Isaiah Saville facts for kids

Isaiah Saville (born September 21, 2000) is an American professional ice hockey player. He plays as a goaltender, which means he's the player who defends the net and tries to stop the puck from going in. Isaiah plays for the Tahoe Knight Monsters in the ECHL league. He is also a "prospect" for the Vegas Golden Knights in the National Hockey League (NHL), which means they hope he will play for their main team in the future.

Before turning professional, Isaiah played for different junior teams like the Minnesota Magicians and the Tri-City Storm. He also played college hockey for the Omaha Mavericks.

Isaiah's Hockey Journey

Isaiah Saville started playing hockey in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. In 2016, he joined the Colorado Thunderbirds, a youth team in a top league called the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL).

Playing in Junior Leagues

For the 2017–18 season, Isaiah played for the Minnesota Magicians in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). This league is a step up for young players. After that, he moved to the Tri-City Storm in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for the 2018–19 season. The USHL is an even higher level for junior players.

While playing for the Tri-City Storm, Isaiah was amazing! He was named the USHL Goaltender of the Year. He also won the Dave Peterson Award from USA Hockey, which is a big honor for a goalie. His great play helped the Storm win the Anderson Cup, a championship for the regular season. Because of his talent, the Vegas Golden Knights picked him in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft in 2019. This meant they had the rights to sign him to play for their team later on.

College Hockey Career

After his junior career, Isaiah played college hockey for three seasons at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. While playing for the Mavericks, he had a save percentage of .907 and a goals-against average of 2.78. He was even named to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) honorable mention All-Star team in 2020–21.

Turning Professional

On March 18, 2022, Isaiah signed his first professional contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. This was a three-year "entry-level" contract. Soon after, he joined the Henderson Silver Knights, which is the team connected to the Vegas Golden Knights in the American Hockey League (AHL). The AHL is a league where players often develop their skills before moving to the NHL.

During the 2023–24 season, Isaiah was called up to the Golden Knights team several times. This happened when other goalies were injured. He served as a backup goalie to Logan Thompson and Jiri Patera, meaning he was ready to play if needed. However, he didn't get into any games during those call-ups.

Playing for His Country

Isaiah Saville has also played for the United States in international hockey tournaments.

He first played for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP) at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in 2017. He played in two games during that tournament.

In 2018, Isaiah played for the USNTDP again in three games at the 2018 World Junior A Challenge. He played really well, with a .944 save percentage and a 1.30 goals-against average. His team won a gold medal at this event!

Isaiah was also chosen for the United States team at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championships. Even though he was on the team, he did not play in any games during that championship.

Awards and Honors