The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed goaltender Zach Sawchenko (pronounced saw-CHEHNK-oh) to a one-year, two-way National Hockey League/American Hockey League contract for the 2024-25 season, club President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell announced today.
Sawchenko, 26, has posted a 1-2-0 record with a 3.35 goals-against average (GAA) and .901 save percentage (SV%) in seven career NHL appearances with the San Jose Sharks, all played in the 2021-22 season. He stopped 20-of-21 shots faced (.952 SV%) in relief in his League debut at Pittsburgh on Jan. 2, 2022. He turned aside 33-of-36 shots faced (.917 SV%) for his first NHL victory at Los Angeles on Mar. 10, 2022. Undrafted, Sawchenko originally signed a two-year entry level contract with San Jose on Apr. 12, 2021.
The 6-1, 185-pound netminder has gone 32-36-5 with a 3.11 GAA, .898 SV% and two shutouts in 79 career AHL games with the Abbotsford Canucks, Chicago Wolves and San Jose Barracuda since making his professional debut in 2019-20. He posted a 4-1-0 record with a 2.12 GAA and .924 SV% in six regular season outings with Abbotsford in 2023-24 before finishing with a 2-4 record, 2.96 GAA and .898 SV% in six Calder Cup Playoff contests. He set AHL career highs in games played, wins and saves with Chicago in 2022-23, finishing with a 17-18-3 record, 3.10 GAA and 1,014 saves in 41 games.
A native of Calgary, Alberta, Sawchenko has also registered a 13-4-3 record with a 2.42 GAA and .928 SV% in 20 career appearances in the ECHL with the Allen Americans from 2019-21. He played junior hockey for the Moose Jaw Warriors in the Western Hockey League from 2013-17 (88-65-16, 3.11 GAA, .908 SV% in 177 GP) and was named to the WHL (East) First All-Star Team in his final two seasons from 2015-17. He went on to play at the University of Alberta in the USports league from 2017-19 (28-4-1 in 34 GP), leading the club to a University Cup championship in 2017-18 and earning a league-best GAA (1.46) in 2018-19.
