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2025 NHL Draft: Flyers Reportedly High on Underdog WHL Goalie

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(Header/feature image courtesy of David Reginek-Imagn Images)

In the whirlwind of the NHL draft process, some stories rise above the rest—and Joshua Ravensbergen’s is quickly shaping up to be one of the best.

The 18‑year‑old netminder for the Prince George Cougars has gone from being overlooked in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft to putting himself firmly on the radar for NHL teams, including the Philadelphia Flyers, who reportedly have significant interest in making him their pick.

Ravensbergen’s path to this point is a testament to his resilience, and an almost stubborn belief in himself. Not selected in the WHL Bantam Draft, he refused to let that stop him from continuing to pursue hockey.

“I didn’t give up on my dream. I just kept working and waited for my shot,” Ravensbergen told RG.

And that’s exactly what he did. After bouncing around to different teams' camps, a fateful invite to the Cougars’ preseason roster became an opportunity he refused to waste, and by the end of the season he had worked his way into the starting role.

That rise didn’t happen by accident. It came from countless hours of fine‑tuning his craft and making himself a more composed, calculated presence in the crease.

“I worked a lot on calming down my game this year and making sure I wasn’t too aggressive,” Ravensbergen said. “I used to challenge guys a lot and chase the play, and now I let the play come to me and attack what’s in front of me.”

That shift in approach has made a world of difference. Ravensbergen has evolved from a raw, energetic prospect into a poised, technically sound goaltender with an advanced understanding of angles and positioning.

You can trace the threads of his influences in the way he plays. He cited Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger as inspiration, along with former Boston Bruins backstop Tuukka Rask. Growing up a Bruins fan, he also "loved Brad Marchand because he was relentless."

The results speak for themselves. This past season with Prince George, Ravensbergen established himself as one of the WHL’s best young goalies, using that improved approach and tireless mentality to prove that teams made quite the mistake not taking him in the WHL draft. What he lacks in early draft hype, he makes up for with consistency, resilience, and a rising ceiling that has a lot of teams doing a double‑take.

(Not to mention, on the human side, in 2019, Ravensbergen and some of his friends helped save a child that was dangling from a chairlift on Grouse Mountain in Vancouver.)

Which brings us to the Flyers. According to reports, Philadelphia have the 6-foot-5 goalie on their draft list, and for good reason. The Flyers are in an intriguing position when it comes to the crease — long‑term questions remain, and the organization has shown a willingness to invest in goaltending when the right talent presents itself. Ravensbergen, potentially available late in the first round or early in the second, could fit the bill.

With the Flyers holding seven picks in the first 48 selections of this year’s draft, this is an ideal moment to deepen their goaltending pipeline. Ravensbergen may not be the biggest name, but he’s earned every chance that’s come his way and has a lot of the tools that translate well at the pro level. His calm demeanor, sharp positional play, and internal drive are the bedrock of a goalie that can rise to the challenge when the lights get brighter and the pressure intensifies.

If the Flyers do call his name, it wouldn’t just be a bet on a player — it would be a bet on a mindset. The kind of mindset that refused to be defined by an early setback. The kind that turns doubt into fuel and quietly reshapes the story that people tell about you. Joshua Ravensbergen has been doing that every step of the way.

With the draft approaching and teams locking in their lists, one thing is certain: Joshua Ravensbergen is no longer just a hopeful invitee. He’s a legitimate target for a franchise like the Flyers, one that has an eye for character, resilience, and raw potential.

In a league where goaltending can make or break a team, Ravensbergen could be one of the best long‑term investments available — and the Flyers appear ready to find out just how far this underdog can rise.

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