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Canada’s World Juniors teams have always been led by top NHL prospects. The 2023 squad was no different, with elite players like Connor Bedard, Shane Wright, Dylan Guenther and Logan Stankoven starring for Canada at the tournament.
But the backbone of the 2023 gold-medal winning club was undrafted goaltender Thomas Milic.
The goalie from the WHL was stellar for Canada, helping lead the team to its second consecutive title at the World Juniors. He posted a 43-save performance in the team’s semifinal win over the USA before making 24 saves in the championship game against Czechia.
“This is what I’ve dreamed for my entire career, and I’m just so happy I got to do it with this special group right here”
Thomas Milic on winning gold. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/aByeVeTLGz
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 6, 2023
Thomas Milic cements himself in World Junior history alongside some legendary Canadian goalies! 🧱#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/vOqyfEVxJq
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 6, 2023
Milic was not Canada’s supposed first option in net. Head coach Dennis Williams went with Benjamin Gaudreau in the team’s opener in Canada, but the Sharks prospect was pulled in the second after surrendering five goals to Czechia. After that, Milic played in all but one contest for Canada.
The 19-year-old ended his tournament with a 1.76 GAA and a .932 SV%, marks that finished third and fourth, respectively, out of all goalies at the tournament. While he was not selected by the IIHF for the Best Goaltender Award, or by the media for the goaltender All-Star spot, the Canadian team and fans know Milic was instrumental in winning gold.
MORE: Team Canada schedule, scores, roster at 2023 World Juniors
Thomas Milic scouting report
Milic is a tad undersized for goaltenders. He is listed at 6-0, 174 lbs, putting him on the smaller size in this age of goaltending.
What Milic does have is impressive speed and footwork. He has flashed his ability to move horizontally quite well across the crease to make saves, which speaks to his athletic ability. However, he is not overly aggressive, constantly staying in position to quickly recover if need be.
Milic also handles pressure extremely well. It was evident during his WHL playoff run in 2022 and has been at the forefront of his 2023 World Juniors performance. The mental game is a big part for goaltenders and Milic has shown time and again he can answer the bell when the moments get larger.
This is what FC Hockey’s Donesh Mazloum had to say about Milic in June of 2022.
When all cylinders are firing — this game, his combination of focus, play-reading ability, and competitive fire — he is borderline unbeatable. The ease with which he was reading the play and arriving square to the puck before a shot was made was noticeably frustrating the opposition…The strengths of Milic’s game are in his mental processing, predictive skill, steadiness of thought, and compete level. These more intangible facets are harder to hang your hat on and take a swing on as a draft pick. Having seen him consistently outperform more hyped and prototypical goaltending prospects since he was 14-years-old, I think I lean to Milic being one of the exceptions to the rule
What team does Thomas Milic play for?
Milic is the goaltender for the Seattle Thunderbirds, which is part of the WHL.
He is in his fourth season with the team after he was drafted by Seattle in the third round of the 2018 WHL Draft. The 19-year-old took over as the team’s starter last season and has held that role through this year.
What NHL team drafted Thomas Milic?
Despite being eligible for the last two drafts, Milic was not drafted by an NHL team.
While it was not a shock to see the goaltender passed over in the 2021 draft, it was a bit surprising to see no one take a flier on him in 2022. Milic was coming off a sensational run in the WHL playoffs with the Thunderbirds and had raised his draft stock immensely from the year prior.
Is Thomas Milic eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft?
Milic will turn 20 years old in April of 2023. Therefore, he is not eligible for the 2023 draft, as all North American players must be under 20 years old by December of the draft year in order to be selected at the draft.
However, he is considered an undrafted free agent, so any NHL team can sign him to a contract at any point.
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