Dryden excited to take on starting role

Two games into the 2026-27 Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League season, Cooper Dryden stands out as one of the top goalies based on the statistics.

The sample size is low, but Dryden is one of the trio of goaltenders in the M18HL that stand out. Leading the group is Winnipeg Bruins 2010-born goaltender Logan German who is perfect through two games with a 1.00 save percentage and a 0.00 goals-against average.

Right behind him is Dryden with a .50 goals-against average and a .977 save percentage that is slightly better than third-place 2009-born goaltender Zaiden McDonald Horvath of the Eastman Selects, who has an identical GAA and a .962 save percentage.

Dryden started the year with a shutout against the Winnipeg Wild and surrendered just one power-play goal to the Kenora Thistles on Saturday evening.

“I feel like I’m unbeatable right now and playing some of the best hockey of my life,” said Dryden about his start to the season. “It feels amazing.”

As a 15-year-old, Dryden finished the 2025-26 season with a 13-4-3 record while acting as the backup to Brandon Wheat Kings prospect Urijah Moosetail. Taking a 15-year-old goaltender isn’t something the Wheat Kings have done very often and Dryden understood that.

“It was pretty nerve wracking my first start, but it was so much fun, and as the year went on, I got better and I wouldn’t have gotten better without the boys,” said Dryden.

He finished the season with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.

He says he learned a lot from Moosetail, who has since joined the Waywayseecappo Wolverines in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

“I learned to just never give up when times are tough and be the hardest worker on the ice,” said Dryden.

As a Brandon native, Dryden grew up watching the Wheat Kings and fell in love with hockey. However, he didn’t take up goaltending until the age of six when he saw Carey Price play for the Montreal Canadiens.

“I saw Carey Price highlights and that made me want to be a goalie so bad,” said Dryden. “He’s my idol.

“I just like the way he made the hard plays look so easy, and how he simplified the game.”

There’s a beautiful cosmic irony to the whole story as Dryden is a distant relative of legendary Montreal Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden, something Dryden himself didn’t know until he was around 10 years old.

Following an outstanding major U15 season with the Wheat Kings in 2024-25, Dryden was selected in the sixth round of the Western Hockey League’s 2025 draft by the Portland Winterhawks. He signed with Portland a year ago as he entered the U18 ranks.

After spending his first year at the U18 level growing and learning, Dryden is now the veteran in a duo that includes 15-year-old Aurick Veldhuisen who made his first start on the back half of a back-to-back against Kenora on Sunday.

The Wheat Kings won the contest 8-2 and only allowed 14 shots on goal in the contest, something that kept Veldhuisen’s day a bit easier in his first start.

“I’m trying to teach him that whenever times are tough, just keep on pushing and it’ll get better,” said Dryden. “I want to push him on and off the ice whether that’s upstairs in the gym or during practice. I just want to make him a better goalie.”

There is no question that Dryden is going to carry the load this year the way Moosetail did last year. Veldhuisen will get his starts, but Dryden will be the go-to guy, especially at the start of the season. The added responsibility excites Dryden.

“It’s way different because last year I wasn’t the starter, but now I’ll probably be seeing lots of starts,” said Dryden. “It’ll be exciting.”

At six-foot-three, Dryden is a big-bodied goaltender who moves well in the crease. He fits the modern build for a goaltender which generally prioritizes size.

“I try to play big always,” said Dryden when discussing his style of play. “I try to be ahead of the game and I like to play the puck.”

He’s also the type of goalie who thrives when he sees more shots, something that he struggled with on Saturday night when the Wheat Kings allowed just 15 shots against in their 6-1 win over Kenora.

“I try to keep myself busy with movements in the crease,” said Dryden about battling through games where he sees fewer shots. “I think the more shots I get; it’ll help me improve and develop.”

Goaltending is an important part of any team, and Dryden will have a big role to play for the U18 Wheat Kings this season. That’s doubly true since Brandon is hosting the Telus Cup at the end of the year.

Dryden is looking forward to testing himself against some of the best players in the country at the Telus Cup.

“It’ll be a pretty cool experience,” said Dryden. “I’ve heard tons of amazing things about it and I can’t wait to get started.”

The 3-0 Wheat Kings will continue their season on the road in a matchup against the Central Plains Capitals on Oct. 10 when Dryden may once again have the opportunity to prove that he is one of the top goalies in the league.

» rmccarthy@brandonsun.com