Binnington was 25 when the St. Louis Blues finally gave him a chance midway through the 2018-19 season, and all he did was carry them to the Stanley Cup.
He got his first NHL start on Jan. 7, 2019, and shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. In his first 20 starts, Binnington went 16-3-1 with a 1.70 goals-against average, a .933 save percentage and five shutouts. Not coincidentally, the Blues rose from last place in the NHL standings to a playoff spot in the Central Division. He was the NHL's Rookie of the Month in February 2019.
Binnington was 25 when the St. Louis Blues finally gave him a chance midway through the 2018-19 season, and all he did was carry them to the Stanley Cup.
He got his first NHL start on Jan. 7, 2019, and shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. In his first 20 starts, Binnington went 16-3-1 with a 1.70 goals-against average, a .933 save percentage and five shutouts. Not coincidentally, the Blues rose from last place in the NHL standings to a playoff spot in the Central Division. He was the NHL's Rookie of the Month in February 2019.
After finishing 24-5-1 with a 1.89 GAA and .927 save percentage in 32 appearances (30 starts), Binnington started all 26 games for St. Louis during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. His best game may have been his last one, a 32-save performance in a 4-1 victory in Game 7 against Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Cup Final that gave the Blues their first championship since entering the NHL in 1967. He set a playoff record for rookies by winning 16 games on the way to the Cup.
To show that his performance in 2018-19 was no fluke, Binnington was named to the Central Division team for the 2020 Honda NHL All-Star Game. On March 11, 2021, he signed a six-year, $36 million contract.
Binnington won his 100th NHL game, 1-0 against the Nashville Predators on Dec. 12, 2022, in his 184th game, the third-fastest in Blues history behind Jake Allen (176) and Brian Elliott (175). His 12th shutout was also third-most behind Elliott (24) and Allen (15).
To say that Binnington, a third-round pick (No. 87) by the Blues in the 2011 NHL Draft, came out of nowhere might be an understatement. After finishing his junior career with Owen Sound of the Ontario Hockey League in 2013, Binnington spent the next four seasons in the minors, playing only one NHL game -- a 13-minute relief appearance on Jan. 14, 2016.
It wasn't until December 2018 that he got another chance in the NHL, making two relief appearances before being returned to San Antonio of the American Hockey League. He was recalled on Jan. 5 and wasted no time taking the No. 1 job.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- OHL First All-Star Team (2013)
- NHL All-Rookie Team (2019)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (2020)
