It took Driedger more than seven years after being selected by the Ottawa Senators in the third round (No. 76) of the 2012 NHL Draft to make his first start in the League, finally breaking through with the Florida Panthers on Nov. 30, 2019.
Ottawa signed Driedger out of Calgary of the Western Hockey League on April 1, 2014, and despite playing the majority of the following season with Evansville of the ECHL, he made his NHL debut in relief against the New York Rangers on March 26, 2015.
It took Driedger more than seven years after being selected by the Ottawa Senators in the third round (No. 76) of the 2012 NHL Draft to make his first start in the League, finally breaking through with the Florida Panthers on Nov. 30, 2019.
Ottawa signed Driedger out of Calgary of the Western Hockey League on April 1, 2014, and despite playing the majority of the following season with Evansville of the ECHL, he made his NHL debut in relief against the New York Rangers on March 26, 2015.
But the next two seasons, Driedger's playing time in the NHL would be limited to two more relief appearances, one each in 2015-16 and 2016-17. After spending all of 2017-18 in the minors, Driedger became a free agent and signed an American Hockey League contract with Springfield, the primary affiliate of the Panthers.
Driedger remade his game, making technical adjustments and changing some of his practice habits. He began the 2018-19 season with Manchester of the ECHL, but moved up to Springfield after 12 games and earned himself a contract with the Panthers on Feb. 24, 2019, by winning 18 games and finishing with a .924 save percentage in 32 games.
When Florida's backup Sam Montembault went down with an early-season injury, Driedger was called back up to the NHL on Nov. 25, 2019. Five days later, he made his first NHL start, making 27 saves in a 3-0 victory against the Nashville Predators.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Signed as a free agent by Florida, February 24, 2019.
