Rangers’ Pavel Cajan Named OHL Goaltender of the Week
Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Pavel Cajan of the Kitchener Rangers is the OHL Goaltender of the Week, stopping 109 shots across a pair of victories to post a 3.46 goals-against average and .940 save percentage.
Cajan was the difference in Kitchener’s 6-4 win over the London Knights on Friday’s CHL on TSN broadcast, stopping 44 shots as the Rangers defeated their division rival for the first time since December 2019. He returned to the crease on Saturday, stopping an OHL season-high 65 shots as the Rangers defeated the host Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on a game winner by Joseph Serpa. Cajan becomes the first Rangers netminder to stop 60 shots in a regular season game since Reg Bourcier on Oct. 1, 1999 against Erie. Luke Opilka made 64 saves in a playoff game on Mar. 29, 2017 against Owen Sound. Cajan helped the Rangers pick up four points despite their being outshot 116-63.
A 19-year-old native of Hlubos, Czechia, Cajan has played to a 12-9-1-1 record with a 3.37 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in 23 games this season. The 6-foot-2, 174Ib. goaltender was selected by Kitchener in the first round (49th overall) of the 2020 CHL Import Draft.
Also considered for the award this week, Xavier Medina of the Windsor Spitfires played to a 2-0 record with a 1.50 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in victories over Saginaw and London. Rookie Dom DiVincentiis of the North Bay Battalion also went 2-0, posting a 2.00 goals-against average and .925 save percentage as the Troops defeated Niagara and Sudbury.
2021-22 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Feb. 7 – Feb. 13: Pavel Cajan (Kitchener Rangers)
Jan. 31 – Feb. 6: Patrick Leaver (Oshawa Generals)
Jan. 24 – Jan. 30: Max Donoso (Ottawa 67’s)
Jan. 17 – Jan. 23: Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
Jan. 10 – Jan. 16: Mitchell Weeks (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan. 3 – Jan. 9: Nolan Lalonde (Erie Otters)
Dec. 27 – Jan. 2: Joe Ranger (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 13 – Dec. 19: Owen Bennett (Guelph Storm)
Dec. 6 – Dec. 12: Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
Nov. 29 – Dec. 5: Leevi Merilainen (Kingston Frontenacs)
Nov. 22 – Nov. 28: Tye Austin (Peterborough Petes)
Nov. 15 – Nov. 21: Ben Gaudreau (Sarnia Sting)
Nov. 8 – Nov. 14: Joe Vrbetic (North Bay Battalion
Nov. 1 – Nov. 7: Roman Basran (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 25 – Oct. 31: Patrick Leaver (Oshawa Generals)
Oct. 18 – Oct. 24: Jacob Oster (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 11 – Oct. 17: Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Oct. 4 – Oct. 10: Tucker Tynan (Niagara IceDogs)