TORONTO – Entering the first full weekend of competition in December in each of the nine members that comprise the Canadian Junior Hockey League, you’ll find a strong contingent of goaltenders, who are doing extremely well in stopping the puck.
Of the 116 clubs across the CJHL, 37 of them boast a goals-against average of 2.50, or lower, for their respective teams.
Among those who have seen a minimum of 500 minutes of game action so far this season, leading that group is Collingwood Blues (OJHL) netminder Maksim Corovic.
The 17-year-old Stoney Creek, Ont., product currently sports a CJHL-best 1.58 GAA, to go with a .951 save percentage, which is also tops across the country.
Corovic is currently with Team Canada East, gearing up for the start of the 2025 Junior A World Challenge, which begins Sunday in Trois-Rivières, Que.
Next in the national listings, in terms of GAA, is Brady Cates of the Fort Frances Lakers (SIJHL). Cates, also 17, is 8-2-1 and sits with a 1.72 average.
Third in the CJHL in this department is Easton Thvedt who plays for the Steinbach Pistons (MJHL). There the 18-year-old has produced a 1.73 mark and has gone 10-1 to date with the Pistons.
Rounding out the Top 5 are Jack Carter and Austin Dubinsky of the Rockland Nationals (CCHL) and Niverville Nighthawks (MJHL), as they hold down averages of 1.83 and 1.89 respectively. Carter has a record of 10-1 while Dubinsky is a stellar 17-1 to date.
The following link lists the CJHL’s current goals-against average leaders, as of Dec. 4.
CJHL GOALS-AGAINST AVERAGE LEADERS
Photo credit: Nick Elder / OJHL Images