Robin Lehner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robin Lehner
Lehner with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021
Born	(1991-07-24) 24 July 1991 (age 33) Gothenburg, Sweden
Height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight	250 lb (113 kg; 17 st 12 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Catches	Left
NHL team Former teams	Vegas Golden Knights Ottawa Senators Buffalo Sabres New York Islanders Chicago Blackhawks
NHL Draft	46th overall, 2009 Ottawa Senators
Playing career	2009–present

Robin Lehner (born 24 July 1991) is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender. He plays for the Vegas Golden Knights in the National Hockey League (NHL). People sometimes call him "Panda". Before joining the Golden Knights, he played for the Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, and Chicago Blackhawks. The Senators picked Lehner in the second round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Robin was born in Gothenburg, Sweden. His father, who also coached famous goalie Henrik Lundqvist, taught him how to play goalie. Robin started playing hockey in Sweden's junior leagues. In 2009, he decided to move to North America instead of playing in the Swedish Hockey League. He played for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). During the 2009–10 season, he set an OHL record with five shutouts. After one year in the OHL, Lehner joined the Binghamton Senators, a team linked to Ottawa. He helped them win the 2011 Calder Cup. When he first played for Ottawa in 2010, Lehner became the youngest goalie in the team's history. He was also the youngest Swedish goalie to play in an NHL game. Lehner became a regular player for Ottawa by the 2013–14 season. In 2015, the Senators traded him to Buffalo. He played well there, but the team's offense struggled.

Lehner won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy and was a top finalist for the Vezina Trophy. In New York, Chicago, and Vegas, Lehner often shared the goalie role with other experienced players. These included Thomas Greiss, Corey Crawford, and Marc-André Fleury. When Fleury was traded before the 2021–22 season, Lehner became the main goalie for the Golden Knights. Lehner played for Sweden in the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships and the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. However, injuries have kept him from playing in other international tournaments, like the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Early Life and Hockey Start

Robin Lehner was born on 24 July 1991, in Gothenburg, Sweden. His parents are Michael and Veronica Lehner. Robin first played association football (soccer). He switched to ice hockey when he was 10 years old. His father coached him. Michael, who was a mixed martial artist, had no goalie experience. But he was asked to train future NHL player Henrik Lundqvist around the same time Robin wanted to learn the position. So, Robin often tried out drills that were meant for Lundqvist. Robin briefly went to high school in Sweden. But he decided to leave at age 14 because he felt public education "did not work" for him.

Playing Career Highlights

Junior Hockey Years

Lehner started his junior career with the Frölunda HC team in Sweden's J20 SuperElit league. He had a chance to play for the main team if he did well. In 22 games during the 2008–09 season, Lehner had a 3.05 goals against average (GAA) and a .916 save percentage. He was offered a spot on the main team for the 2009–10 season. But Lehner had thought about quitting hockey because of pain in his leg. He decided to keep playing after visiting New York to see Henrik Lundqvist play. That trip inspired him to continue his career in North America.

After his Swedish junior season, the NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked Lehner as the best European goalie for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. The Ottawa Senators picked Lehner 46th overall in the draft. The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) also picked Lehner. He moved to Ontario to play for them in the 2009–10 season. Lehner had a great season with Sault Ste. Marie. He had a record of 27 wins, 13 losses, and 3 overtime losses. His GAA was 2.88, and his save percentage was .918. He also set an OHL record with five shutouts.

Starting Professional Hockey

Ottawa Senators (2010–2015)

Lehner with the Binghamton Senators in 2011

After his time with the Greyhounds, Lehner signed a three-year contract with the Senators. He finished the 2009–10 season with the Binghamton Senators, Ottawa's minor league team. He played his first professional game on 9 April 2010. He made 21 saves in a 6–5 win.

Lehner was supposed to start the 2010–11 season in Binghamton. But injuries to Ottawa's main goalies meant he was called up to the NHL. He made his NHL debut on 16 October 2010. He was only 19 years old. This made him the youngest goalie in Senators history. He was also the youngest Swedish goalie to play in an NHL game. Lehner returned to Binghamton. Then, he was called up again in January 2011. He made his first NHL start the next day, winning 6–4 against the New York Islanders. He helped Ottawa end a six-game losing streak. Lehner played 8 games in Ottawa and 22 games in Binghamton that year. He had a 2.70 GAA in Binghamton. He played a big role in Binghamton's first Calder Cup championship. He had a 14–4 record, 2.10 GAA, and .939 save percentage in the playoffs. He won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the AHL playoff MVP.

