BOSTON — After sitting out his freshman year due to injury, Devon Levi made up for lost time this season. He’s the 2021-22 winner of the Mike Richter Award, given annually to the top men’s Division I goaltender.
The Northeastern sophomore led the nation in save percentage (.952), recording 10 shutouts and posting a goals-against average of 1.54.
Levi, a product of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, thanked his family and teammates in his acceptance speech.
“It’s a huge, huge honor,” he said. “Any individual award is not possible without the hard work of the people around you, so I’d like to share this moment with my teammates.
“It’s great having the boys with me. None of them knew if I was winning or not, and they still came, so I appreciate them coming.”
Quinnipiac’s Yaniv Perets and Minnesota’s Dryden McKay were the other finalists.
Levi became the second Northeastern player to win the award, joining Cayden Primeau from 2019.
Levi also was named the winner of the Tim Taylor Award as rookie of the year, presented by the Hockey Commissioners Association.
The Richter Award is voted on by coaches and media, with the selection coming prior to the NCAA tournament. Northeastern lost to Western Michigan 2-1 in overtime in the first round of the Worcester Regional.
Levi announced on Monday that he will return to Northeastern for another season. He was selected in the seventh round by Florida in the 2020 draft but had his rights traded to the Buffalo Sabres in July 2021.
“It was a tough decision (to come back)”, he said. “I was very fortunate to have two unbelievable options, and I talked to Buffalo and I talked to Northeastern. I just love playing college hockey so much. I had a great year this year, in class and on the ice with the guys. The whole year was unbelievable and I can’t not come back and do it again next year.
“There’s some unfinished business with the team that we’d like to accomplish.”
Losses in the Hockey East semifinals and the NCAA first round will serve as motivation, said Levi. He was at the TD Garden for the NCAA semifinals on Thursday.
“I was dying to be out there,” he said. “I made sure I watched those games, and I’m going (to the championship game) tomorrow, just so I can remember that moment, being in the stands, and use that as motivation to help the team be on that ice next year.”
