WILD JOURNEY CONTINUES FOR FERGUSON IN IOWA
Dec 31, 2024“It's almost like you're playing tennis and everyone else is playing baseball.”
Dylan Ferguson is seated in the press box at Wells Fargo Arena, discussing the goaltending position and the journey that led him to the Iowa Wild.
“Goalies are way more under the spotlight,” said Ferguson. “You have to make the most of your opportunities because it almost feels like it's almost a different sport out there. You're by yourself.”
Playing professional hockey in North America was anything but a certainty for Ferguson just a few months ago. He signed a PTO with the Vancouver Canucks in September and was the last player added to the team’s preseason roster.
“I feel like it kind of put my name back on the map a little bit,” said Ferguson. “I made the decision after my first year in the KHL that I wanted to come back and give it another kick at the can to get back into the NHL.”
Days later, Troy Grosenick suffered a season ending injury during Minnesota Wild training camp, and Iowa was forced to scramble to find a goaltender who could help shoulder the load. The Lantzville, British Columbia native signed a one-year, one-way AHL contract and has seized his most recent opportunity.
“I'm really grateful for the opportunity here,” said Ferguson. “It was a lot of patience on my end a lot of moving pieces."
Ferguson’s professional career has been full of moving pieces and unexpected twists. He was selected by the Dallas Stars in the seventh round (#194 overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft, but saw his rights traded immediately after to the Vegas Golden Knights. Just five months later, a series of injuries led Vegas to pull Ferguson, who was playing with the Kamloops Blazers, out of the WHL for backup duties.
“We just finished playing the Tri City Americans and we went to Boston Pizza after the game,” said Ferguson. "Oscar Dansk goes down and 30 seconds after that my phone starts ringing. It's Kelly McCrimmon (Vegas Golden Knights General Manager) saying ‘You're on a flight tonight. We'll see you at MSG tomorrow.’”
“I step on the ice and Henrik Lundqvist is stretching right beside me,” said Ferguson. “It was insane.”
The 19-year-old Ferguson spent several weeks with Vegas and made his NHL debut against the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 14, 2017 in relief of Maxime Lagace.
Ferguson kicked off his full-time professional career during the 2019-20 season, spending time in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves and Henderson Silver Knights and in the ECHL with the Fort Wayne Komets.
Ferguson signed an AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies ahead of the 2022-23 season and played in five games, but once again, things did not go according to plan.
“The purpose of that AHL deal was to loan me to the Wichita Thunder in the ECHL,” said Ferguson.
Ferguson tried to fly to his intended destination from Toronto, but after inclement weather delayed his departure, a nine-hour drive via car service was booked. Just 20 minutes into his ride, Ferguson received a call from the Marlies telling him he had been traded to Belleville. Instead of traveling to Cincinnati, the car was rerouted to Belleville to allow Ferguson to play against Wilkes-Barre/Stranton the next night.
Ferguson played several games with Belleville and earned the opportunity to make his first NHL start against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Mar. 20, 2023, where stopped 48 shots in a 2-1 win and turned aside Evgeni Malkin with one of his favorite saves of his professional career.
“He wound up at the top of the circles and I just... like, full splits windmill,” gestured Ferguson. "In the video they turn to him and he's just cursing in Russian.”
Despite a combined 9-4-0 record between the Toronto Marlies, Ottawa Senators, and Belleville Senators in 2022-23, Ferguson found himself overseas in the KHL last season. While Ferguson’s goal has always been to play in the NHL, he says he is grateful that hockey has broadened his horizons.
“I've been to many places over the last six years,” said Ferguson. “Being able to see the world and different cultures is a really cool thing for me. I've been to Dubai, Moscow, Toronto, New York, all these amazing cities in the world. You learn a lot along the way being in so many different places.”
For now, Ferguson’s place is in Des Moines, Iowa. Ferguson earned a shutout in his first game with the Iowa Heartlanders in the ECHL and has three wins in six appearances with the Wild to start the 2024-25 campaign. As his season develops, Ferguson has his eyes on a return to the NHL.
“If it happens or it doesn't, I know I did my best to do it so that’s kind of where I'm at now,” said Ferguson. "That's why I came back to North America. I want to get back there and I want to show that I can stay there.”