Ivankovic Ecstatic to Join Childhood Idols Rinne, Saros as Preds Select Goaltender in Second Round of 2025 NHL Draft

Back in 2017, a young Jack Ivankovic was in Nashville for the Stanley Cup Final, sporting his Gold and cheering on his idol, Pekka Rinne, and the Predators.

Less than a decade later, Ivankovic slipped on a Preds jersey once more - this time after being drafted by his favorite team.

Nashville selected the goaltender with the 55th overall pick in Round 2 of the 2025 NHL Draft on Saturday in Los Angeles, a dream come true for the Mississauga, Ont., native.

“I feel unbelievable,” Ivankovic said. “I grew up watching the Preds, Pekka Rinne, obviously, and [Juuse] Saros is a guy I look up to, so it's pretty cool getting drafted by such a great organization.”

Ivankovic, who says he attended a game in Nashville during the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, received a text from Rinne just minutes after becoming a member of the same organization.

“I can’t believe that,” Ivankovic said as he smiled at his phone.

But sometimes dreams do come true, and Ivankovic more than earned the selection from Nashville.

The 6-foot, 18-year-old puck stopper posted a 25-12-5 record with the Brampton Steelheads this past season and ranked in the top 10 among all OHL goaltenders in wins (9th), goals against average (3.05; 8th) and save percentage (.903; t-9th).

Internationally, Ivankovic earned Gold with Canada at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the 2025 Under-18 World Championship, where he concluded the tournament as the best goaltender after having the top save percentage (.961) and goals against average (1.05). He also won Gold at the 2024 Under-18 World Championship and 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, where he posted the best save percentage among all netminders in the tournament (.923).

Committed to the University of Michigan, Ivankovic says he was hoping to be drafted by Nashville and can’t wait to show Preds fans what he’s capable of between the pipes.

Plus, he says fellow Preds draftee, fifth overall selection Brady Martin, is one of his best friends. Perhaps that friendship will be further solidified one day with a certain trophy in Tennessee.

“I love to win,” Ivankovic said. “I think the biggest thing in hockey is to win. And I think I’m definitely going to help bring a Stanley Cup to Nashville.”