Wild sign Riley Mercer to entry-level contract

Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin announced Friday that the club has signed goaltender Riley Mercer to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2025-26 season.

In the past two years, Mercer has attended offseason development and fall training camps with the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and New Jersey Devils while going undrafted.

Mercer spent the 2024-25 season with the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL, where he put together a 27-15-4 record and a .925 save percentage through 46 games. Mercer held the best save percentage among goalies in the QMJHL this past season.

“I certainly knew his potential, but along with that, he’s a great person who just works so hard,” Voltigeurs’ Head Coach Sylvain Favreau said in an interview with the QMJHL website. “We knew from the start, he was our guy.”

During the 2023-24 campaign, Mercer helped guide the Voltigeurs to a QMJHL Championship, where he put together a 31-13-4 record, one of the best in the QMJHL and a .905 save percentage. Mercer put together a 1.89 goals against average and a .934 save percentage in 19 postseason starts.

Throughout his QMJHL career, the Bay Roberts, Newfoundland owns an 82-47-14 record with a 2.92 goals against average, a .907 save percentage and 10 shutouts in 150 career games with Drummondville over a span of five seasons. Mercer is 20-8 with a 2.81 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage and two shutouts in 29 career postseason games. Mercer closes his Drummondville career as the franchise leader in wins, shutouts, games played, and save percentage.

Mercer is also the younger brother of New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer, so he’s coming from a good hockey pedigree. Dawson also played for Drummondville, where he racked up 132 points during his three seasons with the Voltigeurs.