CHL to NHL: Ellis wins first start with Sabres

Former Cape Breton Eagles, Rimouski Oceanic and Charlottetown Islanders goaltender Colten Ellis made his NHL debut with the Buffalo Sabres Wednesday.

In his first career start, Ellis stopped 27 of 29 shots he faced in a 4-2 win over Detroit.

Ellis spent five seasons in the QMJHL where he made 153 appearances and tallied an impressive 103-31-11 record alongside a 2.31 GAA and .912 save percentage.

His final season in 2020-21 with Charlottetown was particularly impressive as he claimed the Jacques Plante Trophy for the league’s best GAA at 1.78 and also led all netminders with a .926 save percentage. His record that year was a 23-1-0.

As a pro, Ellis played 82 games in the ECHL and 64 in the AHL before his NHL debut.

The Whycocomagh, N.S., native was the 93rd overall pick by the St. Louis Blues in the 2019 NHL Draft.

Colten Ellis earns his first @NHL win in his debut 🙌 pic.twitter.com/QS8WLaE67r

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 23, 2025