KHL.ru’s weekly column goes on with Zach Fucale. The Traktor’s goalie is having a very strong second season in the league, backstopping his team to the lead of the Eastern Conference and trying to establish club records.
As of today, Fucale has recorded eight shutouts in the 2024-2025 KHL season, matching the record set by Czech netminder Dominik Furch during the 2015-2016 campaign. His latest shutout came on January 30, when he blanked Vityaz in Traktor Chelyabinsk’s 2:0 victory. His performances have been critical in Traktor’s current position at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Fucale’s dominance has not gone unnoticed. He was named the KHL’s best goaltender for the twenty-first week of the season, marking the second time in his KHL career that he has earned these honors.
Early Years and North American Career
Born on May 28, 1995, in Laval, Quebec, Zachary Fucale began his hockey journey in the Canadian junior leagues. His talent was evident early on, leading to his selection by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 2013 NHL Draft, 36th overall, also after representing his country at two U20 WJCs.
Fucale's professional career started in the American Hockey League with the St. John’s IceCaps, then affiliated with the Canadiens, then he played for several other AHL and ECHL teams
Calder Cup Triumph
Before his KHL tenure, Fucale achieved notable success in the AHL, most prominently with the Hershey Bears. Playing as the team’s backup goaltender behind Hunter Shepard, he helped the Bears lift the Calder Cup in 2023 – the franchise’s twelfth victory in the league. He only played two uncomplete games, yet he was always ready and showed his worth when he was called up.
International Experience
Fucale’s international experience is equally impressive. He was a key member of the Canadian national junior team, contributing to their gold medal victories at both the 2013 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the 2015 World Junior Championships on home soil. These accomplishments highlight his skill and composure on the international stage, further solidifying his reputation as a top-tier goaltender. Fucale also played five games for Team Canada at the 2014 WJC.
Transition to the KHL
In 2023, after lifting the Calder Cup with the Bears, Fucale made the significant decision to join the KHL, signing with Traktor. This move marked a new chapter in his career, making it his second experience overseas – he briefly signed in Germany in 2020 without getting to play any game.
Statistical highlights
Throughout his career, Fucale has consistently delivered strong performances. In the 2024-2025 KHL season, he appeared in 39 games, achieving a record of 20-14-0. His goals-against average (GAA) stands at 2.10, and he boasts one of the top save percentages in the league, highlighting not only his skills, but also his importance to the team.
In the AHL, Fucale’s numbers were equally impressive, with more than 150 career appearances. He also played three times for Team Canada in the Switzerland’s Spengler Cup, with two wins, in 2017 and 2020, both times as the team’s starter.
Approaching the playoffs
Fucale remains one of the top goalies in the league, and Traktor is currently one of the best teams. The playoffs are approaching, and he will certainly want to do better than last year, when Traktor suffered from a semifinal exit against Lokomotiv, with Fucale leaving the ice in the second game after a collision with forward Maxim Shalunov.
With the goalie in top form – he will also represent the Kharlamov Division at the upcoming Fonbet KHL All-Star Game – Traktor looks in a good position to at least repeat last year’s achievements.
