Juuse Saros.

That’s the entire list of current NHL goaltenders who stand under six feet tall. Since the year 2000, only 47 netminders under that threshold have appeared in five or more NHL games, and while that list includes some impressive names — Tim Thomas, Jaroslav Halak, and José Théodore to name a few — only a handful have managed to carve out long, sustainable careers at the position.

But it can happen. And this past weekend, the hockey world was given a reminder of that possibility at the NCAA Frozen Four in Las Vegas.

Johnny Hicks, the University of Denver’s 5-foot-10 starting netminder, delivered a performance that was impossible to ignore, especially so for an Edmonton Oilers team who don’t have a clear future answer in net. Across two games, he stopped 78 of 82 shots, backstopping Denver to a national championship. That run included a 49-save performance in a double-overtime win over the Michigan Wolverines to punch a spot in the finals against Wisconsin.

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JOHNNY "ON THE SPOT" HICKS KEEPS DENVER ALIVE IN OT 😱

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3:42 AM · Apr 10,........

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