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Capitals prospect stands tall at the World Championship
Photo credit: X.com
Capitals goaltending prospect Antoine Keller came close to pulling off a stunning upset for France at the senior men's World Championship on Sunday.
The 20-year-old goaltender stopped 47 shots in France's 4-3 overtime loss to Finland. Keller earned his first World Championship start after top goalie Quentin Papillon was in net for a 4-1 loss to Latvia the previous day.
Capitals prospect Antoine Keller stands tall at the World Championship.
Chris Cerullo from RMNB writes that Keller was honored as France's Player of the Game following the tough loss, standing out in a lopsided contest where France was outshot 51-19 by Finland.
"Keller, a 2023 seventh-round pick by the Capitals, spent the 2024-25 season with Lausanne HC of Switzerland's National League. He primarily served as the team's backup, appearing in 13 games and posting a 3.16 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage. Keller also played two games for the second-tier HC La Chaux-de-Fonds, recording a 1.95 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage." -Oland
A native of Dijon, France, Antoine Keller signed a two-year contract with Lausanne HC this past summer, where he is coached by former Capitals netminder Cristobal Huet. Prior to that, Keller spent the 2023-24 season in the QMJHL with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, after making history as the first player ever drafted out of France by the Capitals and just the sixth French player selected in NHL Draft history.
"Keller and the rest of his French teammates will be off on Monday and return to action on Tuesday against Sidney Crosby and Team Canada." -Oland
France currently sits sixth in Group A, ahead of Austria and Slovenia after earning a point against Finland.
| POLL | ||
MAI 13 | 15 ANSWERS Capitals prospect stands tall at the World Championship Do you think Capitals goalie prospect Antoine Keller will start in goal for France against Canada on Tuesday? | ||
| yes | 11 | 73.3 % |
| no | 4 | 26.7 % |
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