Johnny Hicks is back in the spotlight after a huge Frozen Four semifinal night for Denver, and the discussion around his NHL future is only getting louder. The freshman goalie helped the Pioneers beat Michigan 4-3 in double overtime on Thursday night in Las Vegas, then kept his team on course for Saturday’s national title game against Wisconsin. The performance added weight to an already strong season for Johnny Hicks, whose play has become one of the defining stories of Denver’s run.
Johnny Hicks delivers in Denver’s biggest moment
Johnny Hicks finished the semifinal with a career-high 49 saves, including 25 after Clarke Caswell’s late tying goal forced overtime. He absorbed a heavy collision early in the third period, stayed down briefly, then returned and finished the game without issue. Johnny Hicks said the hit “knocked the wind out of me, ” but added that he got up fine and was glad everyone was OK.
The numbers behind his rise are now impossible to ignore. Johnny Hicks is 15-0-1 since taking over the starting role, with a 1. 20 goals-against average and a. 957 save percentage. He has not lost a game in regulation since March of 2025, and Denver has not allowed four goals against him in any game.
Size questions remain around Johnny Hicks
The latest conversation around Johnny Hicks is not just about what he has done, but how NHL teams view him long term. At 5-foot-10 and 157 pounds, he is widely seen as undersized for the position, even with athleticism and strong results on his side. One NHL goaltending voice raised the question of whether Johnny Hicks can make the league at that size, while also noting that his skill level is real and that his long-term projection is harder to pin down.
That view is shaped by the basic tension in his profile: elite performance, but a frame that may make some teams hesitate. Johnny Hicks has given scouts a lot to evaluate in a short time, and his freshman season has already pushed him onto the radar.
Teammates see Johnny Hicks as a force behind the scenes
Denver teammates have also described Johnny Hicks as relentless in practice and in the training room. Boston Buckberger called him a “warrior” and praised how hard he battles and works behind the scenes. Kent Anderson said Johnny Hicks once hid from strength coach Matt Shaw because he was doing extra core work, calling him a competitor who “can never shut it off. ”
That kind of detail helps explain why Johnny Hicks has become such a trusted presence for Denver. He was thrust into the net after an injury to Quentin Miller, then answered with a shutout in his first game and kept building from there.
What comes next for Johnny Hicks
Denver now turns to the national championship game on Saturday afternoon, with Johnny Hicks carrying both momentum and scrutiny into one more test. If he plays anything like he did against Michigan, the case for Johnny Hicks as an NHL prospect will only grow stronger. The bigger question is whether teams will value the performance enough to overlook the size concerns that still follow Johnny Hicks.
