Washington Capitals Sign Goaltender Zach Fucale

The Washington Capitals have signed goaltender Zach Fucale to a one-year, two-way contract ($700,000/$75,000), senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today.

The signing is primarily to fortify the goaltending for AHL Hershey and ECHL Carolina, and possibly additional indication that both the Capitals and Bears are preparing for the potential elevation of Vitek Vanecek from Hershey to Washington next season.

FROM WASHINGTON CAPITALS

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have signed goaltender Zach Fucale to a one-year, two-way contract ($700,000/$75,000), senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today.

Fucale, 25, posted a record of 10-8-4 with a 2.36 goals against average and a .928 save percentage in 24 games with the Orlando Solar Bears in the ECHL in 2019-20. The 6’2”, 187-pound goaltender also appeared in one game with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, stopping 12 of the 15 shots he faced.

The Laval, Quebec, native won gold with Team Canada at the 2019 Spengler Cup after going 3-0 with a 0.33 goals against average and a .986 save percentage. Fucale posted back-to-back shutouts, including one in the gold medal game, and he was named the tournament’s all-star goaltender.

Fucale played in five games with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves in 2018-19, recording a 1-3-0 record with a 2.51 goals against average and a .909 save percentage.

In 69 career AHL games with the St. John’s Icecaps, Laval Rocket, Chicago and Syracuse, Fucale has recorded a 28-32-6 record with a 3.09 goals against average, a .900 save percentage and two shutouts. Additionally, in another 111 career games in the ECHL with the Brampton Beast, the Fort Wayne Komets and Orlando, Fucale has posted a 57-32-11 record with a 2.97 goals against average and a .904 save percentage and eight shutouts.

On February 17, 2020, the Syracuse Crunch released Fucale from his AHL contract in order for him to sign with Munich in the DEL. Fucale had spent most of the season in the ECHL with the Orlando Solar Bears. Fucale played in no games and did not re-sign with Munich this off-season.

Warmups for Syracuse (01/04/20)