Ottawa 67's goaltender Jaeden Nelson is being asked to carry more of the load this season, and early signs suggest he's ready for it.
A strong season behind him
Last season, Nelson posted an 18-6-3 record with a 2.33 goals-against average, third-best in the entire Ontario Hockey League, and a .915 save percentage that ranked fifth. Those numbers put the Nepean product among the top goaltenders in the league, and he did it as part of what many considered the OHL's best goaltending tandem, alongside partner Ryder Fetterolf.
Fetterolf, who is heading to the NCAA this season to play for Penn State, went 29-9-2 with a 2.07 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage last year. He was drafted 125th overall in the fourth round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Nelson, despite his own strong numbers, was passed over in the draft for a second consecutive year.
Overlooked, but not deterred
Being skipped twice by NHL teams would rattle plenty of young goaltenders, but Nelson is framing it as motivation rather than a setback. Asked about chasing an opportunity like an NHL camp invite, he said it often comes down to one person believing in you. "It just takes one person to vouch for you, to get your foot in the door," he said. "And then it's what you do with that opportunity from there."
With Fetterolf off to the NCAA, Nelson is now the clear No. 1 in the 67's crease, no longer splitting starts with the goaltender who outpaced him statistically last season. That shift puts more pressure on Nelson to be the backbone of an Ottawa team looking to build on last year's success.
How the opener went
Nelson already got his first test of the new workload. Ottawa opened the season on the road in Kingston, where the game went to overtime before Kingston's Alex Misiak scored the winner in a 3-2 result. Nelson stopped 23 of 26 shots he faced in the loss, a solid final line even in a defeat, and a sign that his game has carried over from last season.
What's next for the 67's
Ottawa gets its first look at TD Place this season on Sunday at 3 p.m., when the 67's host the Sarnia Sting for the home opener. It will be the first chance for Ottawa fans to see Nelson, wearing his familiar No. 66, in front of the home crowd as the team's undisputed starter.
For a 67's team hoping to build on last season, how Nelson handles the increased workload without Fetterolf beside him will be one of the storylines to watch through the fall. If his season-opening performance in Kingston is any indication, he's picking up close to where he left off.
Sources: Ottawa Citizen (via Yahoo News Canada), OHL (chl.ca)
