Antoine Keller had a roller-coaster 2025-26 season, playing for teams in both North America and Europe.
The Washington Capitals goaltending prospect started the year stateside on an AHL contract with the Hershey Bears, ultimately playing four games with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays before heading back to Europe. Keller, born in Dijon, France, recently told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that he requested a move across the pond from the Caps due to “family matters.”
Keller, 21, was granted a release from his deal with the Bears and joined Swiss team HC Ajoie of the National League, the top pro league in Switzerland.
“I just asked (the Capitals) it was possible and they told me, ‘Yes,’” Keller said. “So, I just took the opportunity. I was like two hours away from where I live in France, so I was able to spend time with my family as much as I could.”
After going 2-2-0 with a 3.54 goals-against average and a .881 save percentage for the Stingrays, Keller played better closer to home for HC Ajoie. He went 4-7-1 in 14 appearances with a 3.05 goals-against average, a .905 save percentage, and one shutout. His solid play earned him a spot on France’s team at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
While there, Keller played in three games for one of the tournament’s biggest underdogs, going 0-3-0 with a 4.58 goals-against average and a .885 save percentage. He was praised for keeping the massively outgunned French team in games where they were vastly outmatched, like against Team Canada in the preliminary round.
With that experience behind him, Keller is expected to return to HC Ajoie for one more season in Switzerland, but would like to make it back to North America at some point within the next year. He was in attendance at the latest Capitals development camp in July, as was his HC Ajoie goalie coach Vladimir Hiadlovsky, who worked closely with former Caps netminder Olie Kolzig and Bears goalie coach Juha Lehtola.
“I’m 21. That’s pretty young for a goalie,” Keller said. “It’s going to be third pro season, and I’m playing in a very, very competitive league. So, I’ll take some time to develop myself over there, and I hope I will get another shot.”
Keller is the first player in Capitals franchise history to be drafted out of France and only the sixth French player ever picked at the time of his draft. There has been only one French-born goalie to play in the NHL: former Caps backstop and Keller’s former goaltending coach, Cristobal Huet.
