipped in the draft.

But Wolf followed up with a 2019-20 campaign that was every bit as good as his previous season. He finished 35-10-2-0 with a 1.88 goals-against average and .935 save percentage, leading the WHL in all three categories. He was again named the Western Conference first-team All-Star goaltender, and he’s the favorite to claim the Del Wilson Trophy as the WHL’s Goaltender of the Year when it’s awarded on May 18. He was also a member of the U.S. team that competed at the 2020 World Junior Hockey Championships.

Fresh off signing his first NHL contract, #Flames prospect Dustin Wolf is putting in the work 💪 pic.twitter.com/mldvJgcWRX

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) May 1, 2020

The agreement between the NHL and the Canadian Hockey League means players who are in their 19-year-old seasons or younger who were drafted out of the WHL are ineligible to play professionally in the minor leagues. Therefore, Wolf is expected back in Everett in 2020-21 for his 19-year-old season.