Jackson Parsons Awarded Jim Rutherford Trophy as OHL Goaltender of the Year

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OHL Kitchener Rangers

Jackson Parsons Awarded Jim Rutherford Trophy as OHL Goaltender of the Year

April 29, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kitchener Rangers News Release


Kitchener, ON - The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Jackson Parsons of the Kitchener Rangers is this year's recipient of the Jim Rutherford Trophy, presented annually to the OHL Goaltender of the Year as voted by the League's General Managers.

Parsons was the backbone of a Rangers team that secured its fourth 100-point season in franchise history in 2024-25, earning a league-leading 37 victories while establishing a new Rangers single season record with a 2.24 goals-against average.

"I am incredibly honoured to be the recipient of the Jim Rutherford Trophy as Goaltender of the Year," said Parsons. "I'd like to thank my goalie coach Jordan DeKort, my incredible teammates and coaches, my family, billets, Ranger Nation and everyone who has supported me. I am so fortunate to have played my entire OHL career with the Kitchener Rangers and my memories of it, and the incredible fan base will stay with me forever."

Completing his fourth season with the Rangers, Parsons led the OHL with five shutouts, ending his time in Ranger blue with a career total of nine, one shy of a franchise record. He was the OHL's Goaltender of the Month for November and earned Goaltender of the Week honours four different times during the regular season.

"Jackson has had a great season and is so deserving of this award," said Rangers General Manager Mike McKenzie. "He has been the backbone of our team all year. It has been great to see his growth and development on and off the ice throughout his Rangers career. We will miss him but are happy to see him get this recognition in his last Ranger season."

Selected by Kitchener in the third round (53rd overall) of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection from the Cornwall Colts U18 AAA program, Parsons rounded-out his regular season career with a record of 74-44-7-0 with a 2.88 goals-against average and .904 save percentage over 130 games. He demonstrated resilience throughout his OHL tenure, rebounding from a shoulder injury that derailed most of his 2022-23 season, limiting him to just five games. Parsons is committed to play NCAA Division I men's hockey at Clarkson University for 2025-26.

Parsons is the first Rangers netminder to win OHL Goaltender of the Year honours in 34 years, following Mike Torchia in 1991. He's just the third Kitchener goaltender to receive the honour, with the other being Gus Morschauser in 1989.

Announced in August 2019, the Jim Rutherford Trophy is presented by the League in honour of former OHL goaltender, General Manager, Chairman of the Board and two-time Executive of the Year Jim Rutherford. The current President of Hockey Operations of the Vancouver Canucks, Rutherford played 13 seasons as an NHL netminder and was the architect behind Stanley Cup championships for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November 2019.

The OHL's Goaltender of the Year Award was first presented in 1988 to Rick Tabaracci (Cornwall), with other notable winners including Manny Legace (Niagara Falls 1993), Andrew Raycroft (Kingston 2000), Craig Anderson (Guelph 2001), the League's only back-to-back winner Mike Murphy (Belleville 2008 & 2009), along with current NHL goaltenders Jordan Binnington (Owen Sound 2013), Alex Nedeljkovic (Plymouth 2014), Mackenzie Blackwood (Barrie 2016), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sudbury 2019) and Nico Daws (Guelph 2020).

Parsons was the front-runner in this year's award voting, followed by runner-up Carter George of the Owen Sound Attack.

Parsons will be formally recognized as the OHL Goaltender of the Year at the 2025 OHL Awards ceremony to be held at The Hockey Hall of Fame in June.

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