BUFFALO – It’s not that long ago that Adin Hill was moving back and forth between the NHL and AHL with most of his games coming at the minor league level. Today, he’s a got a Stanley Cup and a best-on-best gold medal on his resume. And a long-term contract worth $37.5 million.
In true Misfits fashion, Hill has made the most of the opportunity he’s received in Vegas.
“I am excited to sign a six-year contract here in Vegas. It's a dream come true,” said Hill. “I want to say thanks to Kelly [McCrimmon], George [McPhee] and my agent and everyone who made it all happen.
"I'm very excited to be here. The fans here are unbelievable. They support our team, playing at T-Mobile Arena every night. It's a treat. It's fun to play there. The team and organization they're always pushing to win. I've played on teams that haven't made the playoffs, and I think it's a blessing to be on a competitive team every year and have a chance to win. I love my teammates here. Love the organization. Love all the staff. Living in Vegas is just a bonus.”
- Since joining Vegas: over the last 3 seasons, Hill is 59-30-7 (.651 Pts%, 6th among goalies with 75+ starts) with a .910 Sv% (10th), 2.58 GAA (5th).
- Over that same time, he is 12-6-0 in the playoffs (.667, t-1st among goalies with 10+ starts), .932 Sv% (1st), 2.09 GAA (1st) .
- Hill is now 4-1-0 since the 4-Nations break with a .941 Sv% (4th), 1.82 GAA (6th), has 4.75 goals saved above expected (8th) and 2 shutouts (t-1st).
- In his last 6 games he is 5-1-0 with a .940 Sv% (4th), 1.68 GAA (4th).
The 28-year-old from Comox, B.C. signed a six-year deal with an average annual value of $6.25 million. After helping the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023, Hill signed a two-year contract which paid him $4.9 million per season. His new contract will keep him in gold through the 2030-31 campaign.
“We started talking about it a while it a while ago. It took longer than I think both me and Kelly would have liked, but, grateful for Kelly, and I'm happy that it's done. We got it done,” said Hill, who was dealt to Vegas from San Jose in August of 2022 for a fourth-round pick. “I can't complain. I still remember where I was when I got that call. I was very excited to get traded to Vegas at the time, knowing that they were a Cup contender already. I mean, the rest has kind of taken care of itself, and I'm blessed to be here.”
Hill has played in a career-high 39 games this season with Vegas while posting a 2.53 GAA, .906 save percentage, and overall record of 24-11-4 and owns four shutouts this season, also a career-high. Since joining Vegas he’s seen action in 19 contests during the Stanley Cup Playoffs posting 12 wins. During the Cup run in 2023, he played in each of the club’s final 16 games and led all goaltenders with a .932 save percentage and was a candidate for the Conn Smythe trophy awarded to the playoff MVP.
“I wanted to stay in Vegas. So, I'm happy we got it done,” said Hill. “I feel like since the break, I've played pretty strong. Every season is going to have ups and downs, and you have to ride with it. I think I'm finding my game at the right time and trying to go into playoffs strong, and, hopefully, our team is too. I think we're trending in the right direction. We just want to be playing our best hockey going into round one and try to win another Cup.”
Hill’s teammates were thrilled with the news of Hill’s extension.
McCrimmon has now inked Brett Howden, Keegan Kolesar, Brayden McNabb, and Shea Theodore to extensions this season.
“We have a lot of confidence in Adin and his ability to keep us in games when maybe our game is not where we want it to be. I think Thursday\] night is a good example of that,” said [Jack Eichel. “[Columbus] came out hard at home, battling for a playoff spot, and they're a high-octane offensive team. We took a few penalties in the first period, but it was good. Special teams were a factor for us. We were able to get the kills, and we were able to get a power-play goal, which I think jump-started us and gave the group some life. You are not going to play every period perfectly. I think it was a tale of almost two games. It was that first bit where we're giving up chances. Later in the game, I felt like our defensive structure, puck management and things of that nature were a lot better.”
Hill, Eichel, and the rest of the Golden Knights will continue their trip on Saturday in Buffalo. Puck drop against the Sabres is set for 9:30 am PT.
