Nathan Lieuwen

Nathan Lieuwen
Nathan Lieuwen playing for the WHL's Kootenay Ice in 2011
Born August 8, 1991
Abbotsford, BC, CAN
Height 6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Weight 192 lb (87 kg; 13 st 10 lb)
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
NHL team (P)
Cur. team 		Buffalo Sabres
Rochester Americans (AHL)
NHL Draft 167th overall, 2011
Buffalo Sabres
Playing career 2012–present

Nathan Lieuwen (born August 8, 1991) is a Canadian ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League. On June 25, 2011 he was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He was selected in the 6th round, 167th overall.

Playing career

Lieuwen was selected 16th overall in the first round of the 2005 WHL Bantam Draft by the Kootenay Ice, after a championship season with the Abbotsford Hawks Bantam AAA team. Lieuwen backstopped the Hawks to the Western Canadian Championship earning Top Goalie, and All-Star awards.

In his first season with the Kootenay Ice, Lieuwen was a passenger in a roll-over car accident, and his bright future suddenly became very dull. Lieuwen went from a highly touted young phenom, to a WHL back-up tender, then sent down to the BCHL's Westside Warriors in Westbank, BC. That next summer he represented Canada, as the starting goaltender at the Ivan Hlinka tournament in Slovakia where Canada won the gold. Returning to the Kootenay Ice in 2008-2009, Lieuwen found himself sharing ice time, and still experiencing post-concussion symptoms, all from the roll-over accident. Despite this all, he played for Team Cherry at the Home Hardware Top Prospects Game. He went undrafted later that June, and was past over for the World Junior camps in the summer.

In his 18-year-old year with the Ice, he was still splitting ice time, and wondered if his once promising future in hockey, was coming to an end. After getting run over by a Calgary Hitman player, and hitting his head against the goalpost, he was sent home to recover. He returned soon, and things seemed to have started to turn around. The Ice didn't get very far into the playoffs, and Lieuwen worked hard all summer to get back into the form he was in 3 years earlier. Coming back as a 19-year-old, Lieuwen proved he was the number one goalie for the team. But doubt still remained about his ability to become the superstar the Ice thought they were getting. He later would prove that he is, taking the team deep into the playoffs, with 3 shutouts, and winning 11 games in a row and eventually becoming the WHL champions and earning MVP honours (April 2011).

On May 4, 2012, Lieuwen was signed by the Buffalo Sabres to a three-year entry-level contract.[1] On March 16, 2014, he was called up from the American Hockey League's Rochester Americans to replace the injured Michal Neuvirth,[2] and made his NHL debut that night when he replaced an injured Jhonas Enroth in a game against the Montreal Canadiens.[3]

Lieuwen made his first NHL start on the road against the Calgary Flames on March 18, 2014.[4] He recorded his first NHL win at home on April 1, 2014 against the New Jersey Devils.[5] Lieuwen suffered yet another concussion in the April 6, 2014 contest, ending his season.[6]

Awards and honours

References

  1. ↑ "Buffalo signs Nathan Lieuwen". Twitter. 2012-05-04. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
  2. ↑ "Sabres goalie Neuvirth hurt, prospect Lieuwen summoned". NBC Sports. 2014-03-16. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  3. ↑ "Lieuwen shines in Sabres loss". WIVB. 2014-03-16. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  4. ↑ "Flames face untested newcomer in Sabres' Nathan Lieuwen". CBC Sports. 2014-03-18. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  5. ↑ The Star Ledger April 2, 2014. pg. 54
  6. ↑ "Buffalo Sabres injury grows with three more hurt". ESPN. 2014-04-06. Retrieved 2014-04-07.
  7. ↑ National Post: Ice’s Lieuwen plays with faith and a smile

External links