Matthew Minchak, a 19-year-old goaltender from Cranford, New Jersey, was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the sixth round, 191st overall, in the 2026 NHL Draft, capping a remarkable one-year rise from unsigned free agent to NHL draft pick. The 6-foot-5, 194-pound netminder wasn’t even drafted into the OHL — the Kingston Frontenacs signed him as a free agent out of the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 18U program in the summer of 2025.
Minchak only fell into goaltending because he didn’t think he was a good enough skater to play forward, and his first coach has joked that he looked awkward and lanky in net early on. One season later, he’d earned a share of Kingston’s crease, posted the second-best save percentage in the entire OHL, and been selected for the OHL Top Prospects Game. NHL Central Scouting ranked him 15th among North American goaltenders, and Vegas’s amateur scouting staff praised his size and tools as worth a sixth-round bet. He’s committed to play college hockey at Colgate.
Minchak played his draft season with Kingston, going 12-12-3 with a 2.91 GAA, a .910 save percentage, and one shutout across 30 games, continuing his development as one of the more surprising rise stories among goaltenders in this draft class.
Stats and info via InGoal Magazine and other media reporting
Frequently Asked Questions
What team drafted Matthew Minchak? Matthew Minchak was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the sixth round, 191st overall, in the 2026 NHL Draft.
What team did Matthew Minchak play for before the draft? He played for the Kingston Frontenacs in the OHL, after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2025.
What makes Matthew Minchak’s path notable? He went undrafted into the OHL, signed as a free agent, and one season later posted the second-best save percentage in the entire league and earned an OHL Top Prospects Game selection.
What’s Matthew Minchak’s playing style? Scouts describe him as a big, composed goaltender who fills the net well with his frame and rarely gets beaten by clean shots, with room to keep developing.
How tall is Matthew Minchak? He stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 194 pounds, making him one of the biggest goaltenders in the 2026 draft class.
