Red Wings Announce Michael Leighton Hired As New Goaltending Coach

Yahoo

07-07-2025

The Detroit Red Wings had a vacancy to fill after deciding to part ways with goaltending coach Alex Westlund in late April.
They've officially filled that position, announcing that former NHL veteran Michael Leighton has accepted the job as Detroit's new goaltending coach.
He'll be overseeing Detroit's tandem of John Gibson, who was recently acquired from the Anaheim Ducks, and Cam Talbot, who is entering his second season in Detroit.
Advertisement
Leighton, who played 110 regular season NHL games, already has a connection to a pair of current Red Wings players. In 2010, he and James van Riemsdyk helped the Philadelphia Flyers advance to the Stanley Cup Final, where they would be defeated by Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks.
Kane's wrist shot from a sharp angle slipped under the pads of Leighton shortly into overtime of the decisive Game 6, clinching the first Stanley Cup win for the Blackhawks in 49 years. van Riemsdyk was also on the ice for the Flyers at the time of the infamous Cup-winning goal.
It was Philadelphia's first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final since they were swept by the Red Wings in 1997.
Advertisement
Leighton was originally selected by the Blackhawks in the 1999 NHL Draft after rising through the ranks of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association, the Western Ontario Hockey League, and the Ontario Hockey League.
After playing two seasons with the AHL's Norfolk Admirals, Leighton would officially debut in the NHL for the Blackhawks in January of 2003 and recorded a shutout in his first start, a scoreless tie against the Phoenix Coyotes.
Leighton then spent brief stints with the Buffalo Sabres, Anaheim Ducks, and Nashville Predators before he began what would be the first of a pair of tenures with the Flyers.
While playing with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2009, the club signed former Red Wings goaltender Manny Legace after starter Cam Ward suffered a leg injury, and he was placed on waivers and subsequently claimed by the Flyers.
Advertisement
Leighton would eventually help lead the Flyers to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, which included an improbable reverse sweep over the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semi Final. He recorded three shutouts in the Eastern Conference Final over the Montreal Canadiens, which tied an NHL record for most shutouts by a goaltender in a single postseason series.
The bulk of the remainder of Leighton's professional playing career, which lasted until his retirement in 2019, was spent playing in the AHL. Overall, he was named to five All-Star Classic appearances during his time in the AHL , including in 2012, 2016, and 2017.
His 50 shutouts are the most by any goaltender in AHL history, and he also holds the AHL record for most saves in a single game, stopping an astounding 98 shots as part of a five-overtime marathon contest while with the Albany River Rats against the Philadelphia Phantoms.
Leighton amassed an NHL record of 37-43-14 with a 2.98 goals-against average, a .900 save percentage, and four shutouts.
Advertisement
He also racked up a 250-186-50 record in 507 AHL games, with a 2.38 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage.