Color of Hockey: Jaswal hopes to hear name called at 2026 NHL Draft

William Douglas has been writing The Color of Hockey blog since 2012. Douglas joined NHL.com in 2019 and writes about people of color in the sport. Today, he profiles Arvin Jaswal, a goalie with Barrie of the Ontario Hockey League who's No. 18 on NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of North American goalies ahead of the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round will be June 26 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 on June 27 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN).

Arvin Jaswal didn’t know he was riding what would become a 13-game winning streak in goal for Barrie of the Ontario Hockey League until someone told him.

“I had no idea about the date, the last time I lost, or any streak that I had until it was about at eight,” the 18-year-old said of the run that spanned from Dec. 11, 2025 to March 7 and was the longest in the OHL this season. “I thought it was pretty cool that I had won that many games, but I didn’t let it affect me. I just wanted to keep moving and keep moving forward.”

The streak helped propel Jaswal to No. 18 on NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings of North American goaltenders ahead of the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

Jaswal, who was No. 23 in Central Scouting’s midterm ranking of North American goalies, was 18-3-3 with a 2.45 goals-against average, .922 save percentage and three shutouts in 24 games as a rookie for Barrie this season. 

He allowed two or fewer goals in 11 of 13 games during his winning streak.  

“There were a lot of close games that were in there,” said David Belitski, Barrie’s director of goaltending. “It wasn't like he was playing games where we were just winning and we didn't need goaltending to be a factor. There were some heavy games in there that he played.”

Al Jensen of Central Scouting said Jaswal (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) has a playing style reminiscent of Carter Hart, the starting goalie for the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final.

“They’re not flashy but they put themselves in position to stop the puck and they make the game look easy because of the way they play -- they’re not all over the place,” Jensen said. “(Jaswal) is very patient, he’s got very good net coverage despite being just 6-1. His lower body strength really helps him with his lateral movements and recovery skills. He always seems to be in the right position. That’s why he’s been consistent all year.”

Jaswal, from Pickering, Ontario, said that wasn’t always the case.

“Positioning is key and I know that it was something I struggled with last year,” he said. “But this year, I think I’ve been exceptional at it. Just being in the right position at the right time, using my athletic ability when I need to. I feel like my hands are huge aspect of my game too, how fast they are.”

Barrie selected Jaswal in the sixth round (No. 114) of the 2024 OHL Priority Selection Draft from Whitby's U16 AAA team, where he had a 2.05 GAA in 25 games.

He was on Barrie’s 2024-25 roster but mostly practiced with the team and played games with the nearby Toronto Red Wings U18 AAA program.

“He would go down for games with the AAA team, but he was up here in Barrie where we billeted him,” Belitski said. “He was able to practice with the guys and face those kind of high-quality chances and shots through a full year’s worth of practices.

“That was part of the plan when we put it together at the beginning of the year for him. We saw something in him, we wanted to keep him close by ... Did we know that Arvin Jaswal would have had the year that he had this year? I don’t know, but we were certainly hoping that he would. 

"To his credit, he put the work and the time and the effort in throughout the summertime of his off-ice and on-ice preparation coming into training camp.”

Jaswal credits the approach Barrie took with him last season for the success he had in the OHL this season.

“I would take reps after practice,” he said. “The guys would do 15 minutes of breakaways on me, but it was all just kind of part of the grind. It was a great experience, and it definitely helped me with where I am right now.”

Jaswal wasn’t always a goalie. He started out as a skater in a house league when he was 4 years old. He found his calling when it was his turn to strap on the pads and play goal for his team.

“I had no intention of becoming a goalie,” he said. “One thing I remember from that day is that I enjoyed doing it. I enjoyed being goalie and taking the pucks. After that, I would request to do it again and by 6 years old I was playing selects and was a full-time at that point, and I’ve loved it ever since.”

Navigating Jaswal through ice hockey was a new experience for his parents. His father, Preet, grew up playing road hockey in Canada. His mother, Mary, was born in the Philippines, lived in the United States before settling in Canada and knew little about the sport.

“My mom, she’s probably the biggest fan I know now,” Jaswal said. “She watches NHL games on her own at home. She comes to every game she can. But if she can’t, she’s watching all my games. She went from someone who had no idea what hockey was to someone who is the biggest fan.”