With his 3-0 shutout win on Sunday afternoon against the Mississauga Steelheads, Oakville’s Matteo Drobac has moved into first in all-time wins for the Brantford Bulldogs.
The shutout also was Drobac’s 56th as a member of the Bulldogs which also set a franchise record. Drobac started the game off strong with eight saves in the first period, another nine saves in the second, and another nine in the third.
He was named the game's first star and accomplished this record in the arena closest to his hometown. But this record is just one of many great moments that Drobac has had in the Bulldogs organization.
Drobac was drafted by the Bulldogs in the sixth round of the OHL priority selection in 2019 after his final season of minor hockey with the Halton Hurricanes and began his junior hockey journey.
With the Bulldogs being set between the pipes, Matteo played a season in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) with the Hamilton Kilty B’s. He played in 22 games and had a record of 12-8-1 with a save percentage of .923.
Drobac’s performance caught the eyes of Bulldogs coaches and he was called up for two OHL games that season.
The next year was the 2020-21 season which was cancelled due to COVID-19.
But the next season after a year off of playing, Drobac was in a tandem situation with Marco Costantini and in 23 games Drobac put together an incredible 19-2-1 record with a save percentage of .905.
Along with the personal successes, Drobac and the Hamilton Bulldogs went on to win the OHL championship and were the runner-ups to the Memorial Cup.
Last season, Drobac became the team's definitive starting goalie with fellow Oakville goaltender Tristan Malboeuf as his backup.
Drobac and the Bulldogs went to the playoffs but unfortunately lost to the Barrie Colts in six games.
This season will be Drobac’s final season in the OHL and will hope to lead the Bulldogs to another OHL championship.