Throughout the last decade, the NHL has seen some of its top stars take to the NCAA for their development, and Nashville Predators goalie prospect Jack Ivankovic is making the most of that path.
After a strong season at University of Michigan, posting a .921-save percentage and 2.15-goals-against average, Ivankovic arrived at his second Predators development camp carrying more confidence than he did a year ago.
"I think [I'm] a way better person and goalie [than] last year...going to school and growing my game and just getting a little bit more mature," Ivankovic told local media at dev camp. "I think from working out so much at school, getting more explosive is something I really worked on. I'm not the biggest guy, but I got those other tools that some of the bigger guys don't have, and I continue to kind of put the pieces of my puzzle together and keep working on my game."
Before joining Michigan after the 2025 NHL Draft, where the Predators drafted him in the second round, Ivankovic played two seasons in the OHL. He started in 25 games as the backup goalie for the Mississauga Steelheads in 2023-24 where he recorded a .915 SV% and 2.72 GAA. Following a team relocation to Brampton in the offseason, he took reigns as starting goalie and put up a .903 SV% and 3.05 GAA in 45 games.
The OHL laid the foundation for Ivankovic's career. However, he believes playing in the NCAA is helping him take the next step toward reaching his ultimate goal of playing in the NHL.
"I loved playing in Mississauga and Brampton—those are some of the best years of my life," Ivankovic explained, "but I think it's just that next level, get to the end goal of the NHL. It's definitely grown me as a person and hockey player. Talking to a bunch of other guys from around the different teams, they all say the same thing."
Ivankovic is one of six Predators prospects playing in the NCAA, where dev camp teammates quickly become rivals. As Michigan State forward Ryker Lee and defenseman Tommy Bleyl prepare to face him in the Big Ten Conference, he's eager to keep them off the scoresheet.
"[When asked if Lee will score on him] No, definitely not," Ivankovic said firmly. "Obviously, we do not like the [Michigan State] guys. [They'll] come here, we'll talk, but when once the season starts, it's definitely no talking at all."
Although he'll be trying to keep fellow Predators prospects off the board, Ivankovic won't be the only one in Nashville's pipeline to do so in Ann Arbor. Defenseman Cameron Reid is set to join the Wolverines this fall after helping the Kitchener Rangers capture OHL and Memorial Cup titles.
"He's unbelievable," Ivankovic said about Reid. "I grew up playing with him and against him, so now to get to have him on the team next year is super huge. Unbelievable person, unbelievable player, and getting to school, getting to spend the whole year with them, get to show them around campus a little bit, it's going to be good."
While Ivankovic is anticipating Reid's arrival this season, his first year at Michigan has already helped him build strong relationships with his teammates and roommates. Those bonds have led to new skills off the ice that he believes are just as important to his development as the work he puts in on it.
"I definitely learned how to cook more," he laughed. "Me and my roommates at school every Sunday, we'd cook a nice steak dinner up on the patio. I think just getting on those habits that you got to eat right to be at the next level. Maybe in junior you don't have those no habits, you're still young. But I think as I continue to be with guys that play in the NHL, they all do the right stuff—just getting onto that level and continuing to grow my game."
Joining Nashville for his second dev camp, Ivankovic is extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue training with his childhood club and even having the time to talk with a team legend Pekka Rinne.
"It's awesome being in Nashville...I get a loss of words sometimes for every time I put on that jersey," he said. "I texted Pekka the other day and congratulated him on [getting into] the Hall of Fame. We talked to him the other day here. It's super cool...just seeing the whole goalie department being so close."
It's been a longtime coming for Ivankovic, but he's just glad to be reunited with his fellow prospects and make plenty of memories in the process.
"All the guys here have been kind of looking forward to this day," Ivankovic said. "You get to compete with each other, and being on the winning team is always fun. It's awesome to get to do something like that. We can all chirp each other after, and it's awesome. We work so hard every day, and you know... you still work so hard playing three on three, but you get to have those game habits and get into kind of the game scenario and compete against each other."
"I'm just you know super grateful to get to be on the ice with them and compete with them as we're trying to make each other better. We're all in this development camp for a reason, to try to build the Preds organization. Hopefully we're all playing together in the next couple years."
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