Mads Søgaard

Mads Søgaard (born 13 December 2000) is a Danish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Belleville Senators in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Senators in the second round, 37th overall, in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. After two seasons in the American Hockey League, Søgaard made his NHL debut with the Senators in 2022. Internationally he has played for the Danish national team at the junior level in several tournaments. Nicknamed "The Great Dane", Søgaard is currently the tallest active goaltender in the NHL. Notable other goalies at the same height have been former Senators goalie Ben Bishop and former Edmonton Oiler Mikko Koskinen.

Mads Søgaard
Born (2000-12-13) 13 December 2000
Aalborg, Denmark
Height 6 ft 7 in (201 cm)
Weight 196 lb (89 kg; 14 st 0 lb)
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
NHL team (P)
Cur. team		 Ottawa Senators
Belleville Senators (AHL)
National team  Denmark
NHL Draft 37th overall, 2019
Ottawa Senators
Playing career 2020–present

Playing career

Søgaard spent his early career in his native Denmark. In 2017 he moved to North America, and spent one season with the Austin Bruins of the North American Hockey League, playing 22 games for them.[1] He was selected 32nd overall in the 2018 CHL Import Draft by the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League, and joined the team that year.[2] After his first season with Medicine Hat, he was the second-ranked North American-based goalie, and was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the second round, 37th overall, in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.[3] He briefly played for the Esbjerg Energy in the Danish Metal Ligaen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In his first professional season, he posted a 10–5–1 record with a 2.58 goals-against average (GAA) and a .922 save percentage in 16 games for the Energy. He then joined the Senators' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Belleville Senators in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic-shortened season.[4][5] Søgaard performed well in his first few games, recording a 7-0-0 record in all of his AHL appearances.

On 13 April 2021, the Senators signed Søgaard to a three-year, entry-level contract.[6] He began the 2021–22 season with the Belleville Senators and posted a 16–13–1 record with a 2.87 GAA and a .906 save percentage in 31 games prior to being recalled by the Ottawa Senators.[7] He made his NHL debut for Ottawa on 1 April 2022, in a 5–2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.[8] He is the second Danish goalie in NHL history, after Frederik Andersen.[9] On 10 April 2023, Søgaard and Andersen made NHL history, playing against each other in a game in Ottawa. It was the first time that two Danish goalies in the NHL faced each other.[10]

Søgaard attended Ottawa's 2023 training camp, but was assigned to Belleville to start the 2023–24 season.[11]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPWLOTLMINGASOGAASV% GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
2015–16 Aalborg U20 DEN U20 ————————— ————————
2015–16 Aalborg IK DEN-2 ————————— ————————
2016–17 Esbjerg U17 DEN U17 ————————— ————————
2016–17 Esbjerg IK DEN-2 ————————— ————————
2017–18 Austin Bruins NAHL 2211601,1375032.64.909 ————————
2018–19 Medicine Hat Tigers WHL 3719821,9818732.64.921 ————————
2019–20 Medicine Hat Tigers WHL 37211322,1158942.53.908 ————————
2020–21 Esbjerg Energy DEN 161051———2.58.922 ————————
2020–21 Belleville Senators AHL 77004251702.40.917 ————————
2021–22 Belleville Senators AHL 35191411,9309202.86.908 ————————
2021–22 Ottawa Senators NHL 2110118603.07.889 ————————
2022–23 Belleville Senators AHL 2261021,0906303.47.893 ————————
2022–23 Ottawa Senators NHL 198631,0485803.32.889 ————————
NHL totals 219731,1656403.30.889 ————————

References
  1. "Former Bruins Goalie Sogaard Selected by Ottawa Senators in Second Round of NHL Entry Draft". austinbruins.com. 22 June 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  2. "Medicine Hat Tigers sign Mads Sogaard to WHL Standard Player Agreement". prospects.whl.ca. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  3. Morreale, Mike G. (15 April 2019). "Hughes tops 2019 NHL Draft final ranking of North American skaters". NHL.com. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  4. "Senators sign goaltender Mads Sogaard to entry-level contract". Toronto Star. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  5. "Sogaard set to build on early success in 2021-22". bellevillesens.com. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  6. "Senators sign goaltender Mads Sogaard to three-year, entry-level contract". NHL.com. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  7. Tidcombe, Matt (1 April 2022). "Sogaard ready for NHL debut". NHL.com. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  8. Hogg, Dave (2 April 2022). "Sogaard wins NHL debut, Senators defeat Red Wings". NHL.com. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  9. Garrioch, Bruce (2 April 2022). "Mads Sogaard's effort in Detroit offers an interesting twist in net for the Senators". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  10. "Oh, What a Night! Senators veteran Claude Giroux hits 1,000 career points in club's win". Ottawa Sun. 11 April 2023.
  11. "Ottawa Senators assign eight players to Belleville Sens". Belleville Senators. 8 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
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