Jackson Parsons of the Kitchener Rangers named CHL Goaltender of the Year
Jackson Parsons is the first Kitchener Ranger in franchise history to be named the Canadian Hockey League's Goaltender of the Year.
The announcement was made Friday at a ceremony in Toronto.
'Parsons was the backbone of a Rangers squad that notched its fourth 100-point season in franchise history in 2024–25, leading the CHL with 37 wins and setting a new Rangers single-season record with a 2.24 goals-against average,' the CHL said in a media release. 'He also tied for second in the OHL with a .920 save percentage.'
Jackson Parsons Kitchener Ranger CHL goaltender
Jackson Parsons of the Kitchener Rangers, accepts the trophy for CHL Goaltender of the Year on June 13, 2025. (Courtesy: Josh Mailloux/CHL)
On top of that, the 20-year-old led the league with five shutouts. Parsons had nine in total throughout his OHL career, just one shy of the franchise record.
In addition to CHL Goaltender of the Year, he was also named OHL Goaltender of the Year and OHL Overage Player of the Year. Parsons was the first Ranger to receive that honour in 34 years and was only the third goaltender to ever be named the recipient.
jackson parsons kitchener rangers hockey ohl chl
Kitchener Rangers goaltender Jackson Parsons. (Courtesy: Dan Hamilton/Kitchener Rangers)
His journey on the ice, however, was not always smooth.
Parsons was picked by Kitchener in the third round of the 2020 OHL draft and, after playing 22 games, he took over as the team's number one netminder. But just five games later, he had a 'season-ending' shoulder surgery. He was enrolled at the University of Waterloo and his social sciences classes kept him busy through rehabilitation.
'It goes to show that hard work pays off,' Parsons said in an interview with the OHL. 'As much as there were dark times in that season and, you know, it's tough when you're 16-years-old and in the OHL. It's the best junior league in the world. It's a credit to the hard work that I put in the off-season, in-season, coming back from shoulder surgery.'
Jackson Parsons Kitchener Ranger CHL goaltender
Jackson Parsons of the Kitchener Rangers, accepts the trophy for CHL Goaltender of the Year on June 13, 2025. (Courtesy: Josh Mailloux/CHL)
The 2024-2025 season was his fourth and final one with the Rangers.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recently made a rule change making CHL players eligible for NCAA Division I hockey programs. The next day, Parsons announced he had committed to Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York and would play for their Golden Knight's men's hockey team.
'I'm super pumped,' he said. 'It's going to be awesome. It's going to be nice to be closer to home, I'm from Embrun, so it's about an hour and a half drive. My parents are going to be able to come out for a few more games, which they're looking forward to.'
He will, however, always be a Ranger for life.
'I will be back,' Parsons promised.
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