Infаmous Former Flyers Goаlіe Mаkes AHL Hаll of Fаme

Longtime fans of the Philadelphia Flyers may remember former goalie Michael Leighton for all the wrong reasons, but on Wednesday, it was announced that Leighton was one of four inductees making the AHL Hall of Fame class of 2025.

Leighton, 43, played parts of four seasons with the Flyers, and is perhaps infamously known as the goalie who allowed former Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane to score the series-winning goal in Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final.

After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2008-09 season, Leighton was claimed off waivers by the Flyers on Dec. 15, 2009, marking the second time he joined the organization on waivers.

Platooning with longtime Flyer Brian Boucher, Leighton caught fire in his second stint in Philadelphia, posting a 16-5-2 record in 27 games to go with a 2.48 GAA, a .920 save percentage, and one shutout.

Together, Boucher and Leighton guided the Flyers to a miraculous berth in the 2010 Stanley Cup Final. In his 14 playoff games, Leighton went 8-3, put up three shutouts, and had a 2.43 GAA and .916 save percentage.

Unfortunately, Kane did the impossible to lift the Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup victory, and Leighton never recaptured the success he had in the 2009-10 season at the NHL level ever again.

But he was always a stud at the AHL level!

Leighton makes the AHL Hall of Fame

In the AHL, Michael Leighton set records at the league level as well as at the club level.

His .926 save percentage from the 2009-10 season is tied for the best figure in Adirondack/Lehigh Valley Phantoms history. Leighton’s 50 shutouts are comfortably the most in AHL history, too.

Longtime Phoenix Coyotes goalie Jason LaBarbera, who finished his playing career with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the 2015-16 season, has the second-most with 32.

Leighton also holds AHL records for most games played in the modern era (507 regular season games) and wins (250 regular season wins).