Joey MacDonald

Infobox Ice Hockey Player
position = Goaltender
catches = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 0
weight_lb = 197
team = New York Islanders
former_teams = Detroit Red Wings
Boston Bruins
league = NHL
nationality = Canada
birth_date = birth date|1980|2|7|mf=y
birth_place = Pictou, NS, CAN
career_start = 2001


image_size =
draft = undrafted
nickname =

Joey MacDonald (born February 7, 1980 in Pictou, Nova Scotia) is a professional ice hockey goaltender playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League.

Playing career

Junior hockey

MacDonald started out his goaltending career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for the 1997–98 season playing for the Halifax Mooseheads. In 17 games he recorded only 3 wins, but continued to work on his style and play, impressing the coaching staff in the process. The Ontario Hockey League then came calling the following season and Joey began play for the Peterborough Petes as their starting goaltender. MacDonald thrived in his expanded role, finishing with a winning record and a lower goals against average. He remained the Pete's starting goaltender until the 2001–02 season when he joined the Toledo Storm after being noticed and signed up by the Detroit Red Wings scouting team.

Professional career

MacDonald struggled on the weak ECHL team and recorded only 12 wins in his 38 games. What MacDonald didn't know is that this would be his last full year with the Storm and his last with a record below .500. The Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL decided to call up MacDonald for their 2002–03 AHL season as backup to Marc Lamothe. MacDonald proved to be a capable in his new role, finishing with 14 wins and 6 losses in the 25 games he played. The 2003-04 AHL season saw MacDonald splitting time with Lamothe. The Griffins had seen enough and after Lamonthe left the following season, MacDonald was named starting goaltender. MacDonald played in 66 games for the Griffins, finishing with a record of 34–29–2 and a save percentage of .926. The 2005–06 AHL season saw an influx of goaltenders into the Red Wings farm system and MacDonald competed to stay near the top. He split time with Drew MacIntyre and new prospect Jimmy Howard. MacDonald finished the season 17–9–2 in 32 games played.

MacDonald was brought up to the NHL for the 2006–07 season when he was named as a backup goaltender to Dominik Hašek and Chris Osgood of the Detroit Red Wings. MacDonald made his NHL debut on October 19, 2006 against the San Jose Sharks. Detroit was down 3–0 when MacDonald came in for Osgood after he let in three power play goals in the first 15 minutes of period one. However, it would take five more games, in which he was the starting goaltender, before MacDonald would get his first NHL win with a 7–4 victory over the Calgary Flames on February 11, 2007.

On February 24, 2007, the Boston Bruins picked up MacDonald on waivers. He played his first game with the Bruins on March 4, 2007 resulting in a 4–1 win over the New Jersey Devils.

On July 8, 2007, MacDonald signed a 2-year deal as an unrestricted free agent with the New York Islanders. [NHL.com [http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=328640] ] He was assigned to Bridgeport of the AHL.

Awards & achievements

*2002–03 Hap Holmes Memorial Award winner (with Marc Lamothe)
*Team Record: Highest save percentage in a season .936 (Grand Rapids Griffins 2003–04)
*Team Record: Most career goaltending wins 70 (Grand Rapids Griffins)
*Team Record: Most career shutouts 14 (Grand Rapids Griffins)

Career statistics

Regular season

Post season

References

External links

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