Goalie stats
NHL Goalie Games Started Leaders: Buffalo Sabres
2025-26All situationsThrough 82 team games
Alex Lyon (BUF) and 
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (BUF) lead NHL goalies with 34 games started for the Buffalo Sabres in 2025-26, ahead of 
Colten Ellis (BUF) (14).
Showing 2025-26 · 2026-27 becomes the default after ~10 games per team2026-27 so far →
Leaders: Games Started, Buffalo Sabres, 2025-26
- 1stAlex LyonBUF · 36 GP34
- 2ndUkko-Pekka LuukkonenBUF · 35 GP34
- 3rdColten EllisBUF · 16 GP14
The full ranked table, with filters, follows.
What Games Started measures
This board ranks NHL goalies by games started, regular season only. Pick any season back to 2017-18 above the table. Games the goalie started, regular season.
Starts follow the depth chart and health more than form, so they carry over well within a season.
Games started counts the games a goalie began in net. Workhorse starters reach 60 or more; most teams now split the net closer to 55-27. Starts are opportunity: every win, save and shutout needs one. Watch for timeshares forming early in the season. In 2025-26, 3 goalies qualify for this board; the median is 34 and Alex Lyon leads at 34.
Games Started leaderboard
| # | Goalie | Team | GS | GP | W | SV% | GAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex LyonBUF | BUF | 34 | 36 | 20 | 0.907 | 2.77 | 29%▼2.1 |
| 2 | Ukko-Pekka LuukkonenBUF | BUF | 34 | 35 | 22 | 0.910 | 2.52 | 67%▲1 |
| 3 | Colten EllisBUF | BUF | 14 | 16 | 8 | 0.903 | 2.90 | 14%▼2.6 |
Frequently asked questions
Who leads the NHL in Games Started in 2025-26?
Alex Lyon leads with 34. The median of the 3 qualified goalies is 34.
How is Games Started calculated?
Games the goalie started, regular season. Regular season only, from the NHL's official game data.
How reliable is Games Started?
Starts follow the depth chart and health more than form, so they carry over well within a season.