Carriere Another Fitzgerald Find? Goalie Excelling in Pro Debut (+)

Yaroslav Askarov is the San Jose Sharks goaltending prospect who gets all the fanfare, but Gabriel Carriere has put together a solid season.

Last April, the San Jose Barracuda inked the University of Vermont goalie to an amateur tryout agreement, then signed Carriere to a contract for the 2024-25 season. Both Barracuda head coach John McCarthy and an NHL scout were impressed by what they saw of Carriere last year.

“Scott Fitzgerald followed Gabe at Vermont, and had Ryan Miller watch him as well,” Barracuda GM Joe Will explained to San Jose Hockey Now recently. “They saw the same thing we see now, he is a workhorse in his preparation, athletic, competitive. Thrives on pressure situations like coming back in games.”

Fitzgerald is the San Jose Sharks’ director of player personnel and Miller is a goalie scout. Sharks GM Mike Grier recently gave Fitzgerald credit for signing Anthony Vincent, Lucas Vanroboys, and Donavan Houle, all solid Cuda contributors this season.

So Carriere could be the next Fitzgerald find.

The 24-year-old has kept the momentum going in his first full pro season, starring for the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder and in spot duty for the Cuda. SJHN caught up with the 6-foot-2 netminder recently to talk about his journey from Vermont to Wichita to San Jose.