SABRES INK HOUSER TO ONE-YEAR DEAL FOR REMAINDER OF 2022-23 SEASON

Veteran netminder has now signed an NHL contract with Buffalo in each of the last three seasons

Feb 28, 2023

The Buffalo Sabres have signed goaltender Michael Houser to a one-year contract for the remainder of the 2022-23 season and subsequently placed him on waivers, the team announced Monday. It marks the third straight year in which the Sabres have signed Houser to an NHL deal.

 

Houser, 30, signed a one-year AHL deal with the Rochester Americans in July and has compiled a record of 6-5-1 with a .903 save percentage and a 2.95 goals-against average in Rochester this season. He also has one assist, which came during a 24-save effort against Toronto on Feb. 17, and boasts a 3-0-1 record over his last four starts to close out the month of February.

 

In six career NHL games with the Sabres over the past two seasons, Houser is 4-2-0 with a .917 save percentage and a 2.97 goals-against average.

 

During the 2020-21 season, Houser made his NHL debut with a 34-save effort on May 3 to earn his first career victory. He was the just the seventh goaltender in Sabres history to record a win in his first start. Two nights following his victory over the New York Islanders, Houser won his second straight contest as he stopped 45 shots he faced against the Islanders, becoming the first Buffalo goaltender to win his first two NHL starts since Mika Norornen did so on Oct. 5 and 7, 2000.

 

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, the 10-year pro netminder owns a 44-38-6 record and three shutouts in 102 career AHL contests between Rochester, the San Antonio Rampage, Ontario Reign, Cleveland Monsters, and Tucson Roadrunners. Additionally, he boasts a 133-66-23 record and 11 shutouts in 228 career ECHL games between the Cincinnati Cyclones, Manchester Monarchs and Fort Wayne Komets.

 

Houser’s best year professionally came in 2018-19 when he showed a 29-7-5 record in 41 appearances while backstopping Cincinnati to an ECHL-best 51-13-5-3 mark during the regular season. He finished the season ranked second in the ECHL with a 2.13 goals-against average and fourth with a .922 save percentage, while his 29 wins tied for most in the league. Following the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, Houser was named the ECHL Goaltender of the Year and was selected to the ECHL First All-Star Team.

 

 

Prior to turning pro, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound goaltender spent three seasons with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. In 141 games for the Knights, he showed a record of 93-38-7 along with seven shutouts, a 2.90 goals-against average and .912 save percentage.

 

During his final season in the OHL, he backstopped the Knights to an OHL Championship and was the OHL’s Goaltender of the Year and Most Outstanding Player (Red Tilson Trophy). Houser also earned a spot on the First All-Star Team as he led the league in wins (46), games played (62) and saves (1,862).