Connor Brent Ingram (born March 31, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Utah Hockey Club of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the third round, 88th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Connor Ingram
Photo by China Wong (45996322095).jpg
Ingram at the 2019 AHL All-Star Game
Born (1997-03-31) March 31, 1997 (age 27)
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 188 lb (85 kg; 13 st 6 lb)
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
NHL team
Former teams
Utah Hockey Club
Nashville Predators
Arizona Coyotes
NHL draft 88th overall, 2016
Tampa Bay Lightning
Playing career 2017–present

Playing career

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Junior

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After playing at various levels of youth hockey, he joined the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League for the 2014–15 WHL season. He appeared in 52 games, posting a 21–21–5 record, along with a .904 save percentage and 2.96 goals allowed average. In the 2015–16 WHL season, Ingram helped lead the Blazers to a playoff appearance. He had a much larger role on the team, appearing in 61 games, recording 4 shutouts, and posting a 34–15–9 record with a .922 save percentage and a 2.61 goals allowed average. Despite his efforts, the Blazers were eliminated in the first round by the Kelowna Rockets.

Following the 2015–16 WHL season, Ingram was drafted in the third round, 88th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning.[1]

Ingram started the 2016–17 WHL season with the Blazers. He played in 45 games with the Blazers, posting a 26–14–2 record along with a .927 save percentage and a 2.44 goals allowed average. The Blazers qualified for the playoffs once again but were again eliminated by Kelowna in the first round.

Professional

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On April 4, 2017, Ingram and the Lightning agreed on a three-year, entry-level contract.[2] He was also signed to an amateur try out with the Syracuse Crunch on the same day. He did not make an appearance with the Crunch for the rest of their season.[3]

 
Ingram playing against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 17, 2022

Ingram made his professional debut on October 7, 2017, with the Crunch. He made 15 saves on 18 shots in an overtime loss to the Rochester Americans. Ingram recorded his first professional win three weeks later on October 21. He stopped 23 of 24 shots in a 4–1 Crunch win over the Springfield Thunderbirds. On December 9, 2017, Ingram stopped all 18 shots he faced to record his professional shutout over the Belleville Senators. Ingram would finish the regular season with a 20–11–2 record with four shutouts along with a .914 save percentage and 2.33 goals allowed average to help lead the Crunch to the 2018 Calder Cup playoffs. He would split time with Edward Pasquale in the playoffs, posting a 1–3 record with a .904 save percentage and 3.07 goals allowed average. The Crunch would be eliminated in the second round by the eventual Calder Cup champions, the Toronto Marlies.

Ingram spent the 2018–19 season split between the Syracuse Crunch and the Orlando Solar Bears, the ECHL affiliate of the Lightning. In his time with the Crunch, he was an AHL All-Star, posting a 14–7–0 record with six shutouts, a .922 save percentage, and 2.26 goals allowed average. In his time with the Solar Bears, Ingram posted an 8–2–0 record with a .914 save percentage and 2.81 goals allowed average. In 10 playoff games with the Solar Bears, he posted a 5–2–3 record along with a .935 save percentage and a 1.94 goals allowed average. The Solar Bears would be eliminated in the second round by the Florida Everblades.

On June 14, 2019, the Nashville Predators announced that they had acquired Ingram in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.[4]

On October 24, 2021, Ingram recorded his first NHL win with the Predators, making 33 saves in a 5–2 win over the Minnesota Wild.[5] Ingram's first win came nearly 9 months after entering the league's player assistance program.[6]

On October 10, 2022, Ingram was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Coyotes.[7] During the 2022–23 season on February 15, 2023, Ingram recorded his first NHL shutout in a 1–0 shootout win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, while making 47 saves and setting the NHL record for saves by a rookie in their first career shutout.[8][9]

Following his first full season in the NHL, establishing career highs in wins and appearances, Ingram was re-signed by the Coyotes to a three-year, $5.85 million contract extension on June 25, 2023.[10] The 2023–24 NHL season was a great success for Ingram, managing a 23–21–3 with a .907 save percentage. He tied for the NHL lead in shutouts (6). In recognition of his mental health struggles, he received the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association to the player who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."[11]

Shortly after the end of the 2023–24 regular season, the Coyotes' franchise was suspended and team assets were subsequently transferred to the expansion Utah Hockey Club; as a result, Ingram became a member of the Utah team.[12] In doing so, Ingram became the last member of the Coyotes franchise to win a major NHL award while actively playing for the team (although the Coyotes had already become inactive by the time that Ingram was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy).

