Veteran Goalie Ditches NHL to Sign in Russia

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Wade Messier
June 5, 2023 (1:08 PM)

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We have just learned that former Montreal Canadiens goaltender and current Washington Capitals member Zach Fucale has just signed a contract in Russia for next season. More details about the contract and Fucale are below!

Fucale Says Goodbye to North America

Fucale was once a promising young goaltending prospect, drafted in the second round of the NHL draft by Montreal. His career didn't go quite as expected, and Fucale has seen time in many different NHL organizations. He made his NHL debut with the Washington Capitals and has spent the past few years in Washington, where he's currently taking part in the AHL playoffs with their affiliate, the Hershey Bears.

Despite his current season not being over, the GM of the KHL team Traktor Chelyabinsk, Alexei Volkov, has confirmed that his club will be signing Fucale for the next season.

"We negotiated with the Canadian goalie. He's playing in the AHL conference finals right now. We wait until his season is over and then we can officially announce the signing. But it's not such a big mystery anymore: we're talking about Zach Fucale. He's a skilled goalie who has been considering continuing his career in the KHL for a long time. Here he wants to find new motivation for himself, to raise his level of play. As soon as he finishes playing for Hershey, and we get permission from Washington to announce an agreement before July 1, when his contract expires, we will make an official announcement." - Alexei Volkov to Sport24.ru

What This Means For Fucale

Fucale is almost certain to get a greater opportunity to succeed in the KHL, where he will likely be Traktor's starter. Not only will he see more games, but will likely get paid higher than he currently is in the AHL.

The top-tier Russian league isn't affiliated with any higher leagues, so Fucale's team will be focused on winning now, rather than the development of younger players. This is great news for Fucale, who is 28 years old, and looking to win now in his career.

Whil we're sad to see Fucale go, we're happy to see him getting a chance to succeed. Congrats on the contract, Zach!

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