In Salt Lake City-born goaltender Richard Bachman’s first four NHL appearances, he allowed just one goal in total. He was on top of the world.
It began in December 2010 when former Dallas Stars goaltender Andrew Raycroft allowed his fifth goal 50 minutes into a game in Glendale, Arizona. Bachman stepped in to relieve him, making history as the first Utah-born goalie to play a game in the NHL.
Bachman only faced four shots in the remaining 10 minutes of that game, but he stopped them all.
Despite that, his next NHL chance wouldn’t come until a year later, when he stepped in for Raycroft once again. He played a full period this time, again stopping every puck that came his way — eight in total.
Two days later, he got his first start — and his first win — keeping all but one shot out for a 2-1 victory. He started the next game, too, earning his first shutout as he stole a game 1-0 at Madison Square Garden.
Future Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist was at the other end of the ice that night, but it was the rookie who’d be named first star of the game.
Things couldn’t be going better for a 24-year-old looking to make his mark in the big league. It had been a long journey to get there, taking him through eight states and countless ups and downs.
But he’d soon learn that the ups and downs don’t stop once you get to the NHL.
A 3-2 win on Long Island two nights later brought his goals-against total to three through five appearances, but that’s where his beginner’s luck would run out. He allowed six goals in New Jersey the following day for his first NHL loss.
“The NHL, it’ll bring you back down to Earth real quick,” Bachman said in an interview with the Deseret News.
The grind
He remained with the NHL squad the rest of that year, experiencing plenty of ups and downs along the way. The NHL lockout delayed the beginning of the next season, and when action resumed, Bachman found it hard to get back into the groove he had carved.
“Every night’s a dog fight out there,” he said.
The next six seasons were a revolving door between the NHL and the AHL for Bachman, but he carved out a role as a reliable third-string goalie who could step into NHL roles when injuries struck.
“It’s super hard to stay in the NHL,” he said. “I had some really good moments, but you also struggle, sometimes, to gain traction — and it’s all about opportunity.
“You try and take advantage of those the best you can, but I think that’s the most humbling thing the NHL can do. You can get there, but it can spit you out real quick.”
Lessons learned
Bachman left Dallas in 2013 when he signed with the Edmonton Oilers. Two years later, he headed further west and played out the rest of his NHL days as a Vancouver Canuck.
All three teams, along with their respective AHL affiliates, allowed him to learn valuable things from renowned goalies and goalie coaches, including:
- Kari Lehtonen taught him to leave the pressure at the rink and relax away from it;
- Ryan Miller taught him the importance of having a daily routine;
- Mike Valley focused on the mental side of the game, along with the small habits that can make a big difference;
- Dustin Schwartz taught him how to play big, despite his below-average size for a goalie;
- Ian Clark taught him an abundance of technical aspects of the game.
Applying knowledge
Though he’s no longer playing, Bachman applies that wealth of knowledge on a daily basis as the goalie coach for the Iowa Wild, the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild.
His M.O. as a goalie coach is to have a plan for every game.
“In order to be an NHL goalie — or even an American League goalie — we want to be as consistent as possible," he said. “When (the opponents are) flying and the skill is as high as it’s probably ever been, having a game plan that you can fall back on, knowing how you want to play each situation.”
He boils it down to a 90/10 rule: 90% of the position is technical, while the other 10% is about being athletic and reading the game — the ability to make unorthodox saves when necessary.
Bachman has a high opinion of Jesper Wallstedt, a 22-year-old goalie whom he’s had the opportunity to coach the last three seasons.
Fresh off a contract extension, Wallstedt is set to become Bachman’s first goalie to graduate to a full-time NHL role as Marc-André Fleury retires.
“He was a really talented goalie before he got here,” Bachman said of Wallstedt. “But you’re seeing the growth and he plays with a lot more pace now, and speed in his game.
“But he still has calm and control and you’re starting to see him just understand the game around him, where now it’s starting to slow down for him.”
Bachman’s most important students, though, are his 10-year-old son, who couldn’t ask for a better goalie coach, and his 8-year-old daughter, who’s recently taken an interest in hockey and hasn’t tried playing goalie yet.
Utah connections
Although Bachman was born in Salt Lake City, he claims Highlands Ranch, Colorado as home. His family moved there when he was a child after a seven-year-long stop in Upstate New York, where he picked up hockey in the first place.
Growing up, he frequently went back to Utah to visit. His grandfather lived in the Beehive State, as did a couple of his older brothers for some time.
And, of course, hockey occasionally brought him back to Utah. He even had a tournament at the Utah Olympic Oval, which had been used for the Olympics and would eventually serve as a temporary NHL practice facility.
“For me, being from Utah, it was really cool to see the Olympics there, but that facility was awesome,” he said. “I think it was a really good kickstart to bring youth hockey to the area.”
The next step to growing hockey in Utah, he said, is establishing NCAA hockey in the state. It would not only give elite young players a place to play, but it would also draw more eyes to the sport — especially if a BYU-Utah rivalry could be established.