Avalanche Acquires Kuemper
Jul 28, 2021
DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has acquired goaltender Darcy Kuemper from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for defenseman Conor Timmins, Colorado’s first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and a conditional third-round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Kuemper, 31, appeared in 27 games for the Arizona Coyotes in 2020-21, finishing with a 10-11-3 record with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native represented his country at the 2021 IIHF World Championship, posting a 5-2 record with a 2.17 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage to backstop Canada to a gold medal.
Kuemper is 106-83-32 with a 2.47 goals-against average, .917 save percentage and 20 shutouts in 242 career NHL games with the Minnesota Wild, Los Angeles Kings and Arizona. He is 7-6 in the playoffs with a 2.86 goals-against average, a .913 save percentage and one shutout. Kuemper started all nine of Arizona’s postseason games during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, recording career-bests in postseason starts and wins (4) and equaling his career-high save percentage (.913, also 2014).
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound netminder ranked fourth in the NHL in goals-against average (2.22) and third in save percentage (.928) during the 2019-20 season and was selected to represent the Pacific Division at the NHL All-Star Game (did not play due to injury). In 2018-19, Kuemper set career bests in games played (55), wins (27) and shutouts (5), finishing tied for fifth in Vezina Trophy voting that year.
“In Darcy we are acquiring a proven, reliable netminder who brings a ton of NHL experience at just 31 years of age,” said Avalanche Executive Vice President / General Manager Joe Sakic. “Obviously we had to solidify the goaltending position and we feel like Darcy is someone who can step in and do that. We feel very confident in our goaltending tandem as we head into the 2021-22 season.”
Selected by the Minnesota Wild in the sixth round (160th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Kuemper began his professional career in the American Hockey League with Minnesota’s then-AHL affiliate, the Houston Aeros, and has a 30-29-4 record with a 2.30 GAA, .925 save percentage and seven shutouts in 67 career regular-season AHL contests for the Aeros, Iowa Wild and Tucson Roadrunners. He also played 11 games in the ECHL from 2011-13, going 7-3-1 with a 1.98 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage with the Ontario Reign and the Orlando Solar Bears.
Prior to turning pro, Kuemper played three seasons in the Western Hockey League from 2008-11 and went 94-60-17 in 178 regular-season games with the Red Deer Rebels, recording a 2.48 goals-against average and .914 save percentage. During his final campaign in 2010-11, Kuemper recorded the league's best goals-against average (1.86) and save percentage (.933) and was named the winner of the Del Wilson Trophy as the WHL's top goaltender and the Four Broncos Trophy as the WHL Player of the Year. He was named to the WHL (East) First All-Star Team and was also the Canadian Hockey League's Goaltender of the Year.
Internationally, Kuemper also represented Canada at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Denmark, recording a 2.48 goals-against average and a .867 save percentage in seven tournament outings.