Lehner at the 2013 AHL All-Star Classic

Lehner spent most of the 2011–12 season in Binghamton. He was called up to the NHL a few times when other goalies were injured. He got his first NHL shutout on 23 February. He stopped all 32 shots in a 1–0 win against the Boston Bruins. That season, he played 5 games in Ottawa, winning 3 of them. He played 40 games with Binghamton.

The 2012–13 NHL lockout delayed the start of the 2012–13 NHL season. Lehner played in Binghamton during this time. He played in the AHL All-Star Classic. By the time the NHL season started, Lehner was one of the best goalies in the AHL. He had a 0.945 save percentage and a 1.90 GAA. He expected to return to Ottawa. But he was sent back to Binghamton. However, injuries to Ottawa players led to Lehner being called up on 22 February. In 12 NHL starts that season, Lehner had a .936 save percentage and a 2.20 GAA. He also played in 31 AHL games. Lehner made his first NHL playoff appearance in 2013.

Lehner started the 2013–14 season as a full-time backup goalie for Ottawa. When the main goalie was injured in November, Lehner played well. He won three games and had a 1.33 GAA. He was named the First Star of the Week. Lehner played in 36 games during the 2013–14 season. He had 12 wins, 15 losses, and 6 overtime losses.

On 31 July 2014, the Senators signed Lehner to a three-year contract. In February, Lehner suffered a concussion during a game. This injury ended his season. He played 25 games before the concussion. He had 9 wins, 12 losses, and 3 overtime losses.

Buffalo Sabres (2015–2018)

On 26 June 2015, the Buffalo Sabres traded for Lehner. They needed a starting goalie for the 2015–16 season. In his first game with the Sabres, Lehner got injured. He sprained his right ankle and missed several weeks. He returned on 16 January 2016. His first shutout with Buffalo came on 19 February. He stopped all 38 shots in a 4–0 win. Lehner's ankle continued to bother him. He had surgery on 30 March, which ended his season. He played only 21 games. He had 5 wins, 9 losses, and 5 overtime losses.

For the 2016–17 season, Buffalo got Anders Nilsson as Lehner's backup. Lehner also started training in mixed martial arts to lose weight and get faster. Lehner played 59 games that season. He had 23 wins, 26 losses, and 8 overtime losses. He also had a 2.68 GAA and a .920 save percentage. He made 1,758 saves, which was third best in the NHL.

After the 2016–17 season, Lehner signed a one-year contract with Buffalo. He faced similar challenges in the 2017–18 season. The team's offense struggled, leading to losses even when Lehner played well. He finished the season with 14 wins, 26 losses, and 9 overtime losses. His GAA was 3.01, and his save percentage was .908. On 22 June 2018, the Sabres decided not to keep Lehner. He became a free agent.

New York Islanders (2018–2019)

Lehner with the Islanders in 2019

The New York Islanders signed Lehner to a one-year contract on 4 July 2018. They needed another goalie to play with Thomas Greiss. In his first game with the Islanders, Lehner stopped all 35 shots. He became the first Islanders goalie to get a shutout in his first game for the team. Lehner had his best year yet with the Islanders. He had 25 wins, 13 losses, and 5 overtime losses. His GAA was 2.13, and his save percentage was .930. He also had six shutouts. Lehner and Greiss won the William M. Jennings Trophy. This award goes to the goalies of the team that allows the fewest goals in the regular season. The Islanders allowed far fewer goals than the year before. Lehner was also a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, given to the best goalie in the NHL. He won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for his dedication to hockey.

In the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, Lehner was key in the Islanders beating the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. He blocked 130 shots in four games. He was less effective in the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes won the series, ending the Islanders' playoff run.

Chicago Blackhawks (2019–2020)

On 1 July 2019, Lehner signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Islanders had offered him a contract, but they couldn't agree on a longer deal. Chicago's coach decided to have Lehner and Corey Crawford share the goalie duties. Lehner played well in regulation games. But he often struggled in shootouts. He even suggested that Crawford take over for shootouts. Lehner's performance dipped later in the season. In his 33 games with the Blackhawks, Lehner had 16 wins, 10 losses, and 5 overtime losses. His save percentage was .918, and his GAA was 3.01.

