Cambridge goalie hopes to take flight in OHL
Jet Greaves signs on to play with Barrie Colts
CAMBRIDGE — Calvin Jet Greaves is ready to take off in the OHL after signing a standard player agreement with the Barrie Colts on Monday.
“I’ve been talking with them throughout the summer, and it’s exciting to just see it happen,” he said.
Greaves was Barrie’s third round pick in the 2017 OHL draft but spent this past season tending net for the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Guelph Hurricanes.
The one-time St. Benedict Catholic secondary school student posted a record of 10-23 with four shutouts and a 3.46 goalsagainst average for the Midwestern Conference’s last-place club.
“It was huge for me,” said Greaves. “It was great to get some real game experience and play against older players. I think it’s going to be a challenge going to the OHL. But I think I’m ready for it and I’ll try to learn as much as I can as I go.”
Barrie has a rich history of raiding Waterloo Region for talent. NHL mainstays such as Kitchener’s Mark Scheifele and Tanner Pearson and Cambridge’s Bryan Little all did tours at the Molson Centre.
Meanwhile, current locals Zachary Magwood (Cambridge), Jason Willms (Kitchener), Luke Bignell (Kitchener) and Nathan Allensen (Waterloo) are all eligible to return this season.
“It’s really cool to carry that tradition on,” said Greaves. “It’s nice that there will be some familiar faces when I go there.” Barrie’s crease is up for grabs. Starter Leo Lazarev — a former Waterloo Siskin — has graduated from the league and joined the East Coast Hockey League’s Brampton Beast.
That leaves sophomore Kai Edmonds as the lone returning netminder. Russian goalie Maksim Zhukov is also in the mix but has yet to commit to the club.
“Nothing is certain right now,” said Greaves. “Hopefully, I’ll have a good camp and just try to earn my starts.”
Greaves started as a defenceman but switched to goalie when he was seven years old.
“I went to try out in Cambridge and I was the only goalie there,” he said. “I got pretty lucky.”
The six-foot, 175-pound backstopper brings a simple approach to the cage but says he’s capable of making the big save. He admires Montreal Canadiens starter Carey Price for his skill on the ice and his humility off of it.
As for his name? Well, it’s a popular topic. “People ask me about it a lot,” said Greaves.
Calvin is his given name and Jet is his middle name. Family and friends use the latter.
“I think it’s after Jet Li,” he said. “My dad is into martial arts.”
jbrown@therecord.com Twitter: @BrownRecord