Michael Leighton Michael " Mike " Leighton ( born May 19 , 1981 ) is a professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the HC Donbass of the Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) . Playing career . Leighton grew up playing minor hockey in his hometown of Petrolia , Ontario for the Petrolia Oilers of the OMHA Bluewater League and AAA for the Lambton Lightning of the Alliance League . At age 16 , he played for the Petrolia Jets Jr . B . team of the OHA ' s Western Ontario Hockey League before being drafted by the Windsor Spitfires in the 3rd round ( 56th overall ) in the 1998 OHL Priority Selection . Leighton began impressing scouts while playing for the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League . Following his rookie season , he was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the sixth round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft with the 165th overall pick . He played two more seasons in the OHL before signing an entry level contract with the Blackhawks prior to the 2001 – 02 AHL season . He played two seasons in the AHL for the Norfolk Admirals before making his NHL debut on January 8 , 2003 . He became the first Blackhawks player to record a shutout in his debut during a scoreless tie against the Phoenix Coyotes ' Zac Bierk . Bierk also earned his first career shutout , although it was not his NHL debut . It was the first time that two goalies in the same game both earned their first career shutouts . He would compete with Craig Anderson for back - up duties , and therefore never spent a complete season in the NHL during his time with Chicago . He would continue to play in the Blackhawks ' organization until October 4 , 2005 , when he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Milan Bartovic . He did not appear in a game with the Sabres , as he spent the season with their AHL affiliate , the Rochester Americans . Buffalo did not tender him a qualifying offer in the off - season and he became an unrestricted free agent . Leighton signed as a free agent with the Anaheim Ducks on July 13 , 2006 and the organization assigned him to their AHL affiliate , the Portland Pirates , following training camp . When both Ilya Bryzgalov and Jean - Sébastien Giguère were injured , the Ducks recalled him on November 27 to start . However , he was claimed off waivers by the Nashville Predators . After appearing in just twenty minutes of one game with the Predators , Leighton was again placed on waivers , and this time was claimed by the Philadelphia Flyers on January 11 , 2007 . The Flyers placed him on a ten - game conditioning stint with the Philadelphia Phantoms , but recalled him early as Robert Esche was injured . Leighton backed up Antero Niittymäki for one game before making his first NHL start in nearly three years on February 10 , 2007 in a win against the St . Louis Blues . After playing four games with the last - place Flyers , Leighton was once again placed on waivers . He was picked up by the Montreal Canadiens on February 27 , but he finished the season without playing a game for his new team . Montreal traded him in the off - season to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 7th round pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft . Carolina originally assigned him to their AHL affiliate Albany River Rats , but brought him back to the NHL on January 3 , 2008 , when John Grahame was sent to Albany after being placed on waivers . Leighton appeared in three games for the Hurricanes , with a record of 1 – 1 – 0 , before returning to Albany on January 21 as Grahame was recalled to the NHL team . On April 24 , 2008 , Leighton set an AHL record making 98 saves on 101 shots , in a playoff game that went to 5 overtimes , also an AHL record . Leighton was the Hurricanes ' backup goaltender , behind Cam Ward , during the 2008 – 09 season . He appeared in 19 regular season games but did not play in the playoffs , when the Hurricanes advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals . In November 2009 , Ward suffered a leg injury which caused him to miss more than a month of play ; during that time , the team signed veteran Manny Legace , who became the backup when Ward returned . Leighton was then expendable . On December 15 , 2009 , Leighton was claimed off waivers by the Flyers organization in order to back up Brian Boucher while Ray Emery recovered from injury . On December 21 , Boucher suffered an injury , and Leighton found himself in a starting role . On December 26 , just 11 days after being waived , Leighton returned to Raleigh as the Flyers defeated Carolina 4 – 3 in a shootout . Leighton earned the start in goal for the Flyers on January 1 at the 2010 Winter Classic . He performed well on the national stage , but the Flyers ultimately fell to the Boston Bruins 2 – 1 in overtime . On May 10 , 2010 , Boucher was once again injured in a playoff game against the Bruins . Leighton stepped in for his first ever NHL playoff action to continue Boucher ' s shutout , with the Flyers ultimately winning 4 – 0 . Leighton then started and won the next two games , helping the Flyers to become only the third team in NHL history ( Maple Leafs - 1942 , Islanders - 1975 ) to come back from an 0 – 3 deficit and win a series . In the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals against the Montreal Canadiens , Leighton allowed only seven goals in five games , posting three shutouts as the seventh - seeded Flyers advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals against his former team , the Chicago Blackhawks . Leighton started all six games of the Final series , though Boucher finished Game One , a 6 – 5 Blackhawks win , and Game Five , a 7 – 4 Blackhawks win . Boucher was the losing goalie of record in both games . Leighton struggled in the finals , posting a goals against average of 3 . 96 and a save percentage of 0 . 876 as Chicago defeated Philadelphia four games to two . Leighton re - signed with the Flyers with a two year deal on June 30 , 2010 , one day before he was set to become an unrestricted free agent . On October 8 , 2010 , it was reported Leighton will have back surgery . He was expected to miss six to eight weeks . He finally made his debut on December 30 , earning the win , but allowing 4 goals at the Staples Center in Los Angeles . However , in his absence , rookie Sergei Bobrovsky and Brian Boucher have played well , creating a rare 3 - way goaltending competition in the Flyers crease . On January 3 , 2011 , the three - way goalie competition was solved as GM Paul Holmgren reported Leighton was placed on waivers . Leighton cleared waivers the next day and was assigned to the Adirondack Phantoms . Three months later he was placed on re - entry waivers and after clearing , re - joined the Flyers . Leighton played in two playoff games . After spending the entire 2011 – 12 season with the Phantoms , Leighton re - signed with the Flyers with a one - year contract on July 1 , 2012 and was slotted to serve as Ilya Bryzgalov ' s backup . After playing in just one game for the Flyers during the 2012 – 13 season , he was traded at the trade deadline to the Columbus Blue Jackets along with a 2015 third - round draft pick for Steve Mason . Leighton served as Sergei Bobrovsky ' s backup for the remainder of the season , but he did not see any time on the ice for the Blue Jackets . An unrestricted free agent following the season , Leighton signed a one - year contract with HC Donbass of the Kontinental Hockey League on August 19 , 2013 .