By Matt Mackinder –
Even with a losing record and playing for a team that barely made the playoffs, Alex Nedeljkovic earned a top Ontario Hockey League award as the second-year Plymouth Whalers’ backstop was named the OHL’s goaltender of the year for the 2013-14 season.
Nedeljkovic, the first Whalers’ goalie to win the award, started 61 games this season and went 26-27-0-7 with a 2.88 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage (second-best in the league) and one shutout while facing the second-most shots in the OHL. His 2,042 saves were also second-most in the league.
In 19 different games this year, Nedeljkovic made at least 40 saves, including four performances with 50 or more saves.
The ever-humble Nedeljkovic was elated to receive the honor, voted on by OHL general managers, but as he has shown in the past, deflected some of the credit for his individual success.
“To receive this award is an incredible honor,” said the 18-year-old Parma, Ohio, native. “There were many other goaltenders in league this year that also had great seasons. Credit must be given to all of my teammates that helped me to achieve this award. Game in and game out, they would do their best to help make my job easier and I would try my best to do the same for them. This award recognizes what a goalie has accomplished throughout the season, but it is also a symbol of what the entire team did over the course of the season to be as good as they possibly could defensively.”
Nedeljkovic, seen as a potential first-round pick in June’s NHL draft, is listed fourth among North American goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting. Currently, Nedeljkovic is representing the United States at the 2014 IIHF Under-18 World Championship in Lappeenranta and Imatra, Finland.
Last September, Nedeljkovic played in the second annual USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game and then participated in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in January.
To demonstrate how far Nedeljkovic has come, during the 2012-13 season, he spent time in the North American 3 Hockey League with the Metro Jets in Waterford, but even so, Plymouth coach-GM Mike Vellucci said that it didn’t surprise him at all that Nedeljkovic earned the award from the OHL this season.
“I thought he was by far the best goaltender in our league this season and was certainly our team MVP in both the regular season and playoffs,” Vellucci said. “We had such a young team this year and needed the stability in goal that Alex provided and without him, I don’t think we would have kept our playoff streak alive of 23 straight years.”
“Coach Mike (Vellucci) and (Plymouth goaltending coach) Stan (Matwijiw) have both been tremendous mentors to me in my time in Plymouth,” added Nedeljkovic. “I have worked with Stan now for three years and in that time period, my game has gone to an entirely new level that I never thought it could reach. The best way I can describe what Coach Mike has done for me and the team is that he forces us out of our comfort zone to be better as he demonstrates when coaching us.”
Originally selected by the Whalers in the sixth round of the 2012 OHL draft out of the Belle Tire AAA organization, last season, Nedeljkovic was the recipient of the league’s F.W “Dinty” Moore Trophy awarded to the rookie with the league’s best goals-against-average, posting a mark of 2.28, and also earned a spot on the OHL’s First All-Rookie Team.
Vellucci said developing goalies has been a source of pride over the years in Plymouth.
“The Whalers have a history of outstanding goaltenders that have come through our organization with guys like Michal Neuvirth, Jeremy Smith, Justin Peters, Matt Hackett and Scott Wedgewood, who are all great goaltenders,” Vellucci noted. “At this stage of his development, I think Alex is farther along than all of those players. He was a playoff starter at 16-years-old last season and to accomplish what he has in such a short time is impressive and speaks volumes about his character and goaltending ability.”
In the voting, Nedeljkovic finished ahead of Matt Murray of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Oscar Dansk of the Erie Otters.
Nedeljkovic will be formally presented with the award on June 3 at the OHL Awards ceremony at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. He is also the OHL’s nominee for the CHL Goaltender of the Year.