{"id":832654,"date":"2026-07-29T01:51:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T01:51:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/832654\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T01:51:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T01:51:24","slug":"former-winnipeg-jets-goalie-michael-hutchinson-retires-from-pro-hockey-illegal-curve-hockey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/832654\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Winnipeg Jets goalie Michael Hutchinson retires from pro hockey \u2013 Illegal Curve Hockey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not every player\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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Photo Credit: Colby Spence<\/p>\n

Hutchinson also helped St. John\u2019s reach the Calder Cup Final that spring, where the IceCaps fell to the Texas Stars.<\/p>\n

During the 2014-15 season, Hutchinson established himself as a reliable option for the Jets and gained a reputation<\/a> 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 (including against future Jet Gustav Nyquist<\/a>) and Oilers. It became one of the more memorable storylines from his first full NHL season in which he went 21-10-5.<\/p>\n

Another memorable moment came two seasons later in the first NHL matchup between Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine, when Hutchinson made a clutch overtime save<\/a> to deny Matthews on a breakaway. Moments later, Laine completed his first NHL hat trick to give the Jets a 5-4 victory over the Maple Leafs.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> during the 2017-18 season as part of a loaded Moose roster.<\/p>\n

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Photo Credit: Dave Mahussier<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Hutchinson\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Folks will get a chance to see him again in October as he is set to participate<\/a> in the Alumni game at the Heritage Classic in Winnipeg.<\/p>\n

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