ARLINGTON, VA – Hockey’s top young prospects descended on Nashville in June for 2023 NHL Draft. They sat in the stands, sometimes for hours, each hoping to hear their name called. For some it was all but guaranteed; for others it was a distant dream.
French-Swiss goaltender Antoine Keller didn’t think he’d be among the chosen. He’d made his peace with that fact, instead watching draft day on television while vacationing in Spain. But then the Capitals made a trade to acquire one final pick in the seventh round. With that pick, they selected Keller, the first-ever French player drafted by the franchise and the sixth French draftee in NHL history. Only 12 French nationals have ever competed in the league. Now Keller will look to be the 13th.
“I’m very happy,” he said. “Very happy to represent my country. I’m very proud to be French and it’s very nice. I didn’t think about it and didn’t realize a lot. I’m just happy.”
Though he showed talent as a goaltender, Keller’s hometown of Dijon, France wasn’t exactly a hockey hotbed. If he wanted to chase the dream of going pro, Keller knew he wouldn’t be able to do it here. So just shy of his fourteenth birthday, Keller packed up his life and moved to Switzerland, playing for Genève-Servette’s junior teams.
“Swiss hockey is better than French hockey,” he explained matter-of-factly. “So to go pro? I need to go to Geneva.”
For the next five years, Keller would develop with Genève-Servette’s junior teams. Though he plays for France internationally, his mask displays both the French and Swiss flags crossed over one another. Keller explained that the design was meant as a tribute.
“[I wear the mask] because I’m French and Swiss,” he said. “Yes, I grow up in France, but I love being Swiss too. Both my countries so I just put it on my mask.”
While in Geneva, North American hockey was far from Keller’s mind–he admitted that the time differences kept him from even watching many NHL games. Instead, he focused on honing his craft.
“I would say I’m a very calm goaltender,” he said. “I don’t put pressure on my defensemen. When you’re playing with me you feel confident in me. I like to play with the puck a lot. Maybe different in North America but in Europe I like to a lot. Very calm and when I’m in my structure, I’m pretty good. When I get out, sometimes bad goals and bad things happen.”
Keller wasn’t watching much of the NHL, but the Capitals were certainly watching him. He first caught the attention of the team’s scouts over a year before his draft day, but made his biggest impression on the international stage. In December, Keller backstopped France’s U-20 team to bronze at World Juniors Division IA, putting up a .920 save percentage and a 2.15 goals against average.
Even after speaking with a scout in Geneva, Keller didn’t have high hopes of being selected. “I wasn’t expecting a lot,” he said. “I was saying, if I am drafted it’s pretty nice, pretty exciting, but if I’m not it’s okay.”
Assistant general manager Ross Mahoney was less reserved about his excitement for the selection. The team made a last-minute trade in order to acquire the pick, and Mahoney was near-giddy when talking about Keller after the draft.
“I’m really excited about Antoine Keller. He’s very interesting,” said Mahoney, later adding, “but I’m really curious to see where he’s going to be a few years from now.”
Despite being on vacation in Spain, Keller was bound and determined to come to Development Camp just days after the draft. Thus began a whirlwind trip that saw him first return to France to collect his equipment before flying to the United States. After clearing his medical exams, Keller was on the ice by the third day of camp. That commitment, too, impressed Mahoney.
“He wanted to come,” Mahoney said, “So I think that kind of a showed a bit about his character, too.”
Keller’s still a long shot to ever reach the NHL, where he could follow Cristobal Huet and become the second French goaltender to play for the Capitals. He’ll have a winding road ahead of him as he continues to develop under the Capitals’ watchful eye. The Acadie–Bathurst Titan drafted him in the 2023 CHL import draft last week, opening up the possibility that he could play in the QMJHL next season.
For now, though, making it to Development Camp is something worth celebrating.
“Just happy to be here.”
Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