Vegas Golden Knights (2020–Present)

Lehner with the Golden Knights in 2022

On 24 February 2020, Lehner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. He was traded through the Toronto Maple Leafs. He played as a backup to Marc-André Fleury. Lehner started only three games for Vegas. He won all three games. His GAA was 1.67, and his save percentage was .940. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the NHL season. When the NHL playoffs started in July, Lehner became the main goalie for Vegas. This caused some talk because Fleury was a popular player. Lehner had three shutouts against the Vancouver Canucks in the playoffs. Vegas made it to the Western Conference finals but lost to the Dallas Stars. Lehner had 9 wins and 7 losses in 16 playoff games for Vegas.

Lehner signed a five-year contract extension with the Vegas Golden Knights on 3 October 2020. He had shoulder surgery the next week. Lehner and Fleury shared the goalie role at the start of the 2020–21 season. Lehner suffered an upper body injury in February 2021. He had struggled in his first five starts before the injury. But he played much better after returning. At the end of the regular season, Fleury and Lehner won the William M. Jennings Trophy again. Lehner personally had 13 wins, 4 losses, and 2 overtime losses. His GAA was 2.29, and his save percentage was .913. Fleury started most of the playoff games in 2021. Lehner started Game 1 of the second round. He allowed seven goals in a loss. He started again in Game 4 of the semifinals, helping Vegas win. But Montreal defeated Vegas in six games.

When Fleury was traded in July 2021, Lehner became the main goalie for the Golden Knights for the 2021–22 season. He had Laurent Brossoit as his new backup. Lehner's 2021–22 season was affected by several injuries. He had a lower-body injury in December. He returned in January. He was sidelined again with an upper-body injury in February. He returned in March. After another injury evaluation, Lehner had shoulder surgery in April. This ended his season. He finished the season with 23 wins, 17 losses, and 2 overtime losses. His GAA was 2.83, and his save percentage was .907.

On 11 August 2022, the Golden Knights announced that Lehner needed hip surgery. This meant he would miss the entire 2022–23 NHL season. He also missed the start of the 2023–24 season due to injury. For the 2024–25 season, Lehner did not report for a medical exam. An agreement was made that the Golden Knights would pay his salary, but it would not count against the team's salary cap.

International Play

Lehner first played for the Sweden men's national under-18 ice hockey team in 2008. He played in the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. He was Sweden's starting goalie at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships. He helped the team finish fifth. He had one shutout in the tournament. In 2011, he played for the Swedish junior team at the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Sweden lost in the semi-final game to Russia in a shootout.

During his NHL career, Lehner has had to miss some international tournaments due to injuries. He was supposed to be Sweden's starting goalie at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. But he had to be replaced because of an ankle injury from the NHL season. Lehner was invited to join the Swedish team for the 2022 Winter Olympics. But he chose not to go due to health reasons. The NHL later announced that no players would go to the 2022 Olympics because of health concerns.

Goaltending Style

Sportswriters have noticed that Lehner doesn't move much in front of the net during games. Lehner says this is because of his large size. He can cover more of the net without moving a lot. He also mentions injuries he got when he was younger and used a different style. To move less, Lehner uses a technique called "calculated cheating." Before games, he watches videos of opposing players. He looks for clues they use before shooting. On the ice, he watches for these clues and moves only when he thinks a shot is coming. Lehner also plays closer to the back of the net. He started doing this with the Islanders. He believes staying closer helps him use his body better to block shots.

Lehner thinks modern goaltending is too "mechanical." He means goalies use the same positions for every save. He prefers to be creative. He might fall on his side to block the puck with his leg pads. Or he might swat the puck away with his glove. Lehner has worked to lose weight during his career. This helps him be faster on the ice and avoid injuries.

Personal Life

Lehner and his wife Donya have two children. Their son, Lennox, was born in 2014. Their daughter, Zoe, was born in 2017. Lehner is a big fan of the Swedish metal band In Flames. They are from his hometown of Gothenburg. He often shows tribute to them on his goalie masks. He also likes the hip-hop artist Vinnie Paz. Another of Lehner's goalie masks has a giant panda design. He got the nickname "Panda" when he played for the Blackhawks. They thought he looked like the character from the Kung Fu Panda movies.

Career Statistics

Information on career statistics comes from Elite Prospects.

Regular Season and Playoffs

International

Awards and Honours