Ravensbergen Shares Rigors of Practicing With Celebrini, Adversity He’s Faced

The San Jose Sharks added one of the best goalies in this year’s draft class to their prospect pool.

With the No. 30 pick in the 2025 Draft, the Sharks selected Josh Ravensbergen.

The 6-foot-5 goalie comes from the Prince George Cougars of the WHL, where he went undrafted in the WHL Draft. He said his plan is to return to the WHL next season, and he named Jake Oettinger as a player he likes to watch and model his game after.

San Jose Sharks director of amateur scouting Chris Morehouse said the San Jose Sharks were excited by Ravensbergen’s mental fortitude in addition to his physical ability: “He’s gone through a lot in his life as a young kid. He lost someone close to him in terms of his process and a goalie coach.”

Morehouse is referring to Ravensbergen’s ex-goalie coach Sean Murray, who died at the beginning of Ravensbergen’s rookie season.

“In terms of the athletic and the raw ability, he has the right mindset to work on those tools and get better. So it’s really exciting with that wingspan, with that lateral mobility and that size to go along with a kid that really wants it. He wasn’t drafted in the Western League. He’s kind of been always second-guessed and doubted. That’s also another thing I think he has going in his favor.”

Ravensbergen adds to the Sharks’ growing list of players from Vancouver – he’s familiar with Macklin Celebrini and Carson Wetsch and Luca Cagnoni.

He spoke about his surprise getting picked by the Sharks, the rigors of practicing with Celebrini, and Murray.

Josh Ravensbergen, on whether he was expecting the San Jose Sharks to take him:

I kind of had no clue. Obviously you want to go as early as possible, but I also wasn’t drafted to the [WHL], so I knew it wasn’t when I went but more what I do after, and I didn’t know if I was gonna go first [day] or second. Hear my name called now and just get it over with, so cool.

Ravensbergen, on his conversations with the Sharks prior to being drafted:

I had a couple, maybe not as many as other teams, so wasn’t really on my radar as much. But when I heard them call my name, kind of threw me off guard. But just so cool, can’t really even describe the feeling.

Ravensbergen says he was surprised to get drafted by #SJSharks for 2 big reasons.

First, didn't have as many talks with them as with other teams.

Also, they have 23-year-old Yaroslav Askarov ahead of him.

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) June 28, 2025

Ravensbergen on Macklin Celebrini, and practicing with him, Wetsch, and Cagnoni over the summer:

Last year think I met him, and then it’s more like this summer coming back, started skating with him quite a lot.

One of the first couple ones I came out to, it’s ridiculous – it’s an hour on the ice and then he’s out there shooting pucks for another hour and breakaways. Kind of ridick. I got off the ice. I actually lost eight pounds. I measured myself from the gym in the morning, I dropped eight pounds. Kind of ridiculous.

Ravensbergen, on why he catches right-handed:

I got into hockey, I played road hockey with my cousins, and the goalie set they somehow managed to find was a right-handed catcher. So when I started actually playing goalie that was the one that just felt natural, so stuck with it.

Ravensbergen, on getting drafted for the first time:

It makes it so cool, first time getting drafted, the Sharks, first round. It feels absolutely unbelievable. After not getting drafted to the W, I always believed I was going to get here, but the moment actually happening, it feels so cool, words can’t even describe it.

Ravensbergen, on what drew him to goaltending:

From what I remember, I just hated waiting in lines in practice. (laughs) That was one of my first memories. I just hated it, I just wanted to be in the action all the time. And I just enjoyed goalie a lot more.

Ravensbergen, on Sean Murray:

He was the one who got me the opportunity with PG once I wasn’t drafted, and he was the first one who put that belief in my head. I remember in pee-wee, that he came up to me and he was like, “How far do you want to go with this game? I believe you can play at a high level.” And that was the first time I’m thinking in my head, “You know what? Maybe I can do this.” So that was really sad to hear that he passed, but I’m sure he’s smiling up there right now.