Interview with Emmett Croteau: which Habs’ prospects do goalies fear the most?

Emmett Croteau was selected in the 6th round by the Canadiens in 2022. After a challenging start to his NCAA career this past year, the 20-year-old goalie agreed to speak with the author of these lines about his most recent season, his experience at the Canadiens’ development camps, and the reasons behind his decision to switch teams for the upcoming season.

After Croteau’s selection two years ago, Nick Bobrov, co-director of amateur scouting for the Canadiens, praised the mobility and size of the team’s new prospect. Croteau adds: “As a bigger goalie, I believe I move well, track pucks effectively, and play the puck with confidence. As I continue to refine these skills, I think they will help me excel as I gain more experience.”

Development camp standouts

Emmett Croteau is one of the two Canadiens prospects who have participated in all three of the team’s development camps since 2022, the other being forward Owen Beck. As a result, Croteau is in a good position to identify the players who have stood out in camp over the last few years.

“Over the three years I’ve attended camp, Hutson and Slafkovsky were two players who truly stood out. Their skills and abilities allowed them to dominate play and distinguish themselves from the rest”, explains Croteau. Slafkovsky only attended one development camp with the team before making the jump to the NHL full-time at the age of 18, while Hutson participated in both 2022 and 2023 camps.

However, the Canadiens’ goalie mentions that the player he found most challenging in one-on-one situations was none other than Filip Mesar, whose shots constantly surprised him: “I remember Mesar having a sneaky release that caught me off guard more than once. There was something about it that was just tricky to read.”

This summer, none of Slafkovsky, Mesar, or Hutson attended the camp. The prospect who caught Croteau’s attention the most was forward Tyler Thorpe, the Habs’ fifth-round pick in the most recent draft: “Watching Tyler Thorpe, I was impressed. He’s a big forward with a powerful shot and strong skating ability. You can’t teach size, and he certainly has it”, says Croteau, about the 6’4, 209 lbs Canadiens’ prospect.

When asked about his personal experience at the camps, the young goalie admits he never gets tired of seeing so many fans getting to the arena in the middle of the summer to watch the team’s new prospects: “Seeing the fans at development camp and experiencing the attention the Habs get is truly special. Not many players are held to such high standards or get to play under such bright lights as those in Montreal. It’s a place like no other.”

Habs haven’t thrown in the towel

Emmett Croteau’s rookie season in the NCAA did not meet expectations, and he’d be the first to admit it. Despite the setbacks, he states that the Habs’ management team remains in contact and continues to show interest in him: “There are always check-ups throughout the year to ensure everything is on track. After battling an injury this year, there was extra attention to make sure I was getting the care I needed”, explains the 20-year-old.

Croteau was solid in his first two starts with Clarkson University in the NCAA, maintaining a save percentage of .913. However, the celebration was short-lived as he suffered a significant injury shortly thereafter. His return to play was difficult, and Croteau ended up appearing in only 6 games throughout the season, posting a .835 save percentage. Consequently, the young netminder decided to leave Clarkson’s program this summer, entering the NCAA transfer portal.

Transition portal

“When entering the portal, my top priority was finding a place where I’d have the opportunity to play and work with a strong goalie coach”, says the Habs’ prospect. The goaltending coach at Dartmouth College, Jason Tapp, was already familiar with Croteau and managed to persuade him to commit to the university. Tapp also generously agreed to answer a few questions.

“I was involved with Emmett (Croteau)’s recruitment once he went into the transfer portal. I was familiar with him from his time in the USHL and liked his game there”, explains Tapp. “He changed the way he trained this summer, and I think that is going to be beneficial for him”, adds Tapp, whose goal this season is to give the Canadiens’ prospect a foundation that he can always come back to after a great day or a bad day. Tapp feels this could be the key to success, as it would lead the 20-year-old goalie to be more consistent and confident in his crease.

Croteau does not hide the fact that the departure of Cooper Black, the starting goalie for Dartmouth College over the last couple of years, who recently signed a professional contract in the AHL, also influenced his decision to join the program. “We expect competition at all our positions, so yes, there will be competition for the net. It is great to hear that Emmett (Croteau) is looking forward to competing for it. Ultimately, we expect him to compete every day to be the starting goalie”, explains Jason Tapp, who also serves as an associate coach for Dartmouth.

Despite a difficult sophomore season and the fact that most of the attention in Montreal has shifted to the promising goaltender Jacob Fowler, Croteau remains optimistic: “I believe I was picked for a reason. Even though I didn’t play much this year, I’ve learned a lot and am excited to keep moving forward. I can’t change the past, so my focus is on what I can do to set myself apart in the future”, concludes Croteau, who still wishes to prove the Canadiens were right to give him a chance.