Some dedicated North Bay Centennials fans may have remembered the name Bujar Amidovski.
He was an all-star goaltender with the Kingston Frontenacs and even played in the 1998 Bell OHL-All Star game which took place in Memorial Gardens.
Fast forward to 2024 and now those Cents faithful along with North Bay Battalion fans are taking in the talents of one of his sons, Lirim Amidovski.
Lirim Amidovski was a huge scorer in minor hockey. The 9th round selection of the Battalion in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection netted 38 goals and 25 assists for 83 points for the Toronto U18 AAA Jr. Canadiens in 2022-23.
However, as with many young hockey players in their development, that scoring didn't translate immediately when he made the jump to the Ontario Hockey League last season where he had three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 57 games in 2023-24.
"Going from minor hockey to juniors is a lot different; playing with and against players of different ages, and obviously playing a lot less. I think I just tried to play my role," said Amidovski, who turns 18 on Dec. 22.
Goalie Dad
Lirim Amidovski and his brother Nathan, a rookie with the Ottawa 67's both have tried to benefit from having a former OHL goaltender as a father.
Bujar Amidovski, who is now a professional goaltending coach has helped his boys through the art of reverse engineering. While he gets paid to help teach goaltenders how to stop the puck; dad Bujar has tried to use his knowledge to help his sons learn to beat goalies.
"He played a high level of the game, so he taught us a lot," Lirim said about his dad.
"Obviously, being a goalie, he knows how to get scored on. So he definitely taught us how to score and little tricks to open the net up on the goalie. So yeah, he definitely taught us a lot about the game."
NHL Draft Prospect
While Amidovski did not put up lofty numbers in his rookie season in the OHL, NHL scouts did take notice of his talents and in the NHL Central Scouting preliminary players to watch list, he was a "W" rating or considered to go in the 6th to 7th round of the 2025 NHL entry draft.
Getting on that list was a good confidence builder to start the new season.
"I definitely see it as a confidence booster seeing yourself on a list like that," he said.
"So yeah definitely build my confidence a little more there. So I usually don't really put too much thought into those rankings, but it did still build my confidence a little bit."
Game Breaker
Ryan Oulahen, Battalion head coach, is glad to see the improvements in Amidovski's game this season.
“We’re seeing that game-breaker capability, I think, with him,” Oulahen noted of Amidovski, who has 10 goals and five assists for 15 points in 28 games in his second season.
“He’s scored at high levels all the way through his minor hockey and now he’s got that confidence. Last game, I couldn’t get him on the ice enough. He was just going. His engine’s unbelievable. He plays heavy and hard, and then he’s got a great shot and great release, so looking for more of it, for sure.”
Oulahen admits through coaching, Amidovski is understanding his potential.
"It's a coaching thing that we have been working with him, the evolution of the age where you are at, he is realizing now that he can beat defencemen wide and as he is going to be even older in this league he is going to be able to do it more and more," explained Oulahen.
Amidovski admits he is feeling that confidence more and more playing with the likes of Ryder Carey and Reyth Smith.
Obviously with more opportunity, you just get used to having the puck more and making more plays," he said.
"So just building my confidence from the start of the season, obviously being on the ice more and, yeah, just having the puck more builds my confidence."
