ANAHEIM, Calif. –
Tulsa Oilers goaltender Vyacheslav Buteyets made his NHL debut with the Anaheim Ducks against the Utah Mammoth on Thursday night.
The 23-year-old Buteyets entered the game at the start of the third period with the Ducks trailing Utah 4-0. With the appearance the second-year pro became the first Oiler to play for Tulsa and Anaheim in the same season.
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound netminder leads Tulsa with a 2.81 GAA, .924 save percentage and four wins through a team-high seven appearances this season. Buteyets earned his first career AHL win last week on Thanksgiving Eve, halting 39-of-42 against Tucson in his second-of-three starts with the Gulls this season.
As a rookie, the 178th overall selection of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft commanded the Oilers’ crease in 36 games, posting a 19-3-3 record with a .905 save percentage, 2.87 GAA and franchise-record four shutouts.
Buteyets becomes the seventh Oiler in the ECHL era to make his NHL debut, joining Ausin Poganski (WPG, STL), Dakota Joshua (TOR, VAN, STL), Bryce Kindopp, (ANA), Hunter Drew (ANA), OLle Eriksson EK (ANA) and Colten Ellis (BUF).