Connor Ingram

Connor Brent Ingram (born March 31, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Utah Mammoth of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the third round, 88th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

Junior

After playing at various levels of youth hockey, he joined the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League for the 2014–15 WHL season. He appeared in 52 games, posting a 21–21–5 record, along with a .904 save percentage and 2.96 goals allowed average. In the 2015–16 WHL season, Ingram helped lead the Blazers to a playoff appearance. He had a much larger role on the team, appearing in 61 games, recording 4 shutouts, and posting a 34–15–9 record with a .922 save percentage and a 2.61 goals allowed average. Despite his efforts, the Blazers were eliminated in the first round by the Kelowna Rockets.

Following the 2015–16 WHL season, Ingram was drafted in the third round, 88th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Ingram started the 2016–17 WHL season with the Blazers. He played in 45 games with the Blazers, posting a 26–14–2 record along with a .927 save percentage and a 2.44 goals allowed average. The Blazers qualified for the playoffs once again but were again eliminated by Kelowna in the first round.

Professional

On April 4, 2017, Ingram and the Lightning agreed on a three-year, entry-level contract. He was also signed to an amateur try out with the Syracuse Crunch on the same day. He did not make an appearance with the Crunch for the rest of their season.

Ingram made his professional debut on October 7, 2017, with the Crunch. He made 15 saves on 18 shots in an overtime loss to the Rochester Americans. Ingram recorded his first professional win three weeks later on October 21. He stopped 23 of 24 shots in a 4–1 Crunch win over the Springfield Thunderbirds. On December 9, 2017, Ingram stopped all 18 shots he faced to record his professional shutout over the Belleville Senators. Ingram would finish the regular season with a 20–11–2 record with four shutouts along with a .914 save percentage and 2.33 goals allowed average to help lead the Crunch to the 2018 Calder Cup playoffs. He would split time with Edward Pasquale in the playoffs, posting a 1–3 record with a .904 save percentage and 3.07 goals allowed average. The Crunch would be eliminated in the second round by the eventual Calder Cup champions, the Toronto Marlies.

Ingram spent the 2018–19 season split between the Syracuse Crunch and the Orlando Solar Bears, the ECHL affiliate of the Lightning. In his time with the Crunch, he was an AHL All-Star, posting a 14–7–0 record with six shutouts, a .922 save percentage, and 2.26 goals allowed average. In his time with the Solar Bears, Ingram posted an 8–2–0 record with a .914 save percentage and 2.81 goals allowed average. In 10 playoff games with the Solar Bears, he posted a 5–2–3 record along with a .935 save percentage and a 1.94 goals allowed average. The Solar Bears would be eliminated in the second round by the Florida Everblades.

On June 14, 2019, the Nashville Predators announced that they had acquired Ingram in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

On October 24, 2021, Ingram recorded his first NHL win with the Predators, making 33 saves in a 5–2 win over the Minnesota Wild. Ingram's first win came nearly 9 months after entering the league's player assistance program.

On October 10, 2022, Ingram was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Coyotes. During the 2022–23 season on February 15, 2023, Ingram recorded his first NHL shutout in a 1–0 shootout win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, while making 47 saves and setting the NHL record for saves by a rookie in their first career shutout.

Following his first full season in the NHL, establishing career highs in wins and appearances, Ingram was re-signed by the Coyotes to a three-year, $5.85 million contract extension on June 25, 2023. The 2023–24 season was successful for Ingram, who managed a 23–21–3 record with a .907 save percentage. He tied for the NHL lead in shutouts (6). In recognition of his mental health struggles, he received the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association to the player who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."

Shortly after the end of the 2023–24 regular season, the Coyotes' franchise was suspended and team assets were subsequently transferred to the expansion Utah Hockey Club; as a result, Ingram became a member of the Utah team. In doing so, Ingram became the last member of the Coyotes franchise to win a major NHL award, while actively playing for the team (although the Coyotes had already become inactive by the time that Ingram was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy).

Ingram struggled to regain his form as the Utah's primary goaltender for the first month of the 2024–25 season, averaging almost three goals allowed per game and a save percentage below .875. He was placed on injured reserve on November 19, 2024, with what the team termed an upper-body injury, but did not make another appearance until a home game against the New York Islanders on Jannuary 10, 2025. It was subsequently revealed his mother died from cancer in early December, leading to his extended absence. Ingram entered the player assistance program for a second time on March 9, amid his continued on- and off-ice struggles and decreased playing time with the emergence of Karel Vejmelka.

Personal life

Ingram was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, but was raised in Imperial, Saskatchewan. His older brother, Bryce, played college baseball at Valley City State University.

In 2021, it was revealed that Ingram had been living with undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression, which led him to suffer from alcoholism and being obsessed with the possibility of contamination. Ingram has said his fear of infection is the reason why he refuses to give high fives to fans hanging over the glass.

Ingram's mother died in early December 2024.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Awards and honors

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ingram, Connor
1997 births
Living people
Adirondack Thunder players
Arizona Coyotes players
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
Canadian ice hockey goaltenders
Chicago Wolves players
Ice hockey people from Saskatoon
IF Björklöven players
Kamloops Blazers players
Milwaukee Admirals players
Nashville Predators players
Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) players
People with obsessive–compulsive disorder
Syracuse Crunch players
Tampa Bay Lightning draft picks
Tucson Roadrunners players
Utah Hockey Club players
21st-century Canadian sportsmen