WHL Goalie Nets A Goal

Check the goaltending stats in the Western Hockey League, and you'll find Xavier Wendt's name all over the place. The Tri-City Americans netminder is leading the WHL with a .926 save percentage. He's third in the league with a 2.49 goals-against average.

The 17-year-old is also leading all WHL netminders in goal scoring. 

During a 4-0 victory over the Swift Current Broncos on December 3, Wendt lofted a puck the length of the ice directly into the vacated Broncos' net. In doing so, he became the 11th goaltender in WHL history to score a goal

However, Wendt's tally was remarkable in another manner.

Along with registering the first marker of his WHL career, Wendt was also making 23 saves to record the first shutout of his WHL career. 

The six-foot, 179-pound rookie puckstopper from Plymouth, Minnesota, is eligible for the 2026 NHL entry draft. Before joining Tri-City, Wendt played prep school hockey at Shattuck St. Mary's. 

“There was a lot more structure to the day-to-day there,” Wendt told the CHL website of his time at Shattuck. “It was almost more of a business, with everything geared towards winning. 

"That’s not to say that there wasn’t fun involved, but it was definitely more strict than what I was used to before."

Wendt Became A Goalie By Happenstance

He backstopped the USA to a gold medal at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea. 

Growing up in Minnesota, Wendt's goaltending hero played for the NHL Minnesota Wild.

"I wanted to be like Devan Dubnyk," Wendt said. "Watching him on TV, he was one of my idols.”

Perhaps Wendt comes by his goal-scoring aptitude naturally. He began his hockey career as a defenseman, only ending up between the pipes by happenstance.

“I remember being a defenseman, and one time my AAA team didn’t have a goalie,” Wendt said. “My coach asked if anyone wanted to play goalie, and that’s kind of how it all started. 

"I had played in net a little bit here and there before that, but I was pretty awful, so I didn’t really think I was going to keep doing it.”