Waterloo Black Hawks goaltender Carter Casey is drawing serious Division I attention after a record-setting postseason in the USHL. The 17-year-old is planning official visits to Denver, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota this summer, multiple sources tell PuckPreps.

The Grand Rapids, Minnesota native reportedly received interest from more than 20 NCAA programs before narrowing his list to four.

Casey burst onto the junior hockey scene in late February, joining the Black Hawks shortly after wrapping up his season at Grand Rapids High School (USHS-MN).

At 6-foot-2, the young netminder was expected to spend time adjusting to the USHL’s fast style of play. Instead, a rash of injuries in the Waterloo crease fast-tracked his role.

In just five regular-season games, Casey posted a 3-0-0 record and helped Waterloo secure the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference standings. Taking over as the team’s No. 1 goaltender, he backstopped the Black Hawks on a stunning run to the Clark Cup Finals, coming within one win of the organization’s first championship since 2004.

Over 15 playoff appearances, Casey went 10-3-2 with a 2.53 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. He also made league history by logging 948 minutes, the most by any goaltender in USHL postseason history.

Among his most memorable performances were back-to-back shutouts in the Western Conference Final against a Lincoln Stars team that hadn’t been blanked all season.
With four national powerhouses now in pursuit, Casey has quickly emerged as one of the most coveted goaltending prospects in the country. For now, it appears a Big Ten or NCHC program will be adding a future cornerstone to its crease.