Montreal Canadiens’ Jacob Fowler Earns 'Elite’ Label From Former NHL Goalie

Montreal’s Fowler earns elite tag from former NHL netminder Weekes© Instagram/@jacob_fowler24

Jacob Fowler is only 21 years old and already drawing the kind of attention most NHL goalies spend years chasing. With starter Sam Montembeault sidelined, the rookie has not just filled a gap for the Montreal Canadiens. He has actively made a case for himself. Seven starts in, Fowler carries a 1.54 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage. Former NHL goaltender and current analyst Kevin Weekes watched enough to stop mincing words. He called Fowler elite on NHL Network. That kind of endorsement does not come cheap in this league.

Kevin Weekes Did Not Hold Back on Fowler

Weekes was specifically analysing Montreal's goaltending depth when he singled out the 21-year-old. His tone was not measured or hedged. It was direct.

“This Jacob Fowler, he's the dude, he's the man,” Weekes said on NHL Tonight. “This guy, he's legit. I kept saying it over and over as we watched the Heritage Classic, which was great, by the way... what a game. He was outstanding in that game.”

Weekes also gave credit to Jakub Dobes, Fowler's partner in the crease. “Jakub Dobeš, who I've liked since he was at Ohio State, I think he's an excellent goalie as well. The Habs are blessed; two goalies in their franchise that they drafted and developed.” Then came the line that caught everyone's attention: “But go ahead and mark this down: this Jacob Fowler guy is elite.”

That is not casual praise from someone who played in the NHL. Weekes knows what elite goaltending looks like up close. When he says mark it down, it means something. Fowler was a third-round pick, No. 5 in the round, 65th overall, out of the 2023 draft. He was not supposed to be here this fast. But through two NHL seasons, his career numbers stand at a 2.17 GAA and a .919 save percentage. His current figures this season are well ahead of that pace.

Where the Canadiens Sit Right Now

Montreal is not just surviving without Montembeault. They are second in the Atlantic Division with a 7-3-2 record, sitting just behind the Boston Bruins at 9-3-1. The Canadiens have won three straight, including a 2-0 shutout victory over the St. Louis Blues on October 27 at Enterprise Centre. Their next assignment is a road game against the Dallas Stars.

The goaltending situation in Montreal, which looked uncertain at the start of the season given Montembeault's injury, has turned into one of the more quietly impressive stories in the early going. Fowler and Dobes were both drafted and developed inside the organisation. They did not arrive through trade or free agency signings. Martin St. Louis is working with what the front office built, and it is working.

Fowler's performance at the Heritage Classic was the moment that made people sit up. Weekes clearly remembered it. The numbers since have backed up what people saw that day. That combination, the eye test and the stat sheet pointing the same direction, is usually when it stops being a small sample story and starts being something real.