There was one priority for Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds GM Kyle Raftis as he approached the Jan. 9 trade deadline. He acquired top-pairing defenseman Lukas Fischer from the Sarnia Sting earlier in the year, addressing his blueline, but if he wanted to see his team have a chance at an OHL title, he needed to improve in the goalie department. 

On Jan. 7, at 10 am, after months of speculation that the Greyhounds were targeting Owen Sound Attack netminder Carter George, the deal was made official. 

Since arriving from Owen Sound, the LA Kings prospect has been nothing short of spectacular, proving exactly why he was the most sought-after prize on the market. The price was steep, parting ways with three second-round picks and two third and fourths. Alas, that’s the price you must pay for a franchise-altering goaltender. 

The Greyhounds currently sit in fourth place in the Western Conference, attempting to catch their divisional opponents: Flint and Windsor. Since the OHL trade deadline, the Greyhounds have a 9-2-0-2 record, achieving the third-most wins (tied with Ottawa) in that time frame, courtesy of Lucas Punkari on X.

Although George had his Canadian crease overtaken by former Brampton Steelhead Jack Ivankovic at the 2026 World Juniors, he hasn’t let that affect his play since returning. If anything, he may have come back with a chip on his shoulder. And became the highest goal-scoring goaltender in OHL history with his second career tally.

George has suited up in 11 games since being acquired by the Soo. He has a 7-2-0-2 record with a 1.81 goals-against-average and a .933 save percentage. Three of his seven wins have also been shutouts. His first start in a Greyhound uniform was a 20-save shutout. 

In those 11 games, he has recorded a save percentage of .900 or worse only twice, which are the only two games where he has allowed more than two goals against. The OHL named him the league’s Goaltender of the Month for January 

“Best goaltending I’ver ever seen in my life at this level.” Courtesy of Peter Ruicci of the Greyhounds Gazette, those were the words of Greyhounds Head Coach John Dean after watching George make 36 saves on 38 shots against the Windsor Spitfires this past Sunday. 

The Thunder Bay, Ontario, native has brought a level of poise and confidence that has transformed the Greyhounds’ defensive identity. For a team that has hovered near the top of the standings in the West all season, George added to the frame, turning them from contenders into a legitimate threat to come out on top in the West. 

If you ask Kyle Raftis right now how he feels about trading away all those picks for George, I’d bet he would say he’d do it again in a heartbeat.