Penguins goaltender Louis Domingue rebounds after 2 rough years

Louis Domingue looked completely out of place at the outset of Penguins’ training camp last month.

After all, he was still wearing his Calgary Flames gear.

The journeyman goaltender joined the Penguins late in the offseason, signing a one-year, two-way contract on Sept. 2. So the logistics of getting Penguins-themed pads, gloves and a helmet squared away by the time camp opened Sept. 23 were a challenge.

But not as challenging as the previous two seasons were for Domingue.

Professionally and personally.

“I’m not going to lie,” Domingue said. “It was a tough offseason for me. I’d say the last two years have been really hard.”

Trying to keep track of Domingue over the past 24 months has been hard.

He opened the 2019-20 season under contract to the Tampa Bay Lightning but was assigned to that franchise’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.

By November of 2019, he was traded to the New Jersey Devils and joined their AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Devils.

His service with the Devils lasted less than four months. In late February of 2020, he was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks.

He got into one game with Vancouver before the NHL went on hiatus by mid-March of 2020 due to the pandemic.

In August of 2020, Domingue was part of the Canucks’ traveling party for the NHL’s jury-rigged postseason format that was staged in a quarantined zone located in Edmonton (aka “the bubble”) but did not play in any playoff contests.

Last October, Domingue joined the Flames as a free agent, signing a one-year, two-way contract to serve as that team’s third goaltender. And given the unique nature of the 2020-21 season as it related to the pandemic, third goaltenders were largely kept on the NHL roster or a taxi squad in case one of the top two goaltenders were incapacitated due to any health matters.

As a result, Domingue played only four games last season, one with the Flames and three with their AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat.

“I bounced around that year when I went from Tampa to Syracuse to Binghamton to (New) Jersey to Vancouver then in ‘the bubble,’” Domingue said. “Then I went to Calgary, where I didn’t play really. I practiced with three (people) on the ice every morning before the team practiced. Really since (covid-19) hit, it’s been really hard, not only on me and my game but my mental approach to the game and my mental health.

“It was really hard and tough to balance family and hockey and staying motivated. It’s hard when you’re not involved in team activities. Then this long summer where I didn’t really have any bites (free agent offers), whether it was in Europe or (North America). And I don’t blame (anyone). My game wasn’t showing anything. I’m glad that I got an opportunity here. I feel really solid right now.”

A fifth-round pick (No. 138 overall) of the then-Phoenix Coyotes in 2010, Domingue has enjoyed a fair amount of success during his seven-year NHL career. His best season came as recently in 2018-19 with Tampa Bay when he appeared in 26 games and posted a 21-5-0 record along with a 2.88 goals against average and .908 save percentage.

But the past two seasons extracted a heavy toll emotionally.

“I don’t want to hide behind somebody I’m not,” said Domingue, 29. “So if I was to tell you I was putting in the full effort the last two years, that wasn’t the case. When I look back, I left some on the table in (New) Jersey. Not because I wasn’t working hard. To me, it’s all about my headspace, the way I’m approaching my work and my game, my level of motivation. You don’t have to look further than this summer. I wasn’t in a good head space whatsoever. I didn’t believe in myself. I didn’t believe that I could be back to where I was.”

Domingue appears to have pulled the nose up, at least in terms of his confidence. Despite having only been a member of the Penguins for a little more than a month, he’s already had plenty of heart-to-heart conversations with goaltending coach Andy Chiodo that have boosted his spirits.

“Since coming here, I had a good conversation with Andy,” said Domingue, listed at a stout 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds. “I’ve been in a better headspace since then. I’ve worked to improve some things in my game right away that really made sense to me. It kind of changed my whole mindset in how I was seeing things. I’m in a good headspace right now actually. I believe I can be back and be even better than I was before. Very motivated.”

“There’s a lot of talent there,” Chiodo said. “He’s an exciting athlete. He’s obviously gone through a rough patch these last couple of years, but there’s a lot of talent there. He works hard. He’s got a big body. He’s had some success. There (are) abilities within him. We’ve just been able to connect and have some conversation about what these last couple of years have been like for him, where he is, where he’s been. … It’s been really positive with him.

“He’s been working really hard on the ice every day, and he’s come a long way since his first day joining us. He’ll continue to grow and help the organization all year.”

Domingue figures to be assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL before the regular season opens. And something unforeseen would need to happen to starter Tristan Jarry or backup Casey DeSmith for Domingue to spend any time on the Penguins’ NHL roster.

But he’s at peace with that likelihood. And that seems like a triumph considering where Domingue has been emotionally the past two years.

“I’m going day to day and trying to improve my game,” Domingue said. “I can tell you I’m here or there, it doesn’t matter. As long as I go about my business every day and I just solely focus on stopping pucks and when I’m off the ice, I focus on putting some good things in my body … if nothing happens this year and I play in Wilkes-Barre all year, then this is what’s going to happen. But I’m OK with it because I’m working on my game and I know I’ll be back.

”I can’t really tell you where I’m going to fit in. I’m here today and I’m happy to be here.”

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