“As Long as I Can and As Soon as I Can”: Jacob Fowler on His Road to the Habs’ Crease
When Jacob Fowler signed his Entry Level Contract with the Montreal Canadiens last April, along with an AHL deal that allowed him to report immediately to Laval, the expectation was simple: begin the transition to pro hockey.
What followed was anything but simple.
In less than a year, Fowler went from the sting of a season ending at Boston College to backstopping the Rocket in the playoffs, to making his NHL debut and recording a shutout against Pittsburgh. It has been a crash course in how quickly a career can accelerate.
“It’s crazy,” Fowler said to R.org. “It’s almost been a year now since I signed. It’s been a pretty memorable start to my career here.”
The emotional swing last spring still stands out to him. One week, he was processing the end of his college season. The next, he was stepping into a playoff race with one of the best teams in the American Hockey League.
“I don’t want to say it was make or break,” he said, “but it was cool to go from being at school and being down in the dumps with your season ending to joining the best team in the league and going on a playoff run.”
That experience carried into this season and helped him better prepare for what’s to come. Instead of arriving at training camp wide-eyed, he returned to a room that already felt familiar.
“It almost felt like I was in my second year with the team,” Fowler said. “Coming to training camp and seeing the guys again, it felt like I’d already been here.”
Even adversity has become part of the education for Fowler. A recent illness sidelined him for nearly two weeks, something he had never experienced before.
“I’ve never been that sick before in my life,” Fowler admitted. “I’ve got to give a lot of credit to the trainers and the staff for helping me get through it.”
The Laval Rocket staff took their time in getting Fowler back into the lineup, delaying his return a few times before ultimately drawing back in last Friday against the Rochester Americans.
The 21-year-old seemingly didn’t miss a beat, stopping 35 of 37 shots and posting a 0.946 save percentage en route to a 4-2 win in which he was named 1st star.
“It was nice to just be back in your routine again,” he said. “You build a little rust in a couple weeks. I definitely had a little more gas than usual, but it felt good to get back into games.”
He now finds himself suiting up for the Canadiens once more, as he received a call-up on Wednesday morning as the Canadiens traveled to Ottawa.
Earning His Place With The Canadiens
His strong play this season as a true rookie in the AHL, coupled with some inconsistency in Montreal’s goaltending, earned Fowler a call-up to the show in December.
In 10 games with the Canadiens, the young netminder posted a 4-4-2 record, with a .902 save percentage and a 2.62 GAA; including one shutout against one of his favorite childhood teams: the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He soaked it all in to try and hit another level in his game.
“Some games felt like it was starting to slow down a little bit and I could read the game,” Fowler said of his 10 appearances in Montreal. “But to play 10 games is a lot easier than to have a career. You want to stay. You want to be in a position to be a starting goalie.”
Now back in Laval and carrying a significant workload, he is learning what it takes to build toward something sustainable rather than temporary. All of it has added perspective, especially after his brief taste of the NHL.
“My goal has always been to play in the NHL,” he said. “You don’t want to rush anything.”
He knew that he would eventually be sent back down to the AHL and didn’t view it as a setback, but, rather, as part of the process he must still go through to reach the NHL full-time.
“It’s been nice to take a step back and appreciate what those 10 games brought to me and my family,” Fowler said. “But now, it’s shifted to that’s where I want to be.”
With goaltending inconsistencies still plaguing the Montreal Canadiens even into March, waves of fans have been clamouring for the youngster’s return to the Habs. Fowler’s call-up after the Canadiens’ 3-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs as they get set to play another divisional rival in the Ottawa Senators is not by chance.
But, at the same time, it’s a difficult thing for him to process, as he has developed close relationships with Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes.
There is support, but there is also competition.
“It’s hard,” he said. “I’m really close to both those guys and you’re rooting for them, but at the end of the day you want to be in that net every night. It’s part of the job.”
With just under 40 games played this season, he is building the kind of durability and consistency that organizations look for before making the next leap.
But above all, Fowler feels he is ready.
Growing Alongside David Reinbacher
While Fowler has been refining his game in the crease, David Reinbacher has been doing the same on the blue line. Drafted in the same year and introduced to the organization together at development camp, the two prospects are now experiencing the grind of professional hockey at the same time in Laval.
Injuries have tested the Rocket’s defensive depth in recent weeks, creating opportunity and pressure for Reinbacher. Pressure Fowler feels the young blueliner has risen to meet head on.
“He’s been great,” Fowler said. “I think he sometimes gets a little more slack than he deserves.”
From behind the play, Fowler sees the growing details in Reinbacher’s game that might go unnoticed on TV but that a goaltender always appreciates in the heat of an intense battle.
“The biggest thing is his work ethic, the detail and care that he has for the game,” he said. “The energy he brings to the rink and the willingness to improve every day, it’s great to be around.”
Trust between a goaltender and his defenseman develops over time. Fowler feels that trust growing.
“I’m pretty confident every time he’s on the ice in front of me,” he said.
Both are adjusting to the speed and structure of the AHL, with Reinbacher finally finding some consistency in his game as he catches up on lost time due to injury. With both beginning to look more comfortable as the season moves along, Canadiens fans have a lot to be excited about.
“To kind of be growing up through the organization like this together,” Fowler said, “it’s been super cool to watch.”
If their development continues on its current path, it would not be surprising to see their timelines intersect again in Montreal quite soon.
Looking To A Future In Montreal
As the Canadiens push toward the postseason and show an openness to run with three goalies at a time, roster decisions become more complicated. Salary cap realities limit flexibility, and every call-up is magnified. Fowler is aware of the noise but makes a point not to dwell on it.
As of right now, the Canadiens only have about $1.5M in cap space, meaning they would only be able to call up Fowler for now without going over the salary cap.
“The cap stuff is stuff that you can’t really worry about as a player,” he said. “I just try not to get wrapped up in it.”
Fowler just wants to be prepared for when opportunities like tonight pop up, and he can help keep the big club in a very aggressive playoff race in the Eastern Conference. He has played 37 games this year and has embraced the responsibility that comes with being relied upon regularly.
“I’ve played almost 40 games this year now and you want to be able to play every night,” he said.
Asked whether he would feel ready to step into a playoff race if called upon, Fowler answers carefully, with an understanding of what that stage demands.
“It takes a special breed of person, not just athlete, to do that,” he said. “To want to play through June year after year is hard.”
It’s worth remembering that almost a year ago, Fowler was thrust in a similar situation; jumping from the NCAA straight to the AHL playoffs in a matter of days. He didn’t miss a beat in those games and even earned a shutout against the Cleveland Monsters.
But he understands that you can’t rush the NHL. Long-term success far outweighs the rush of wanting to get back to the building that routinely chanted his name leading up to Christmas.
“For me, understanding what I do now is great, but it’s setting myself up for the long term,” Fowler said. “You’re not just a one-time cool object. You want to have a good career and put your best foot forward every night.”
In less than a year, Fowler has experienced the highs of an NHL shutout and the grind of a full AHL season. Whether the call comes this spring or later, his direction is clear.
“I want to be a Montreal Canadien,” he said. “As long as I can and as soon as I can.”
Let’s see if the “as soon as I can” begins tonight.