Name to Know: Merrick Madsen

GLENDALE --Coyotes prospect Merrick Madsen turned heads in his first week as a goalie in the American Hockey League. Madsen, who has been filling in for injured starter Adin Hill for the Tucson Roadrunners, posted a 3-0-0 record in three starts and notched back-to-back shutouts vs. the San Jose Barracuda.
"You can't get shutouts by yourself," Madsen told reporters after his second shutout on Saturday. "It's everyone out there blocking shots and helping me out where they can. Obviously I feel like I'm in a flow where things are going right, but it's a team effort."
Madsen stopped 66 of 69 shots in his first three AHL starts, including all 47 he faced in the two games vs. San Jose. He has not allowed a goal in his last 123:05 minutes of play.

Madsen, 23, signed a two-year contract with Arizona in March after completing a distinguished four-year career at Harvard University. The statistics major left Cambridge, Mass., ranked first on the Ivy League school's all-time list for career save percentage (.924), third in career wins (56) and fifth in goals-against average (2.12).
Before attending Harvard, Madsen honed his hockey skills while growing up in Acton, Calif., about an hour drive northeast of Los Angeles and about a six-hour drive from Gila River Arena, where he hopes to tend net full-time some day.

Madsen started this season playing for Norfolk of the ECHL, but was needed in Tucson because of Hill's injury and Hunter Miska's temporary promotion to the NHL.
Before the season began, Madsen spoke about eventually cementing a spot on Arizona's depth chart.
"You don't just fall into spots, you've got to work to get into spots, and I worked hard this summer to put myself into a position where that's possible," Madsen said. "The biggest thing is I can't sit around thinking 'Oh, when am I going to get my shot?' If you work to get your shot, your shot will come ... I think the most important thing for me is don't just talk the talk. I've found hard work is usually the thing that talks the loudest."
The Coyotes acquired Madsen in the same trade that brought forward Nick Cousins to Arizona from Philadelphia in June of 2017. The Flyers drafted him 162nd overall in 2013.
"Goalies take all different paths to the NHL," Coyotes General Manager John Chayka said. "We need to be patient with our goalie prospects, but we're very excited about our goalie pipeline and believe Merrick will be a good one."