Former Fort Wayne Komets goaltender Matthew Villalta became the 746th former ECHL player to reach the National Hockey League when he debuted with the Arizona Coyotes on Friday against Carolina.
Villalta is the sixth former ECHL player to make his NHL debut during the 2023-24 season. He appeared in eight games for the Komets during the 2019-20 season going 4-3-1 with a 3.85 goals-against average and a save percentage of .864.
A third-round selection (72nd overall) of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Villalta has seen action in 142 career games in the American Hockey League with Ontario and Tucson where he is 80-43-12 with four shutouts, a 2.92 goals-against average and a save percentage of .904. He represented the Roadrunners at the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic in San Jose.