Erik Portillo

Erik Portillo (born 3 September 2000) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is a goaltender for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Portillo was drafted in the third round, 67th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2019 NHL entry draft.

Playing career Junior Portillo played for the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League (USHL) during the 2019–20 season. He appeared in 27 games and posted a 19–5–1 record, leading the USHL with a 2.11 goals against average (GAA), and a .915 save percentage. Following the season he was named first team All-USHL and named the USHL Goaltender of the Year.

College

Portillo began his collegiate career for the University of Michigan during the 2020–21 season. During his freshman season, he appeared in seven games and posted a 4–1–0 record with a 1.67 GAA and .935 save percentage. He made his collegiate debut for Michigan on 3 December 2020, in relief of Strauss Mann, stopping 15 of 17 shots in a 9–5 loss against Penn State. He made his first career start on 15 January 2021, making 19 saves in a 4–2 victory against Ohio State.

During the 2021–22 season, his sophomore season, Portillo posted a 31–10–1 record with a 2.14 GAA and a .926 save percentage in his first full season as a starter. He led the nation in saves (1,111) and ranked second in wins (31) and minutes played (2,499), fourth in win percentage (.750) and ninth in save percentage (.926). During the 2022 Big Ten tournament, he posted a 4–0 record with a .928 save percentage, and also recorded 90 saves on 95 shots he faced during the tournament. He was subsequently named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team and named tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Following the season he was named second-team All-Big Ten, a semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award and a finalist for the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year.

On 9 April 2022, Portillo announced he would return to Michigan for his junior year for the 2022–23 season. During his junior season, he posted a 25–11–2 record with a 3.00 GAA and a .908 save percentage and helped lead the Wolverines to their second consecutive Big Ten tournament championship and Frozen Four appearance. He finished his collegiate career with a 60–22–3 overall record, 2.49 GAA, and a .918 save percentage.

Professional Portillo was drafted in the third round, 67th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2019 NHL entry draft. He announced he would not sign with the Sabres and would pursue unrestricted free agency after his college career at Michigan. On 1 March 2023, the Sabres traded his draft rights to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick.

On 10 April 2023, Portillo signed an amateur tryout contract (ATO) with the Kings' AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. On 22 April, the Kings signed Portillo to a two-year, entry-level contract through the 2023–24 season. During the 2023–24 season, in his rookie season, he appeared in 39 games with the Reign and posted a 24–11–3 record with a 2.50 GAA and .918 save percentage. His 24 wins were the most by a rookie goaltender in franchise history.

On 25 August 2024, Portillo signed a three-year contract extension with the Kings through the 2026–27 season. Portillo began the 2024–25 season with the Reign, where he appeared in six games and posted a 4–2–0 record with a 2.68 GAA and .906 save percentage. On 15 November 2024, he was recalled by the Kings on an emergency basis after placing starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper on the injured reserve. He made his NHL debut on 29 November 2024 in a game against the Anaheim Ducks, making 28 saves in a 2–1 victory to record his first career NHL win. During the third period, Portillo's skate blade was dislodged and forced him out of the game for 1:23, David Rittich entered in relief before being replaced by Portillo following the equipment fix.

International play

Portillo represented Sweden at the 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and won a bronze medal.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Awards and honours Award Year RefCollege Big Ten Second Team 2022 Big Ten All-Tournament Team 2022 Big Ten Tournament MVP 2022