Building Blue: Aleksei Medvedev is Steady in the Crease, Focusing on Consistency in his Game

Aleksei Medvedev has had a hot start to the OHL season with the London Knights, and he’s enjoying his role, being a player his teammates can rely on to make saves when they need them.

The Vancouver Canucks’ 2025 NHL Draft second-round pick has a .926 save percentage and is 7-2-1 through 10 games.

Medvedev earned OHL Goaltender of the Week honours after posting a .970 save percentage, a 1.00 goals-against average, and two wins. He’s been locked in lately, crediting his success to taking things one day at a time.

“I’ve had a good stretch and just want to keep it going. I just want to be there for my team every night and give them a chance to win, so consistency is a big thing for me this year and I really want to focus on that,” Medvedev said.

The 18-year-old is in his second year with the Knights that lost most of its core last year after winning the Memorial Cup, but the team is eager to continue the club’s standard of excellence.

“This year we have a younger group, and I feel like we’re really hungry and you can see it on the ice,” Medvedev said. “There’s going to be mistakes with our young group and I’m there to make up for it, make those saves, so that’s kind of my role this year and I’ve enjoyed it so far.”

Medvedev says his technique has improved this year, and he feels more composed in every aspect of his game. He continues to focus on the mental side, sticking to consistent routines, and had the chance to learn from Thatcher Demko at Canucks training camp in September. He noted that Demko’s level of preparation before practice is something he’s tried to incorporate into his own routine.

“He’d come in two, two-and-a-half hours before [practice] and put all the prep in and just watching that you’re thinking ‘He’s a hell of a goalie and he still does that.’ It was big for me doing the same thing this year, the preparation and recovery after, it was huge and it’s helped me so far,” Medvedev said.

He’s went to his first Canucks development camp, Prospect Showcase, and capping it off with training camp has improved his game in the OHL.

“It’s a really cool experience getting to skate with those guys, watch them on and off the ice and just picking up habits from them. It's a ton of learning, I thought I brought a lot with me and it’s helped me so far this year.”

Medvedev also suited up for the Canucks at the Prospect Showcase in their 5–3 loss to the Kraken. He said the experience was a valuable learning opportunity.

“Super special obviously. Putting on that jersey was a really fun game and another great time to evaluate yourself,” Medvedev said.

With a strong start under his belt and lessons learned from NHL goaltenders, he’s continuing to develop good habits and confidence.

As the OHL season rolls on, Medvedev’s focus is on steady improvement and being a reliable goaltender for his teammates.