Former Calgary Hitmen netminder Buenaventura commits to Mount Royal University

Calgary, Alta.- Former Calgary Hitmen netminder Ethan Buenaventura has committed to the Mount Royal Cougars.

The 20-year-old from Winnipeg, Man. will join the Cougars for the 2025-26 season.

Buenaventura was drafted by the Calgary Hitmen in the fourth round of the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft.

The 6-foot-2, 198-pound netminder went on to skate in more than 100 games over four seasons with the Hitmen.

He amassed a 40-53-14-2 career record, along with a 3.52 goals-against average, a .893 save percentage and one shutout while playing more than 6,500 minutes and making 3,191 saves.

Okay well this is our save of the night…

Ethan Buenaventura people 👀 pic.twitter.com/vuwukNXFpP

— X – Calgary Hitmen (@WHLHitmen) November 19, 2023

Notably, Buenaventura made a career-high 58 saves and posted a .935 save percentage in a 7-4 win over the Portland Winterhawks on October 29, 2023.

He was also recognized with several important team awards in 2023-24, earning the Hitmen’s Player’s Choice Award, the Coaches Award and Humanitarian of the Year.

Mount Royal won silver in the 2025 Canada West Playoffs and advanced to the U SPORTS National Championship for the first time in program history.

The Cougars also played their way into the U SPORTS history book with a 5-4 loss in quintuple overtime against Toronto Metropolitan University, marking the longest-ever Canadian men’s university hockey game.