Jack Ivankovic is a 5-foot-11, 178-pound NHL Draft prospect from Mississauga, Ontario. The now 18-year-old netminder has spent the past two seasons with the Brampton, and formerly Mississauga, Steelheads. After a stellar draft-year minus one last season, where he sported an OHL best .915 save percentage in 25 games, his numbers slipped this season as he stepped into the starter’s crease following the departure of Ryerson Leenders (Buffalo 2024 7th-rounder). Through 43 games, Ivankovic posted a 3.05 goals against average and a .903 save percentage, leading to a 25-12-5 record. The young netminder struggled to a degree in the playoffs with a 4.87 goals against average and a .877 save percentage through five games against the eventual Eastern Conference Champion Oshawa Generals. Despite his dismal numbers, Ivankovic still showed flashes in the playoffs, like his stellar game two performance on the road, where he turned away 46 of 47 shots, allowing the Steelheads to steal a game that they were outshot by 23.
Jack Ivankovic is a consensus second-round pick, with most hockey evaluators ranking him inside the top 50 prospects of the upcoming NHL Draft, while some scouts regard him as a top-2 goalie in the class.
Ranked #44 by Inside the Rink
Ranked #4 by NHL Central Scouting (NA Goalies)
Ranked #40 by Daily Faceoff
Ranked #46 by Recruit Scouting
Ranked #55 by Sportsnet
Ranked #48 by TSN/Bob McKenzie
Scouting Report
The biggest strengths in Ivankovic’s game are his athleticism and mobility. Being a smaller goalie, Ivankovic compensates for his lack of size with lightning-fast lateral movement and high-end positioning. This makes him tough to beat with a clean look, and his rebound control helps negate second-chance opportunities. Another key aspect in his game is his confidence, which allows him to come up strong in big moments like the Hlinka Gretzky and U18s. This confidence translates into his playmaking ability, as he is always looking to create chances by playing the puck. The main concerns in Ivankovic’s game lie in his aforementioned size. At just 5-foot-11, he can struggle to fight through screens or stop the occasional puck upstairs. However, there is optimism that he could grow in the future, as his father Frank, a former OHL netminder, was a late bloomer before sprouting to 6-foot-4. If Jack sees a similar growth spurt, he will have all the tools to be a star at the NHL level and possibly take the reins as the next great Canadian netminder.
ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again – Inside The Rink
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