Personal life

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Ingram was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, but was raised in Imperial, Saskatchewan. His older brother, Bryce, played college baseball at Valley City State University.[citation needed]

In 2021, it was revealed that Ingram had been living with undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression, which led him to suffer from alcoholism and being obsessed with the possibility of contamination. Ingram has said his fear of infection is the reason why he refuses to give high fives to fans hanging over the glass.[13]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L OTL MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2013–14 Flin Flon Bombers SJHL 2 0 1 0 68 3 0 2.63 .932
2014–15 Kamloops Blazers WHL 52 21 21 5 1,349 144 3 2.96 .904
2015–16 Kamloops Blazers WHL 61 34 15 9 3,539 154 4 2.61 .922 7 3 4 424 15 1 2.12 .938
2016–17 Kamloops Blazers WHL 45 26 14 4 2,577 105 5 2.44 .927 6 2 4 357 13 0 2.18 .946
2017–18 Syracuse Crunch AHL 35 20 11 6 1,983 77 4 2.33 .914 4 1 3 274 14 0 3.07 .904
2017–18 Adirondack Thunder ECHL 3 2 0 1 185 4 0 1.30 .960
2018–19 Syracuse Crunch AHL 22 14 7 0 1,303 49 6 2.26 .922
2018–19 Orlando Solar Bears ECHL 13 8 2 0 705 33 1 2.81 .914 10 5 8 681 22 0 1.94 .935
2019–20 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 33 21 5 5 1,906 61 2 1.92 .933
2020–21 IF Björklöven Allsv 9 5 4 0 526 22 1 2.51 .898
2020–21 Chicago Wolves AHL 5 1 3 1 293 17 0 3.48 .899
2021–22 Nashville Predators NHL 3 1 2 0 178 11 0 3.71 .879 4 0 3 231 14 0 3.64 .913
2021–22 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 54 30 17 7 3,195 144 5 2.70 .915 4 1 3 190 18 0 5.69 .835
2022–23 Arizona Coyotes NHL 27 6 13 8 1,587 89 1 3.37 .907
2023–24 Arizona Coyotes NHL 50 23 21 3 2,803 136 6 2.91 .907
NHL totals 80 30 36 11 4,567 236 7 3.10 .906 4 0 3 231 14 0 3.64 .913

Awards and honors

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Award Year Ref
WHL
West Second All-Star Team 2016, 2017
AHL
All-Star Game 2019, 2020 [14]
Second All-Star Team 2020 [15]
Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award 2020 [16]
NHL
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy 2024 [11]

References

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  1. ^ "Canada to start Connor Ingram in goal vs. Slovakia". Sportsnet.ca. December 27, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  2. ^ "Lightning sign Connor Ingram to entry-level contract". NHL.com. April 4, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  3. ^ "Tampa Bay Lightning sign Connor Ingram to entry-level contract". syracusecrunch.com. April 4, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  4. ^ "Predators Acquire Goaltender Connor Ingram from Tampa Bay". NHL.com. June 14, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  5. ^ Skrbina, Paul (October 25, 2021). "Predators goalie Connor Ingram's road finally leads to NHL after personal struggles".
  6. ^ Skrbina, Paul (January 25, 2021). "Nashville Predators goalie Connor Ingram enters player assistance program".
  7. ^ "Coyotes Claim Goaltender Connor Ingram Off Waivers". NHL.com. October 10, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  8. ^ Robinson, Alan (February 15, 2023). "Ingram makes 47 saves, Coyotes defeat Lightning in double shutout". NHL.com. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  9. ^ Ortiz, Jenna (February 15, 2023). "Connor Ingram makes 47 saves, Coyotes defeat Tampa Bay Lightning in shootout". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  10. ^ "Coyotes sign Ingram to three-year contract extension". Arizona Coyotes. June 25, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Ingram wins Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship, dedication". NHL.com. May 15, 2024. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  12. ^ "Coyotes give fans a win in final Arizona game, fans show plenty of love". azcentral.com. April 17, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  13. ^ "Ingram finds footing as Coyotes goalie after confronting mental health issues". nhl.com. January 8, 2024.
  14. ^ "Bracco, Liljegren added to All-Star roster". American Hockey League. January 26, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  15. ^ "2019-20 AHL First, Second All-Star Team announced". American Hockey League. May 20, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  16. ^ "Grosenick, Ingram win Hap Holmes Award". prohockeynews.com. May 13, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
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