Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) makes a save during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Bailey Hillesheim) Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt has been selected as the NHL’s “Rookie of the Month” for November after posting a perfect 6-0-0 record, leading the League with a 1.14 goals-against average, a .967 save percentage, and three shutouts across six starts. He delivered one of the strongest stretches of play by any first-year netminder in recent league memory. As per reports, the 23-year-old compiled a perfect 6-0-0 record while leading all NHL goaltenders with a 1.14 goals-against average, a .967 save percentage, and three shutouts across six games.Wallstedt has earned this honor ahead of several standout rookies, including San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov ( who scored 8-2-0, 1.88 GAA, .947 SV%), Anaheim Ducks winger Beckett Sennecke with 14 points in 15 games, New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer with 11 points in 15 games, and Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov with 10 points in 13 games.
Minnesota Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt earns NHL Rookie of the Month honors for November
Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, who went 6-0-0 with a League-best 1.14 goals-against average, .967 save percentage, and three shutouts in six games, has been named the NHL’s “Rookie of the Month” for November. According to the NHL, the 23-year-old Wallstedt boasts a 7-0-2 record with a League-leading .938 save percentage and three shutouts through nine total appearances this season. His 1.93 goals-against average ranks second only to the Calgary Flames’ Devin Cooley (1.88 GAA).As per reports, Wallstedt is the sixth rookie goaltender in NHL history to compile a season-opening point streak of at least nine games, joining Pete Peeters, Bill Durnan, Ross Brooks, Bob Froese, and Robb Stauber. He was selected 20th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Wallstedt yielded two or fewer goals in five of his November appearances. His month featured shutouts on Nov. 9 vs. Calgary (36 saves), Nov. 15 vs. Anaheim (28 saves), and Nov. 23 at Winnipeg (32 saves). Besides, his 175:12 shutout streak from Nov. 7–19 set a Wild franchise rookie record and marked the longest by a first-year NHL netminder since John Gibson’s 184:30 run with Anaheim during the 2015-16 season.As for his record, the young Swedish goaltender turned aside 202 of the 209 shots he faced throughout the month, recording at least 25 saves in each start and reaching the 35-save mark three times. He also posted a career-high 42-save performance on Nov. 19 against Carolina, a total exceeded by only one rookie goaltender, Kaapo Kahkonen, who made 44 stops on Dec. 3, 2019, at Florida. Wallstedt, also joining Schaefer (October) as a “Rookie of the Month” winner in 2025-26, is the second player in Wild history to receive the honor, after defenseman in January 2024. Also read: “No fight is faced alone…!”: NHL player-turned-coach Kevin Dineen gets emotional while disclosing pancreatic cancer diagnosis with fans