NEW YORK – Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, who went 6-0-0 with a League-best 1.14 goals-against average, .967 save percentage and three shutouts in six games, has been named the NHL’s “Rookie of the Month” for November.
Wallstedt edged San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (8-2-0, 1.88 GAA, .947 SV%), Anaheim Ducks right wing Beckett Sennecke (4-10—14 in 15 GP), New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (5-6—11 in 15 GP) and Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov (4-6—10 in 13 GP) for the honor.
Wallstedt, the 20th overall pick from the 2021 NHL Draft, yielded two or fewer goals in five of his six appearances – highlighted by shutouts Nov. 9 vs. CGY (36 SV), Nov. 15 vs. ANA (28 SV) and Nov. 23 at WPG (32 SV). He posted a 175:12 shutout sequence from Nov. 7-19, a franchise rookie record and the longest by any rookie goaltender since John Gibson from Dec. 27, 2015 – Jan. 3, 2016 (184:30 w/ ANA).
Wallstedt, who turned aside 202 of the 209 total shots he faced during the month, also made at least 25 saves in all six of his starts and at least 35 stops three times. That included a career-high 42 saves Nov. 19 vs. CAR, a single-game total topped by just one rookie goaltender in Minnesota history: Kaapo Kahkonen (44 SV on Dec. 3, 2019 at FLA).
The 23-year-old Wallstedt boasts a 7-0-2 record with a League-leading .938 save percentage and three shutouts through nine total appearances this season. His 1.93 goals-against average ranks second only to the Calgary Flames’ Devin Cooley (1.88 GAA).
Wallstedt is the sixth rookie goaltender in NHL history to compile a season-opening point streak of at least nine games, joining Pete Peeters (22-0-5 in 1979-80 w/ PHI), Bill Durnan (11-0-3 in 1943-44 w/ MTL), Ross Brooks (8-0-3 in 1972-73 w/ BOS), Bob Froese (9-0-1 in 1982-83 w/ PHI) and Robb Stauber (9-0-1 in 1992-93 w/ LAK).
Wallstedt, who joins Schaefer (October) as a “Rookie of the Month” winner in 2025-26, is the second player in Wild history to receive the honor, after defenseman Brock Faber in January 2024.
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