The Canucks 2025 second-round pick shines in London, OHL.
With the goaltending present a confusing spectre at the moment for the Vancouver Canucks, attention should turn to the goaltending future. Aleksei Medvedev, the Canucks’ second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, has gotten off to a scorching start with the London Knights. The 18-year-old Russian is ranked sixth in the OHL as per goals against average (2.24 GAA) at the time of writing, along with a fourth-best save percentage of 0.922%, and an 8-4-1 record through 13 games. Across the CHL, he is in the top-10 goaltenders in goals against average, and fifth overall in save percentage.
Medvedev was named OHL Goaltender of the Week for the week of October 27-November 2, after the young netminder went 2-0 on the road. He saved 35 of 36 shots in a 6-1 win over the Peterborough Petes, and saved 30 of 31 in another 6-1 victory over the Kingston Frontenacs a few nights later, losing the shutout that night with a Frontenacs goal scored with 39 seconds remaining. He had a 1.00 goals against average and a .970 save percentage in these repeat wins.
Coming off a season where he earned the OHL’s F.W. Dinty Moore Trophy with a league-best 2.79 goals against average for rookies, there are high expectations for the young goaltender, playing on the defending Memorial Cup champion Knights. Medvedev was also voted to the OHL all-rookie team last season, and has a 2.52 goals against average and a .917 save percentage through 47 career OHL games. The Goalie of the Week award came one year after Medvedev was named OHL Rookie of the Week, after a November 3, 2024, 2-1 overtime win over the Owen Sound Attack, where he stopped 38 of 39 shots.
Medvedev signed an entry-level contract with the Canucks this off-season, and was named to Vancouver’s training camp roster just one week after his 18th birthday. While he is likely a few years away from cracking a professional lineup due to goaltender developmental timelines being longer on average than skaters, the future appears bright for the Canucks prospect.
London is second in the OHL’s Western Conference at the time of writing, with a 13-6-3 record, and standing sixth in the OHL overall. Medvedev is sharing the crease this year with Sebastian Gatto of Troy, Michigan. Medvedev is the younger of the tandem, as Gatto is a year older, though he is playing his first season in the OHL after spending the year prior in the BCHL with the Chilliwack Chiefs.
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