Jakub Dobes

Born in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on May 27, 2001, Jakub Dobes was selected by the Montréal Canadiens in the fifth round, 12th pick of that round, at the 2020 NHL Draft. Standing 6'4" and weighing 215 pounds, the left-catching goaltender wore the long road from a fifth-round selection to an NHL starter across two professional seasons in the American Hockey League before earning a call to Montreal in December of his second year as a pro.

That callup produced an immediate milestone: Dobes opened his NHL career with a shutout of the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. He finished that first NHL stint with a 7-4-3 record, helping the Canadiens qualify for the playoffs. When an injury removed Samuel Montembault from the postseason lineup, Dobes stepped in and went 1-2 against the Washington Capitals.

The following season, Dobes went 5-0-0 to open the year, leading the league with a .940 save percentage and ranking second with a 1.77 goals-against average at that early point — and in doing so set an NHL rookie record by opening two consecutive seasons with five straight wins, Good Start Lessons from NHL’s Hottest Goalie as Colin Hodd reported for InGoal Magazine.

The summer work that preceded those starts is something Dobes described in detail on Episode 311 of the InGoal Radio Podcast InGoal Radio Episode 311 with Jakub Dobeš, with Hodd's article drawing on that conversation to examine his approach Good Start Lessons from NHL’s Hottest Goalie. Rather than returning to the ice immediately after a season ends, Dobes follows a routine built around the gym first. "For me personally, I like to take a longer break from the ice," he said. "I like to become stronger in the gym. So, I'm focusing, the first month and a half, two months, strictly just getting stronger and more physical. Working on my flexibility and all that stuff."

While away from the ice, Dobes continues mental preparation under mindset coach Pete Fry, using visualization not only of on-ice situations but of practice and game-day routines. "Once a week, I try to just visualize and make sure I don't forget my routines," he explained. The scenarios he works through mentally range from two-on-ones and breakaways to power plays and wraparounds. "Over the years, you add more stuff," he said, "but for the younger goalies, you can start with just two-on-ones, three-on-twos and then progress and start doing more stuff." He described the payoff simply: "Your brain is so powerful it remembers it. And when you get on the ice, it naturally tweaks it by itself."

When he does return to skating, Dobes is selective about which sessions he joins. "A lot of goalies during the summer go on the ice just to go on the ice and they become a shooter tutor for the players," he said. "For me, if the ice makes sense, and there's a goalie coach [and] I can get better, then yes." The work he does on the ice returns to fundamentals — including edges, which he noted had improved over recent years while acknowledging there remains more to address.

Through 42 games in the 2025-26 season, Dobes carries a record of 29-9-4 with a 2.75 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage. Across his 58 career NHL games, his record stands at 36-13-7, with a career 2.75 goals-against average, a .904 save percentage, and one shutout.

InGoal Magazine has covered Jakub Dobes in one podcast appearance and one InGoal article.