Thomas Milic is as focused as ever heading into 2023 NHL Draft

Credit: Candice Ward/CHL

January 5, 2023. A day Thomas Milic will never forget.

A packed house full of Canadian fans. A small enough arena to hear every sound at all times. A superstar prospect leading the way up front against an underdog team looking to make history in Halifax.

Big saves were being made by a pair of undrafted goaltenders at each end. At one point, it looked over, with Canada having a 2-0 lead with eight minutes to go. The Czechs bounced back to force overtime, only for Dylan Guenther to use the momentum of some big saves by Milic to score at the other end, winning gold for the second consecutive year.

And then the crowd erupted to deafening screams, something none of the teenagers on the ice had ever experienced before.

“It’s still something I think about every once in a while,” Milic said. “It gives me chills.”

Representing your country at an event like the world juniors is always special, but there’s something magical about being in the crease for a gold medal. In Canada, you instantly join hallowed ground. When Canadian hockey fans look back at the tournament, they’ll often point back to the goaltender that year. And in this case, it was a guy with an unlikely path to the starter’s gig: a twice undrafted, undersized goaltender.

That big stage set Milic up for the biggest one in Canadian junior hockey, the Memorial Cup in Kamloops. Milic has led the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 2-1-0 record through three games, with a spot in the final on the line Friday night with a game against a Peterborough Petes team that had to claw their way back into contention after a slow start to the tournament. There’s a very legitimate chance Milic’s junior hockey career ends on a sour note tonight; it just as likely could result in capping off an incredible season in style.

At the very least, Friday’s game is one of the most important games of Milic’s career. That’s been a consistent theme this year, so he’s prepared. He understands pressure.

Milic has been one of the best goaltenders in the CHL this year, posting a 43-6-1 record between the WHL regular season and playoffs. He also had a 5-0-0 run with a .932 save percentage at the world juniors and has been lights out again with a .923 save percentage at the Memorial Cup. The CHL has never really been too kind to goaltenders, but Milic has been dominant this year.

That’s why he took home the Del Wilson Trophy as the league’s top goaltender, and also won the playoff MVP title after taking the Thunderbirds the distance. It wasn’t easy for him to earn ice time. Milic shared the net with Scott Retzlaff, a highly rated prospect for the draft this year, as well. But Milic’s play stood out, and despite playing just half a season, there was no better goalie out west this year.

Milic stands at just 6-foot-0, which is undersized by NHL standards. That seems to be the magic size to win the WHL’s top goalie honors, though. Dustin Wolf, perhaps the top goaltending prospect in the game right now, won it in 2020 and 2021. Dylan Garand, Canada’s starter at the 2022 world juniors, won it last year. Both are the same height as Milic, and neither have let that slow them down.

But it’s a concern to some scouts, especially with some much bigger goalies in the draft this year. So for Milic, it’s all about making up for it in other ways. After going undrafted in 2021 and 2022, he’s feeling as good about his game as ever before.

“I’m pretty confident in my game, especially leading into the playoffs and coming up here,” Milic said. “I feel like I’ve been getting better every game.”

Milic said he’s been so relaxed and focused this year, allowing him to thrive under pressure. He said his containment in the crease and his confidence are two things that improved this season, and that he’s learning to trust his skating – something he considers to be a strong suit of his game.

“I think a lot of (my success this year) was just really dialing in mentally,” Milic said. “That’s something that I’ve always taken pride in, my preparation. But this year, I’ve really taken it a step further before games, making sure I’m ultra-focused and coming into each game like it’s most important game I’ve ever played.”

Scouts have taken notice this year, with Milic finally looking to get selected after being initially eligible in 2021.

“Even compared to the start of the season, Milic looks ready for every game and never lets a bad goal let him down,” a western scout said. “He believes in himself. That goes a long way.”

Off the ice, he still likes to relax. With a lot of downtime in Kamloops, Milic walked over to a local Long and Mcquade’s music store to rent an acoustic guitar to keep him occupied. But he’s still staying focused on the task at hand, knowing that it can all be over quickly. And with so much uncertainty surrounding his future at the NHL Draft, he’s taking it all in stride.

And Milic hopes he’s done enough to let his CV do the talking.

“Of course, the draft has always been in the back of my mind,” Milic said. “So, I think it’s just about proving people wrong and proving that I can dominate at every level.”

So far, so good.

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*Special shoutout to Colton Davies for helping with this story, live on location in Kamloops.