The 2018-19 minor midget hockey season has passed its midway point, and each league’s respective playoffs and the OHL Cup now loom large ahead of the 2019 OHL Draft.
Over the past months, we’ve spent a great deal of time assessing and ranking the top talent available for this year’s Priority Selection. However, in doing so, we’ve focused strictly on the forwards and defenceman eligible for selection while paying a meagre amount of attention to this year’s crop of goaltenders outside of the prospect profiles we continue to compile.
With this being said, it’s time to highlight this year’s 2019 OHL Draft eligible goaltenders, as there are a number of backstops competing this season who will hold blindingly bright futures at the OHL-level and beyond. In order to do so, we’ve generated a mid-term top-20 goaltender ranking which highlights netminders from across seven different leagues and two countries.
Also featured within this ranking are ten honourable mentions. Given the number of games remaining to be played this season, expect these goaltenders to make a legitimate push for the top-20 overall, as all ten of which boast the skill and drive necessary to enjoy long careers in the game.
Three Goaltenders on the Rise
Patrick Boivin
2018-19 Team: Sudbury Wolves Minor Midget (GNML)
Patrick Boivin has been a pillar of consistency this season for the Sudbury Wolves of the GNML, affording his team with an opportunity to win on a nightly basis. Although he is not the biggest goaltender eligible for the upcoming 2019 OHL Priority Selection, Boivin is one of the most athletic and determined. Never deflated by a goal allowed and of a team-first mentality, Boivin’s positive mentality alongside his ability to stop the puck have combined to make him one of this season’s top goaltending prospects.
Perhaps the two most impressive facets of Boivin’s game are his lateral mobility as well as ability to peer through traffic in order to track the puck. Whether the puck be held at the point, entered into the zone via the rush, or cycled below the goal line, Boivin battles persistently in order to follow the puck and will make a number of difficult saves appear easy as a result. Mix in Boivin’s explosive movements across his goal line, and the youngster from Blind River, Ontario becomes extremely tough to beat.
Anthony Maiorca
2018-19 Team: Chicago Young Americans (HPHL)
The Chicago Young Americans haven’t been the strongest team competing in the HPHL thus far this season. In fact, at the time of writing, the Young Americans held the poorest record in the league — battling to a 2-12-0-1 line. However, if not for the presence of goaltender Anthony Maiorca, the team’s record could be much, much worse.
Despite the Young Americans’ play this season, Maiorca has been absolutely dominant so-to-speak — carrying a league-best .933% SVP through his first 10 games played despite holding onto a team-reflective 2.95 GAA. To boot, Maiorca had faced nearly 100 more shots on goal than the HPHL’s next busiest goaltender — a glaring reflection of Maiorca’s ability to stop opposing shooters in the face of overwhelming offensive attacks.
At 6-foot-1, Maiorca provides his team with competitive netminding on a nightly basis — a reason why he’s also played in two NAPHL contests this campaign.
Robert Andreakos Jr.
2018-19 Team: Mississauga Reps (GTHL)
Much like that of his team, the Mississauga Reps, Robert Andreakos Jr.’s play has improved dramatically over the course of the 2018-19 season. Although his Reps likely won’t challenge for the GTHL championship, Andreakos Jr. has proven time and time again to be an exceptional goaltender who can afford his team with an opportunity to win each and every game in which he tends to the crease.
The basis of Andreakos Jr.’s game is his size, but more important is how he utilizes his size in order to seize a competitive advantage. While he isn’t the largest goaltender eligible for the 2019 OHL Draft given his 6-foot-2 frame, Andreakos uses every inch tactfully in order to stymie his opposition. Well positioned and an impressive athlete, Andreakos Jr. mixes in lightning-quick reflexes and strong lateral mobility to frustrate his opponents with a remarkable level of consistency.
The Top-20 Goaltenders: Mid-Term Edition
Well, here they are, the top-20 goaltenders eligible for the 2019 OHL Draft.
One important fact which is crucial to remember is that this is a mid-term ranking, meaning that a great deal of time remains for each and every goaltender on this list — as well as those not listed — to improve and impress as the 2018-19 season draws to an end.
Come the end of the current campaign, we’ll reconvene and unveil a final goaltender ranking ahead of the 2019 OHL Draft. In the meantime and as mentioned above, be sure to familiarize yourself with the ten honourable mentions listed below as well, as each netminder has the skill-set necessary to crack the main ranking come April.
| Rank | Goaltender | 2018-19 Team |
| 1 | Joshua Rosenzweig | Toronto Red Wings (GTHL) |
| 2 | Trent Kubiak | Buffalo Jr. Sabres U15 (T1EHL) |
| 3 | Samuel Moncada | Toronto Young Nationals (GTHL) |
| 4 | Anthony Maiorca | Chicago Young Americans (HPHL) |
| 5 | Max Donoso | Windsor Jr. Spitfires (Alliance) |
| 6 | Jacob Osborne | Ottawa Jr. Senators (HEO) |
| 7 | Forbes Andersen | Toronto Young Nationals (GTHL) |
| 8 | Patrick Boivin | Sudbury Wolves Minor Midget (GNML) |
| 9 | Blake Marsh | Central Ontario Wolves (ETA) |
| 10 | John Angerman | Victory Honda U15 (T1EHL) |
| 11 | Carter Garvie | Grey-Bruce Highlanders (SCTA) |
| 12 | Owen Bartosziewicz | Oakland Jr. Grizzlies (HPHL) |
| 13 | Andrew Pichora | Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U16 (T1EHL) |
| 14 | Nolan Mahaffey | Pittsburgh Penguins U15 (T1EHL) |
| 15 | Patrick Leaver | Smiths Falls Bears (HEO) |
| 16 | Robert Andreakos Jr. | Mississauga Reps (GTHL) |
| 17 | Matteo Gennaro | Barrie Jr. Colts (ETA) |
| 18 | Andrew Cristea | Pembroke Lumber Kings (HEO) |
| 19 | Ben West | Toronto Marlboros (GTHL) |
| 20 | Benjamin Bates | Cambridge Hawks (Alliance) |
The Top Goaltenders: 10 Honourable Mentions
Here are this ranking’s ten honourable mentions — a whack of goaltenders listed in alphabetical order who have been downright impressive thus far this season.
- Owen Faris (Niagara North Stars, SCTA)
- Benjamin Gaudreau (North Bay Midget Trappers, GNML)
- Tanner Gillies (Hawkesbury Hawks, HEO)
- Andrew McGarrity (York Simcoe Express, ETA)
- Cole Moore (Marham Majors, GTHL)
- James Norton (Mississauga Senators, GTHL)
- Sebastian Resar (Whitby Wildcats, ETA)
- Kyle Powers (Huron-Perth Lakers (Alliance)
- Konrad Walberger (Buffalo Jr. Sabres, SCTA)
- Justin Wu (Mississauga Rebels, GTHL)
Prospect Pipeline 