Michael DiPietro

Michael DiPietro was born June 9, 1999, in Windsor, Ontario, and was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the third round, 64th overall, in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The 6'1", 205-pound left-catching goaltender is currently under contract to the Boston Bruins, wearing number 80, and playing for their American Hockey League affiliate, the Providence Bruins.

The road from Vancouver to Providence was anything but direct. After being traded from the Canucks organization, DiPietro faced visa processing delays that left him skating alone in Abbotsford for several days before attempting the drive home to Windsor. What followed was a 26-hour journey that included getting caught in a blizzard on Mount Washington, driving down the wrong side of the mountain without cell service, and getting stranded twice more — once in Idaho — before his father flew to Bozeman, Montana to drive the rest of the way home with him. ^[1]

When DiPietro arrived in the Bruins organization, he found himself with limited opportunity in Providence and was assigned to the ECHL's Maine Mariners. The assignment hit hard. "I was really upset. I was frustrated. I felt embarrassed," he said of the drive to Maine. Then, after his first game there, his father called to tell him his grandmother had passed away. He played one more game — allowing nine goals — before flying home. ^[1]

Three weeks later, he received a call from Danny Briere with an invitation to the Spengler Cup in Switzerland. DiPietro recalled thinking Briere had the wrong number: "Danny, I played four games all year. I let nine goals my second game. Like, you sure?" He went. The flight on December 23rd was canceled; they left at 2 a.m. on Christmas Eve, missed a connection in Amsterdam, arrived in Zurich at midnight on Christmas morning, and both his luggage and hockey equipment were missing. The gear arrived on the day of the quarterfinals — too late for him to dress — and Team Canada lost. ^[1]

DiPietro has spoken openly about the mental side of those years. He pointed to losing more than 400 days of game action during the pandemic as a factor that disrupted his pre-game routines and contributed to a negative cycle he struggled to pull himself out of early enough. "I didn't pull myself out, you know, on it because you have to want to stop that cycle before anybody else or before you can help people kind of help you," he said. ^[1] He has since worked with a sports psychologist he refers to as "Doctor Bob" and credits that work with helping him quiet outside thoughts during games.

The bounce-back began in Maine, where DiPietro said he rediscovered enjoyment in small daily rituals — a morning coffee, bagels, Christmas movies in the lounge — and in competing with teammates during rebounds and breakaway challenges after practice. "When you're in the Coast, a lot of these guys, like, they're playing the game just because they solely just love the game," he said. That environment, he said, reminded him that a difficult stretch was "just a page of the book." ^[1]

From Maine, DiPietro moved up to Providence, where he cited his relationship with goaltending partner Brandon Bussi as a significant part of his turnaround. "Brandon is one of the most genuinely nice people you're gonna meet in sport of hockey," he said, describing a partnership defined by mutual encouragement — including shouting and waving to each other after big saves in practice. ^[1]

On the technical side, DiPietro described working with Providence goalie coach Mike Dunham on reducing his reliance on the RVH when the puck is away from danger, getting to his feet more readily, and focusing on set feet when transitioning from low to high. He also spoke about a concept from "Goalie Bob" involving purposeful recoil rather than passive drift — something he said made immediate sense once he actually watched himself on video. His off-season work continues with Perry Wilson, Brian Speer, and Andrew Kortsch, coaches he has worked with since childhood in Windsor. ^[1]

DiPietro appeared on InGoal Radio for the first time in May 2021, during his time with Vancouver ^[2]. InGoal Magazine has covered Michael DiPietro in two podcast appearances.

In NHL play, DiPietro has appeared in four career games, going 0-2 with a 5.01 goals-against average and a .780 save percentage. In the 2025-26 season, he has played one game for the Bruins, stopping both shots he faced across 6:03 of ice time.