Jett Alexander can add the Goaltender of the Year award in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) to his trophy collection.
Earlier this spring, the 19-year-old was named Top Goaltender in the OJHL.
(Top Goaltender is awarded the goaltender with the lowest goals against average during the regular season. Goaltender of the Year is voted on by a panel of OJHL general managers and media personnel.)
The North York Rangers netminder led the 22-team OJHL with a 1.67 goals-against average and .945 save percentage. His league-best 30 wins, included 10 shutouts – breaking an OJHL record that dates back to the early 1970s.
All things being equal, Alexander could easily be a member of the Wellington Dukes.
The native of Bloomfield in Prince Edward County played his early minor hockey in Wellington and Belleville before moving to the GTHL for his bantam year. He tended goal for the Don Mills Flyers and North York Rangers AAA teams then signed with the Georgetown Raiders of the OJHL in 2016. Alexander was dealt to North York during the 2016-17 season.
The family home is “five minutes from Wellington’s rink.”
Growing up, the Alexanders billeted Dukes players. And Jett remembers being nine years old and attending the team’s final game at the old and infamous Duke Dome.
“Watching the guys that lived upstairs in my house,” he said with a laugh.
When the Rangers visit Wellington, a large number of family and friends attend at the Dukes’ beautiful new rink, the Lehigh Arena, inside the local community centre.
He skated/tried out for the Dukes one year but ended up in the GTA.
North York’s obviously happy to have a Jett.
“He continues to tap into his potential each year and has developed into one of the best goalies in our league.” Rangers Head Coach Geoff Schomogyi told inquinte.ca earlier this season.
Alexander returns home every summer, working out and working in a lumber yard in nearby Belleville.
His Rangers captured the OJHL South Division championship this week. They’ll play the winner of the Whitby-Wellington East final for the South-East Conference title.
Alexander was the OJHL Kewl Goaltender-of-the-Month and Canadian Junior Hockey League first star for October 2018.
Alexander and other OJHL trophy winners will be honoured at a ceremony during the OJHL championship series next month.
