Cleaver making strides in first full season as WHL starter

By Lethbridge Herald on February 21, 2026.

Nathan Reiter

Lethbridge Herald

The 2025-26 season has been full of peaks and valleys for the Lethbridge Hurricanes. That also proves to be exceptionally true for goaltender Koen Cleaver

The 18-year-old Port Alberni, B.C. product has posted a 10-21-1-1 record, an .867 save percentage and a 4.78 Goals Against Average in 37 games for Lethbridge in his first full season as the team’s starting netminder.

Last season, Cleaver served as a backup behind both Harrison Meneghin prior to him being traded to Medicine Hat and Jackson Unger after he was acquired via trade from the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Cleaver says it took him some time to get used to being a starting goaltender in the WHL.

“(It’s) definitely a big change but I mean Meneghin and Unger, they both took really good care of me and kind of showed me their ways. (It’s) definitely tough, the workload has been a lot different so it just took me a little bit to adjust to that but I think so far it’s been pretty good.”

Hurricane assistant coach Ryan Aasman says the experience of being a backup goaltender has helped him make the transition into becoming a WHL start.

“Coming back a year older and knowing what to expect has been big. I think he’s had a lot of growing pains as the year has gone on too with shot volumes at times. Learning how to do it every game. I think that the first half was something that he learned was harder than what he probably expected to be. It requires a lot of consistency and it requires a lot of preparation and making sure your body’s always ready to go.”

Despite being only 18 years old, Cleaver has already appeared in parts of four seasons for the Hurricanes. He made his WHL debut in the 2022-23 season, appearing in two games including making his first career start at just 15 years old stopping 34 Red Deer shots on Mar. 25, 2023. 

He was originally a third round pick by Lethbridge, 48th overall, in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft out of the Pacific Coast Hockey Hockey Academy. In each of his last three starts, Cleaver has faced more than 35 shots per game and has provided a calming presence for a young Hurricanes team.

Cleaver had a rough stretch earlier in the season where he had a personal 11 game losing streak in goal for the Hurricanes that stretched for over a month. He finally snapped that streak with a 30 save performance in a 6-2 Lethbridge win over the Regina Pats on Jan. 23. 

“It was a little tough. I found a way to bounce back and find my game again.” Cleaver said. “Once I did, I’ve been feeling really good lately over the past few games. Every season, there’s going to be ups and downs. You just got to stay even keel, and just keep going with the flow.”

Like many goalies, it took Cleaver a while before he found his natural position in the crease. He says he fell in love with the position 

“I (was) an absolute sniper.” Cleaver joked with a smile talking about his early minor hockey days. “I was mostly D-man and center and then I just changed it up and went goalie when I was about eight or nine years old.”

“I just loved how much influence you have on the game. You can either win a game or lose a game for your team. I love that pressure and it’s just something I thrive on, so that’s really what I like about it.”