Knighthawks sign former RIT goaltender to one-year deal

By: Mateo Ortiz

ROCHESTER, NY - The Rochester Knighthawks announced on Wednesday that they have signed goaltender Drew Hutchison to a one-year deal, pending league approval.

Hutchison was acquired by the Knighthawks on August 19, in a trade with the Halifax Thunderbirds that sent himself and defenseman Shonwahnonkon Thompson to Rochester, in exchange for defenseman Tyler Biles and goaltender Riley Hutchcraft.

The former Thunderbirds netminder will be entering his fifth National Lacrosse League season where he has a 7-7 career record with a 74.8% save percentage.

His best season statistically came in 2025, where he recorded a 5-3 record with a 76% save percentage in a season where the Thunderbirds reached the NLL semi-finals. He also has one career playoff win coming in that same 2025 season where he recorded 39 saves against the Calgary Roughnecks in a 16-12 victory.

This will be Hutchison's second stint in Rochester; Before being drafted in the first round by the Thunderbirds in 2021, he previously played four seasons with the RIT Tigers in college. In his senior season, he recorded a 22-1 record and was a main contributor for a Tigers team that reached the NCAA division three national championship in the 2022 season.

The new netminder will be alongside goaltender Rylan Hartley, who has been the starter for the Knighthawks the past four seasons. Hartley went 5-4 as a starter last season but he was pulled from multiple starts. In the starts Hartley was pulled from, Rochester lost all the contests. Hartley was also suspended for one game last season due to disciplinary actions by the league.

The Knighthawks season is expected to begin in December. Rochester is looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2026 campaign where they recorded a 6-12 record after starting off the season with a 4-1 record. The NLL is expected to release the 2026-2027 schedule within the next couple weeks.