BUFFALO – The Buffalo Beauts have added a premier goaltender to their roster. Standout netminder Kassidy Sauvé has signed a 1-year contract with the team for the upcoming 2022-23 Premier Hockey Federation season. Sauvé has put forth elite goaltending numbers anywhere that she has played and did so most recently with Finland’s HPK. She now looks to do the same as a Beaut.
“Understanding that Buffalo has a legacy of strong goaltending, I felt that I was in a position to continue that trend for the team,” said Sauvé. “For the first time in many years, I will be playing close to home which will allow my family – especially my young nieces – the opportunity to finally come watch the team play. I was also impressed with the approach the management team had from day one when we started discussing the possibility of me joining the team. Our conversations were always about how close the team is, the emphasis on culture and being a contender for the 2023 Isobel Cup.”
During the past 2021-22 Naisten Liiga season in Finland, Sauvé put forth a staggering performance for HPK. She went undefeated in eight regular season games to go along with a 0.88 goals-against average and a .964 save percentage. While HPK would lose three games to one in the postseason to HIFK, Sauvé still generated a 2.29 GAA and a .955 SV% in the opening round series. Prior to signing with HPK, Sauvé played three straight seasons with the PWHPA where she represented the Toronto, Calgary and New England chapters of the organization.
“With Sauvé we have obviously added an elite goaltender,” said Beauts GM Nate Oliver. “We feel that she is one of the best goaltenders in the world today. She has proven time and time again that she can be the deciding factor in any game she plays. With Sauvé and Lollo (Berndtsson), we have two number-1 goalies and a very solid tandem.”
Prior to her time at the professional level, Sauvé played NCAA Division I hockey at Ohio State University (2014-18) and Clarkson University (2018-19). Her goals-against average went down in each of her four seasons of play from numbers of 2.05, 2.00, 1.88 and finally a 1.71 as a senior at Clarkson. While at OSU, Sauvé put up a 42-37-9 career record and set the Buckeyes’ career mark in shutouts with 22 in 88 career games. She would go 27-7-2 with seven more shutouts during her lone season with the Golden Knights.
At the international level, Sauvé backstopped Canada’s 2014 U18 Women’s National Team to a gold medal in Budapest, Hungary. She went 2-0-0 in the tournament and posted a 0.50 GAA and a .978 SV%. Sauvé was teammates with fellow Beaut Jess Healey on that same U18 gold medal-winning team and she has participated in numerous Hockey Canada camps with the U22 development and Senior level teams.
Buffalo fans can start to be excited about witnessing Sauvé’s performances firsthand.
“Beauts supporters can expect to watch a goaltender that likes to play the puck a lot and is actively involved in the games,” Sauvé said. “I consider myself more of a hybrid goaltender. I like to challenge the play and minimize secondary scoring chances. I will often use my athleticism to make an extra save if needed and my teammates will feed off of my competitiveness and work ethic.”
