For the last three years, Utah prospect Michael Hrabal has worked on his game, learned how to balance a higher level of hockey, and grown as a person and player at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After three seasons of hard work, Hrabal is taking the next step in his career.
On Tuesday, Hrabal signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Mammoth and has officially turned pro. Hrabal put pen to paper and took his next step towards reaching his dream of being an NHL goaltender surrounded by the coaches and teammates that made his college experience so special.
“We had a team meeting (Tuesday), so I took that as an opportunity to sign with my teammates and the coaches,” Hrabal recounted. “They’ve helped me a lot in a way so I think that would be the best moment to sign with them.”
Hrabal had a successful collegiate career with UMass. Through three seasons Hrabal had a 54-33-7 record, a 2.31 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage, and eight shutouts. Overall, he ranks second in school history in wins and third in goals-against average and save percentage. However, his junior year was something special.
Through 29 games, Hrabal posted a 19-9-1 record, 1.95 goals-against average, .937 save percentage, and four shutouts. He’s a top-three finalist for the Mike Richter Award, given yearly to the top goaltender in college hockey. He became the first European player to be named Hockey East Player of the Year, and he was the only unanimous selection to the All-Hockey East First Team this season. On top of all that, Hrabal recorded the second-highest single-season save percentage in Hockey East History.
Hrabal single-handedly pushed UMass to success every night.
“He was the guy that spearheaded the wins,” Utah Mammoth General Manager Bill Armstrong said of Hrabal’s role at UMass this season. “He had a lot to do with being the man every single night with a ton of pressure on him, with no room for error. I love the way that he approached the year and as his team continually got better, he did too and he was a difference maker for them.”
Not only did his time at UMass develop his skills on the ice, it taught Hrabal plenty of things off the ice. When reflecting on his college experience, Hrabal affirmed how this move in his career was the right call.
“I think it was the best decision I could have made,” Hrabal shared. “UMass gave me so much. The coaches, the teammates, are just great people which was so lucky for me. I grew as a person, as a hockey player, and just became a pro. I learned how to treat my body, how to work hard, and I don’t think I could have made a better decision than picking UMass for college.”
Hrabal will quickly jump into the next chapter of his career, professional hockey. The goaltender will report to the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL) on a professional tryout agreement this season. Next year, his entry-level contract goes into effect. Reporting to Tucson right away will give Hrabal plenty of valuable experience at the professional level.
“I think going to Tucson and making that jump from college hockey to there this year will be huge for him,” Armstrong explained. “I think he’ll learn a lot about being a pro and how hard it is to be a goaltender at the pro level. I think for him, he’s going to get a good jump start on it, some great goaltending coaching. Our coaches inside our organization will help him grow. But it’s truly a great thing for him to get down there early, establish himself, and see some games at the pro level. We’re truly excited because of the fact, the numbers he’s put up at college, the awards he’s won, his World Junior (Championship) performances, we’re excited about the big guy, and it’s truly a great day for this organization.”
Throughout his college career Hrabal felt the support from the Mammoth. He’ll have even more access now to resources and coaches that are determined to help him grow.
“It means a lot,” Hrabal said of the organization’s support. “With the goalie guys, I talk (to them) a lot. Just trying to be a sponge. They have experience with NHL goalies and NHL prospects. So just trying to evolve my game. I know I’m far from perfect; there’s a lot of stuff I need to work on. So, I know I still have a lot of work to do and just going to try to be a sponge and get better every day, every practice.”
It’s evident from any conversation with the 21-year-old that he’s driven. It was even more apparent when Hrabal discussed his entry-level contract; he was grateful for the moment, but more focused on the challenge ahead. That sort of dedication and drive is necessary to be successful in professional hockey.
“It’s a great accomplishment but at the same time, it’s just the beginning,” Hrabal said. “There’s still work for me. I have the highest goals for me, for every team I play on. So just keep working hard and I want to reach a higher level one day.”
The results are evident from years of focus and determination. It’s not only on the ice. Although he had an outstanding junior year at UMass, he’ll still learn more about what it takes to be successful in the sport, while understanding what it takes to be a pro.
“He’s somebody that has the drive, but I think it’s just the maturity process of learning to be a pro,” Armstrong said. “It takes players, goaltenders a little bit of time. I think when you have success at the levels they have, they know they have to up their game and they have to take it to the next level to become a pro. I’ve seen that maturity. One thing with (Hrabal) is that every single year, he’s made strides. His body, his games, and his performances have all become better and that’s what we love about him. He’s really shown some ability to improve every single year.”
