OHL drafted goalies in Timmins
For the second successive season a 16-year old goalie who was drafted into the Ontario Hockey League is developing with the Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. Last season it was Jacob Brown, now with the Flint Firebirds of the OHL. This season it is Erie Otters draft pick Dryden Riley.
Brown, who has a 2006 birthdate, is in his first OHL season in Flint and is the backup goalie to veteran starter Nathan Day. He was a fourth round pick of Flint at the 2022 OHL priority selections draft. As part of the NOJHL championship team in Timmins in 2022-2023, Brown had a spectacular regular season record of 18-1-3 with a 1.49 goals against average, .925 save percentage and seven shutouts. He then followed that up by winning all five of his playoff decisions for Timmins with a 2.20 goals against average, .910 save percentage and a shutout.
Over to Riley, the 2007 birth year goalie was an 11th round pick of Erie at the 2023 OHL priority selections draft. And he was been an NOJHL standout for Timmins thus far this season with a record of 17-2-1 to go with a 2.34 goals against average, .915 save percentage and two shutouts. And Timmins coach and general manager Brandon Perry is of the notion that if Brown can play in the OHL, so too can Riley.
“Dryden Riley has been fantastic for us this season,” Perry relayed to Hockey News North. “He is very driven and focused … he is better and better every time he plays, which is a testament to his work ethic and professionalism.”