photo: Matt Zambonin/IIHF
Team Canada has registered only two goalies so far for the 2026 World Championship. One is Cam Talbot, a 38-year-old who starred in 2016 by winning seven of eight games in leading Canada to gold. The other is Jet Greaves, a 25-year-old who has no international experience and was never drafted, but who was the number-one goalie for the Columbus Blue Jackets this past season by sheer will and determination.
Yet it was Greaves who was named starter for Canada’s first game, a tough opener against Sweden. “I found out a couple of days ago,” Greaves said about the opportunity. “It was super exciting for me.”
He rose to the occasion. Although he allowed two goals under the glove, Canada rallied in the third and he stopped 22 of 25 shots for the victory, many of whixch were Grade A scoring chances.
Part of the nod in game one came from Greaves’s solid play in an exhibition game last week against France; part from the fast that he played his way into the net in Columbus, taking away starter’s duty from Latvian Elvis Merzlikins. Greaves had a 26-19-9 record in 55 games with the Blue Jackets.
It’s all so improbable. He played two seasons in the OHL with Barrie, but when Covid hit, he took the 2020-21 season off. A year later, he played in Kalamazoo in the ECHL and moved up to Cleveland, the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate. Over the course of the next four years, he played mostly with the Monsters, but he was called up to make his NHL debut on April 4, 2023, against his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. He was the star of the show in a 4-2 loss, stopping 46 of 49 shots.
The next year, he played in nine games and a year later, eleven, but this year his 55 games tied for ninth-most in the NHL. Not a bad trajectory.
“I think it helps getting more experience,” he suggested. “I think you get more comfortable in different situations. I’m grateful to get the opportunity to play a lot of games this season. I feel like each game I learn so much. It’s just so fun to be a part of those experiences.”
Today, he’s representing his country for the first time, and in front of him are Sidney Crosby, Ryan O’Reilly, Macklin Celebrini, and Mark Scheifele. Not too shabby at all.
“I don’t think about that so much,” the humble goalie commented. “For me, it’s taking it day by day, whatever the situation is. We’ve got great players, great goalies, so whatever my role is, I’m glad to be a part of it and try to help the team.”
Greaves wears number 73, an odd number, to be sure. He has been a fan of Andrei Vasilevskiy, who wears 72, and thought an odd number would be cool. Indeed, he is one of only two goalies ever to wear the number (Kasimir Kaskisuo).
Greaves is 6’ tall. That’s pretty decent in the regular world, but scouts, GMs, and coaches will tell you that’s under-sized in today’s NHL. Greaves makes up for that perceived lack of size in other ways.
“I try to read the play as well as I can, see the ice and put myself in a good position where I can make the game simple,” he explained. “At the end of the day, you have to be able to read the play and move well in the crease, so that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Perhaps no one is hockey uses the word “grateful” more than Greaves. He knows where he came from, and he knows to cherish every moment because you never know which might be the last.
“You never really know, true, but I’m super grateful,” he said. “This is where God brought me, and I’m super grateful to be here right now with this group and competing. I’ve had a lot of good people around me and giving me their support. Just having that process, I think, has kept me in the present every day. I’m super grateful to be where I am now.”
Yet it was Greaves who was named starter for Canada’s first game, a tough opener against Sweden. “I found out a couple of days ago,” Greaves said about the opportunity. “It was super exciting for me.”
He rose to the occasion. Although he allowed two goals under the glove, Canada rallied in the third and he stopped 22 of 25 shots for the victory, many of whixch were Grade A scoring chances.
Part of the nod in game one came from Greaves’s solid play in an exhibition game last week against France; part from the fast that he played his way into the net in Columbus, taking away starter’s duty from Latvian Elvis Merzlikins. Greaves had a 26-19-9 record in 55 games with the Blue Jackets.
It’s all so improbable. He played two seasons in the OHL with Barrie, but when Covid hit, he took the 2020-21 season off. A year later, he played in Kalamazoo in the ECHL and moved up to Cleveland, the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate. Over the course of the next four years, he played mostly with the Monsters, but he was called up to make his NHL debut on April 4, 2023, against his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. He was the star of the show in a 4-2 loss, stopping 46 of 49 shots.
The next year, he played in nine games and a year later, eleven, but this year his 55 games tied for ninth-most in the NHL. Not a bad trajectory.
“I think it helps getting more experience,” he suggested. “I think you get more comfortable in different situations. I’m grateful to get the opportunity to play a lot of games this season. I feel like each game I learn so much. It’s just so fun to be a part of those experiences.”
Today, he’s representing his country for the first time, and in front of him are Sidney Crosby, Ryan O’Reilly, Macklin Celebrini, and Mark Scheifele. Not too shabby at all.
“I don’t think about that so much,” the humble goalie commented. “For me, it’s taking it day by day, whatever the situation is. We’ve got great players, great goalies, so whatever my role is, I’m glad to be a part of it and try to help the team.”
Greaves wears number 73, an odd number, to be sure. He has been a fan of Andrei Vasilevskiy, who wears 72, and thought an odd number would be cool. Indeed, he is one of only two goalies ever to wear the number (Kasimir Kaskisuo).
Greaves is 6’ tall. That’s pretty decent in the regular world, but scouts, GMs, and coaches will tell you that’s under-sized in today’s NHL. Greaves makes up for that perceived lack of size in other ways.
“I try to read the play as well as I can, see the ice and put myself in a good position where I can make the game simple,” he explained. “At the end of the day, you have to be able to read the play and move well in the crease, so that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Perhaps no one is hockey uses the word “grateful” more than Greaves. He knows where he came from, and he knows to cherish every moment because you never know which might be the last.
“You never really know, true, but I’m super grateful,” he said. “This is where God brought me, and I’m super grateful to be here right now with this group and competing. I’ve had a lot of good people around me and giving me their support. Just having that process, I think, has kept me in the present every day. I’m super grateful to be where I am now.”