As a former Memorial Cup winning goaltender, Adam Dennis is definitely proud of the progress of his goaltenders this season.
A reflection of that came from the OHL head office this week as Battalion goalie Charlie Robertson was named the OHL rookie of the month for March while Battalion workhorse starter Dom DiVincentiis was once again named the OHL goalie of the month.
“Dom and Charlie have really given our group a lot of confidence heading into the playoffs and it is great to see them recognized," said Dennis, the hard working Battalion general manager.
"Dom has been such a steadying force for us all year but he has also been a great mentor for Charlie.
"Charlie has done everything you can ask from a young goalie. He works hard in practice and soaks up everything he can. He has tremendous potential and this last weekend was a sneak peak into what he could do in the future."
Dennis also gives credit to his goalie coach for his successful Battalion tandem.
"It is important to mention our goalie coach, Mavric Parks who has been there for the guys all year and a great influence on both,” he added.
DiVincentiis, a prospect of the Winnipeg Jetts is the OHL Goaltender of the Month for the second time this season, playing to a 6-0-0-0 record with a 1.00 goals-against average, a .968 save percentage and three shutout victories. DiVincentiis made 181 saves last month, winning all six of his outings for the back-to-back Central Division champions. He stopped all 46 shots that came his way on Mar. 3rd as the Battalion blanked the Mississauga Steelheads 3-0. He turned aside the 27 shots he faced the following week at home as the Battalion defeated the London Knights by a score of 4-0 on Mar. 12th. He closed out March with his third shutout of the month and his fifth of the season, blocking all 15 shots he faced as North Bay blanked the Hamilton Bulldogs 4-0 on Mar. 23rd.
An 18-year-old Bolton, Ont. native, DiVincentiis led the OHL’s regular season with 36 wins, a 2.33 goals-against average and .919 save percentage over 48 games, all figures that establish new Battalion single season records. His five shutouts were tied for the OHL lead and equal a Battalion club mark. Helping backstop the Battalion to the Eastern Conference Championship Series last season, the 6-foot-2, 190lb. goaltender has played to a career mark of 50-17-2-1 with a 2.42 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 75 regular season games with North Bay. He was the OHL’s F.W. ‘Dinty’ Moore Trophy winner in 2021-22, posting a 2.59 goals-against average while also being voted to the League’s second all-rookie team. DiVincentiis was selected by the Winnipeg Jets in the seventh round (207th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft. He was originally North Bay’s sixth round (116th overall) pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection from the Vaughan Kings U16 program.
Meantime Robertson, who is eligible for the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, is the OHL Rookie of the Month for March, playing to a 5-0-0-0 record with a 1.79 goals-against average and .942 save percentage with two shutouts. Robertson made 145 saves in March, winning all five of his outings to help the Battalion clinch a second-straight Central Division title. He stopped all 20 shots that came his way on Mar. 5th to earn his second OHL career shutout as the Battalion blanked the Niagara IceDogs 4-0. He returned to the crease on Mar. 10th, turning aside all 28 shots in a 3-0 win over the Oshawa Generals to earn his second consecutive shutout. Robertson closed out March with a 5-2 win over the Mississauga Steelheads on Mar. 26th, making 44 saves to earn first star recognition. Robertson is North Bay’s first OHL Rookie of the Month recipient since defenceman Cam Dineen, who last claimed the honour in January 2016.
A 17-year-old from London, Ont., Robertson finished the season with a 12-6-0-1 record, a 3.17 goals-against average, .892 save percentage and three shutouts in his 21 games. The 6-foot-3, 167Ib. netminder was North Bay’s seventh round (130th overall) pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection from the London Jr. Knights U16 program. He competed in the 2023 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, and was the OHL’s top-ranked goaltender on NHL Central Scouting’s Midseason Rankings, coming in at 12th in North America.
