Whalers' Alex Nedeljkovic Named OHL Goaltender and Rookie of the Month

Release from the Ontario Hockey League:

Toronto, Ontario – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the Top OHL Performers of the Month for February, 2013, including Eric Locke of the Saginaw Spirit, defenceman Ryan Sproul of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, and rookie goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic of the Plymouth Whalers.

Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month and OHL Rookie of the Month – Alex Nedeljkovic (Plymouth Whalers):

Alex Nedeljkovic of the Plymouth Whalers earns both OHL Rookie and Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month honours after posting an 8-2-0-0 record including one shutout victory.  His eight wins were a league-high while also leading all netminders with a league-low goals-against-average of 1.79 and league-high save percentage of .942 in February.  He won seven straight games last month ending his streak with his second career shutout on February 23 with 20 saves as second star of a 4-0 win over the Sarnia Sting.  Nedeljkovic also claimed first star honours twice last month including February 15 when he stopped a career-high 52 shots as part of a 3-2 shootout victory on the road against the Kitchener Rangers. 

Nedeljkovic, a 17-year-old from Parma, Ohio, was a sixth round pick of the Whalers in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection.  Eligible for the 2014 NHL Draft, Nedeljkovic has an overall record of 17-2-1-1 with a goals-against-average of 2.11 and save percentage of .928 in 24 appearances this season.

Nedeljkovic was interviewed by InGoal Magazine after being named Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week:

~ So how did the last week feel, was there anything different, anything that let you know you’d be so locked in?

Nedeljkovic: “Last week wasn’t a normal week. We were actually kind of kicked out, for lack of a better word, from our normal rink because there was national figure skating going on, so we practiced in another local rink and it was kind of like midget hockey again, taking your stuff home from the rink with you. The coach told me Wednesday that I would be playing Thursday night in Niagara, and that got me in the zone and I started to prepare myself the day before the game, like always, and when we left Thursday mognring the bus ride all the way up to Niagara was all serious, all business, everything was in the zone.”

See the rest of the story.

OHL Player of the Month – Eric Locke (Saginaw Spirit):

Eric Locke of the Saginaw Spirit is the OHL’s Player of the Month after scoring 10 goals and 16 assists for 26 points in 11 games factoring in on over 60% of the club’s total goals in February.  He also recorded a plus-minus rating of plus-11 and collected a point in all 11 games played including eight multi-point games.  His 11-game point-streak in February was part of a 17-game streak that is currently tied for second longest in the league this season.  Locke was honoured with six three-star selections last month including two as first star highlighted by his five-point performance on February 16 where he matched a season-high scoring three goals and two assists as part of a 7-4 win over the Windsor Spitfires.

Locke, a 19-year-old from Toronto, ON, is playing in his third OHL season.  Originally a 13th round pick of the Spitfires in the 2009 OHL Priority Selection, Locke has achieved career-highs in all offensive categories including 41 goals and 51 assists for 92 points through 62 games this season good for fourth among OHL scoring leaders.

OHL Defenceman of the Month – Ryan Sproul (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds):

Ryan Sproul of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds claims Defenceman of the Month honours for the second time this season after leading all blueliners with 21 points in 11 games including five goals and 16 assists.  He contributed points in nine of his 11 games played including six multi-point performances.  He opened the month of February in style notching his first career five-point game with two goals and three assists claiming first star honours in the 6-5 victory over the Plymouth Whalers.

Sproul, a 20-year-old from Mississauga, ON, is playing in his third career season with the Greyhounds.  Selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round of the 2011 NHL Draft, Sproul currently leads all OHL defencemen in scoring with 64 points including 19 goals and 45 assists despite playing in just 45 games so far this season.

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