Capitals Netminder to Leave North America Next Season

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TJ Tucker
June 5, 2023 (10:14)

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After several seasons of bouncing between the AHL, ECHL, and NHL, a goaltender currently under contract with the Washington Capitals has already decided to leave North America next season. Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL is reporting they've signed Zach Fucale for 2023-24, despite the fact that he's still participating in the AHL playoffs.

Background

Fucale was originally drafted in the second round by the Montreal Canadiens in 2013. He never played at the NHL level for the team outside the preseason. In fact, despite being well-known and well-respected, Fucale, 28, has played just four NHL games, all for the Washington Capitals.

Alexei Volkov, the GM for Traktor, believes they've found a winner in Fucale.

"We negotiated with the Canadian goalie. He's playing in the AHL conference finals right now. We wait until his season is over and then we can officially announce the signing. But it's not such a big mystery anymore: we're talking about Zach Fucale. He's a skilled goalie who has been considering continuing his career in the KHL for a long time. Here he wants to find new motivation for himself, to raise his level of play. As soon as he finishes playing for Hershey, and we get permission from Washington to announce an agreement before July 1, when his contract expires, we will make an official announcement." - Alexei Volkov, Sport24.ru

This Season

While under contract to the Washington Capitals, Fucale spent all of 2022-23 with the Hershey Bears of the AHL. He played 38 games, managing a 21-11-4 record. However, with the Bears set to participate in the AHL Finals, Fucale has played just one game for the team in the post-season.