Yaniv Perets Bio
Yaniv Perets is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the American Hockey League (AHL), the top affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. Born on March 4, 2000, in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, Perets plays at 6 feet 1 inch tall and around 182 pounds, and he is recognized for a calm, technically sound approach in the crease. He played collegiate hockey for Quinnipiac University before turning professional in 2023.
Early Life and Background
Yaniv Perets was born on March 4, 2000, in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, a suburb on the West Island of Montreal, Quebec. He grew up in a Jewish household and developed his love for hockey in a region with deep ties to the sport. As a young player, he attended West Island College in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, balancing academics with an increasingly demanding hockey schedule.
From an early age, Perets showed a clear interest in playing goaltender. He became childhood friends with fellow goalie Devon Levi, and the two trained together on the same youth teams for several years. That early partnership helped sharpen Perets’s reflexes and competitive habits, and it foreshadowed the disciplined style that would later define his game.
Path to Hockey
Perets’s first significant step came during the 2018–19 season with the Boston Junior Bruins of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL). He appeared in 36 games, posting a 23–10–1 record, a 2.48 goals-against average (GAA), and a .929 save percentage. He helped lead the Bruins to the Dineen Cup as league champions and was named NCDC Goaltender of the Year. In October 2018, he committed to play college ice hockey for the Quinnipiac Bobcats, beginning with the 2020–21 season.
He then joined the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), one of the strongest junior-A circuits in North America. During the 2019–20 season, he appeared in 37 games and went 25–8–1 with a 2.19 GAA, a .918 save percentage, and five shutouts. He finished the regular season ranked second in the BCHL in shutouts, third in GAA, fifth in wins, and sixth in save percentage, before adding a 4–0–1 playoff record with a 1.96 GAA when the postseason was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the shortened 2020–21 BCHL training season, he went 9–1–0 with a 1.80 GAA, a .931 save percentage, and two shutouts, helping Penticton capture the Okanagan Cup.
Yaniv Perets Career
Early Career (2021–2023)
Perets joined the Quinnipiac Bobcats midway through the 2020–21 season and made his collegiate debut on February 13, 2021, recording five saves in relief during a 9–0 win against Colgate. He then took a major step forward in 2021–22, going 22–5–2 with a 1.17 GAA, a .939 save percentage, and 11 shutouts. He was named ECAC Hockey Player of the Month for four straight months from November through February and led the NCAA in save percentage, GAA, and shutouts.
His outstanding play set new ECAC Hockey league records in save percentage, GAA, and shutouts, producing one of the best individual goaltending seasons in conference history. He earned All-ECAC Hockey First Team honors, was named ECAC Hockey Player of the Year, and won the Ken Dryden Award as the conference’s top goaltender. He was also a top-ten finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, a top-three finalist for the Mike Richter Award, and was selected to the AHCA East Second Team All-American.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms Era (2025–Present)
After spending two seasons within the Carolina Hurricanes organization, Perets became a free agent and signed a one-year AHL contract with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on July 23, 2025. The Phantoms serve as the primary developmental affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, offering Perets a fresh opportunity to compete for starting minutes at the AHL level.
The move came as Perets sought a clearer path to consistent playing time, and his early form with the Phantoms suggested he remained among the more technically refined goaltenders in the league. His experience in high-pressure college games and a brief NHL cameo has helped him settle quickly into the professional pace.
Driving Style and Strengths
Perets is widely regarded as a composed, positionally sound goaltender who relies on sharp angles and efficient movements rather than overcommitting to scrambles. His calm demeanor in heavy traffic and his consistent rebound control have been central to his success, and he pairs well with defensive systems that emphasize shot suppression. His track record of high save percentages across the USPHL, BCHL, and NCAA suggests a player whose preparation habits translate from one level to the next.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature milestones, Perets set ECAC Hockey single-season records in save percentage, GAA, and shutouts during 2021–22, a campaign widely considered one of the best goaltending seasons in conference history. He also made his National Hockey League debut on January 15, 2024, stepping in for the Carolina Hurricanes against the Los Angeles Kings in relief of starter Antti Raanta, becoming one of the few goaltenders from Dollard-des-Ormeaux to reach the NHL.
Yaniv Perets Career Wins
Yaniv Perets has built a strong win résumé across junior, collegiate, and professional levels, anchored by his 23–10–1 record with the Boston Junior Bruins, his combined regular-season and postseason success with the Penticton Vees, and his 22–5–2 record with the Quinnipiac Bobcats. His first major championship came with the Bruins’ Dineen Cup title in 2019, followed by the Okanagan Cup with Penticton during the shortened BCHL campaign.
Junior and Collegiate Highlights
Perets opened his junior career with a 23-win season for the Boston Junior Bruins in 2018–19, then added 25 regular-season wins for the Penticton Vees the following year, helping Penticton reach the BCHL postseason before play was halted. He capped his time in junior hockey with the Okanagan Cup in 2021. At Quinnipiac, his 22-win 2021–22 season set the tone for one of the most decorated individual goaltending years in ECAC Hockey history.
Other Wins and Performances
Perets also posted four postseason wins with Penticton in 2019–20 before the pandemic cancellation, and he added nine regular-season wins during the abbreviated 2020–21 BCHL schedule. In professional play, he appeared in preseason games for the Carolina Hurricanes and made his NHL debut in January 2024, a performance that confirmed his readiness for top-level competition even if his overall pro win totals remain limited.
Yaniv Perets Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Yaniv Perets grew up in Dollard-des-Ormeaux within a Jewish family, in a community known for producing several notable hockey players. While details about his parents are not publicly documented, his long friendship with fellow goaltender Devon Levi, formed during their youth hockey days, has played an important role in his development and remains a close bond.
Personal Life
Perets keeps his personal life largely private, and public information about his relationships and family beyond his parents and childhood friendships is limited. He continues to focus on his professional career with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms as he works to establish himself as a long-term AHL and potential NHL goaltender.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025–26 campaign marks Yaniv Perets’s first season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms after signing his one-year AHL deal on July 23, 2025. The move placed him within the Philadelphia Flyers’ developmental pipeline, where he is expected to handle a significant share of the starting duties. Early indications suggest he is competing for the top goaltending role and using his NCAA experience to set the tempo in practice.
Coming off a brief NHL stint with Carolina and two years of professional seasoning, Perets has entered the season with strong momentum and a clear opportunity to log heavy minutes. His track record of high save percentages and disciplined preparation has translated well to the AHL pace, and the Phantoms’ defensive structure is built to complement his strengths.
Looking ahead, a productive 2025–26 season could position Perets for a longer NHL look with the Philadelphia Flyers or another organization. His combination of junior trophies, ECAC Hockey records, and professional experience makes him one of the more intriguing goaltending prospects to watch in the AHL this season.