For the second time in as many years, the San Jose Sharks organization has signed another National Championship-winning netminder out of the University of Denver. The Sharks AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, announced they’ve signed goaltender Matt Davis to an AHL contract through the 2025-26 season.
The news comes exactly two years and 12 days since the Sharks signed Magnus Chrona out of the Pioneers program. Davis, who played as Chrona’s backup for his freshman and sophomore campaigns, won the first National Championship of his career in 2022. Once Chrona transitioned to professional hockey, Davis was given the reins in southern Denver once the 2023-24 season began.
It’s a move that worked out well for the program. Davis was flat-out electric in his first season as the Pioneers’ starter, managing a 25-5-3 record in 34 games with a .917 SV% and 2.34 GAA, including two shutouts. He backstopped the University of Denver to a second-place finish in the hotly contested NCHC Conference. He helped knock out the University of Massachusetts, Cornell University, Boston University, and Boston College en route to their 10th National Championship in program history.
Even though Davis did not receive any awards in the NCHC Conference, he was named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and the HCA’s Goaltender of the Month for March. Remarkably, Davis had an even better season in 2024-25.
He finished his senior campaign with a 29-10-1 record in 40 games with a .924 SV% and 2.07 GAA. Unfortunately, despite knocking out Providence College and Boston College, the Pioneers ran into a red-hot Western Michigan University in the Frozen Four, ending their chance at a repeat victory. Still, he earned one NCHC Conference award, the 2024-25 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Davis finished his NCAA career with a 63-17-4 record in 90 games with a .921 SV% and 2.13 GAA. Assuming Yaroslav Askarov becomes a full-time netminder for the Sharks in 2025-26, Davis has every opportunity to become the Barracuda’s leading man.