Rising Star: Dustin Wolf Emerging as a Calder Trophy Contender

Dustin Wolf has had a phenomenal season. The rookie goaltender has been the best player on the Calgary Flames and is the sole reason they are in a playoff spot. Wolf has received criticism in his development that he is too small to be an NHL goalie. This season has proved those people wrong, as Dustin Wolf has been a star in his first full season. Will he be a Calder Trophy Contender by the end of the season?

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Dustin Wolf Is Here To Stay

For the past couple of seasons, there have been questions about how much playing time Wolf will get at the NHL level. He made a single-game debut in the 2022-23 season that was highly anticipated by Calgary Flames fans. In the 2023-24 season, Dustin Wolf was the third goaltender behind Dan Vladar and Jacob Markstrom. Once Markstrom was traded, Wolf emerged as an NHL goaltender. He split starts with Dan Vladar and put up a .893 save percentage and a 3.16 goals-against average.

These numbers are exactly what you’d expect from a goalie establishing himself in the NHL. After putting in significant work during the offseason, Wolf has emerged as a star this year. In the 2024-25 season, he boasts a 0.917 save percentage and a 2.50 goals-against average. Leading the Flames with a 16-7-2 record, Wolf has firmly solidified his place as Calgary’s number-one goalie.

A History of Success

Wolf has won his share of awards. Between 2020 and 2023, Dustin Wolf cemented his reputation as one of the top goaltenders at both the WHL and AHL levels. In 2020, he earned the CHL Goalie of the Year award and claimed the Del Wilson Trophy as the WHL’s best goalie in back-to-back seasons. Capping off his junior career, Wolf helped Team USA secure a gold medal at the 2021 World Junior Championship.

As he transitioned to professional hockey, he won the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s top goalie in both 2022 and 2023. Additionally, he was named MVP of the 2022-23 AHL season, an accolade that highlighted his exceptional play, including an impressive .932 save percentage.

If Wolf wins the Calder Trophy, he will add yet another award to his resume—all by the age of 24. Not bad for a seventh-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, proving that even late-round selections can rise to elite status.

Dustin Wolf and the Calgary Flames are back in action Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres.

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