Not every player’s path to the NHL is a straight line, and goaltender Michael Hutchinson proved that during his professional career. The Barrie, Ontario product was selected by the Boston Bruins in the third round of the 2008 NHL Draft.
After finishing his junior career, which included three seasons with his hometown Barrie Colts before a final campaign with the London Knights, he turned pro in 2010-11 with Boston’s AHL affiliate in Providence. During his first three professional seasons, Hutchinson spent time in both the AHL and ECHL, although the majority of his games came at the AHL level.
When the Bruins chose not to qualify him as a restricted free agent, Hutchinson signed a one-year contract with the Jets for the 2013-14 season. He split time between the Ontario Reign (ECHL) and St. John’s IceCaps (AHL), posting a 17-5-1 record with a .923 save percentage and a 2.30 goals-against average for the IceCaps. That performance earned him a recall to Winnipeg, where he made his NHL debut against the Wild in April.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence
Hutchinson also helped St. John’s reach the Calder Cup Final that spring, where the IceCaps fell to the Texas Stars.
During the 2014-15 season, Hutchinson established himself as a reliable option for the Jets and gained a reputation as a shootout specialist. He won all four shootouts he appeared in that season, stopping all 14 shots he faced against the Bruins, Kings, Red Wings and Oilers. It became one of the more memorable storylines from his first full NHL season in which he went 21-10-5.
He spent five seasons with the Jets organization, appearing in 102 NHL games with Winnipeg while also playing 28 games for the Manitoba Moose. Hutchinson was also named an AHL All-Star during the 2017-18 season as part of a loaded Moose roster.
Photo Credit: Dave Mahussier
After leaving the Jets organization, Hutchinson spent the next six seasons between the NHL and AHL with the Panthers, Maple Leafs, Avalanche, Blue Jackets and Red Wings before finishing his professional career overseas with SaiPa in Finland during the 2024-25 season.
Hutchinson’s career was a testament to the fact that not every path to the NHL is a straight line. From the ECHL to the AHL, from a late-season recall to memorable moments in a Jets uniform, he carved out a decade-plus professional career and left Winnipeg with plenty of memories along the way.
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