Aleksei Medvedev is still only 18 years old, but he’s grown significantly as an athlete since being drafted by the Vancouver Canucks last year. And he’s found real positive life lessons in a season with the London Knights that pushed him to his limits.

Talking to CanucksArmy on the opening day of development camp in Abbotsford, the Russian goaltender’s biggest focus of the week was less to do with the technical aspects and more with the mental game. One conversation with Medvedev and it’s clear how important the right mindset is.

“We have a lot of presentations on mindset and leadership stuff like that, and just learning the Vancouver culture,” Medvedev told CanucksArmy. “So when I come and make my transition to pro, I’m ready for all those things.”

He’s already taking the leadership aspects to heart. Medvedev is a dev camp veteran at this point, helping show the ropes to invitees Nils Robert Maurins and Anders Miller. “Obviously you know what to expect from it, and you’re mentally prepared for all the things you’re gonna do,” Medvedev said. “They’re here for the first time, so helping them out, introducing them to some of the concepts, and whatever is expected from just helping them that way.”

While the goalies worked on the ice with Abbotsford goalie coach Justin Pogge, Ian Clark could be seen on the bench, offering advice and coaching during water breaks. Medvedev’s working relationship with Clark has provided the Russian goalie with invaluable help, including monthly check-in calls to discuss bigger-picture philosophies, like how to approach the game. “I feel like just the way he sees the game, it’s really different from other people. So all of his insights are really valuable to me, and I try to soak in as much as I can,” Medvedev said of Clark.

After winning the Memorial Cup with the Knights in his first OHL season, Medvedev’s second year was a much greater challenge. He struggled down the stretch, going 16-15-5 with an .891 save percentage and making fewer starts than his London counterpart Sebastian Gatto. The Knights were unable to defend their title, losing in the first round of the playoffs. But Medvedev took it all in stride.

“I feel like, obviously, I had a little bit of an off year. I was off to a really good start, but then I lost my game a little bit,” Medvedev said about his season in London. “But I thought it just gave me a really good perspective on the game of hockey. When you’re in that discomfort of not playing your best, you keep looking for stuff to improve your game. So I was able to find so many great things that helped me and explore them a lot more in this offseason.”

And Medvedev has approached that adversity with a level of maturity beyond his years and a refreshing perspective; the earlier in your career you learn how to understand your own struggles, the shorter those stretches will be in the long run. For many players, those moments don’t arrive until after they turn pro, where it’s much harder to adapt and stay in the league. That’s why Medvedev sees last season as a blessing in disguise.

“I feel like this year just made me realize how important that is, and I never really faced that much adversity. Especially as a second [round] pick, you’re coming into a year with a lot of expectations, and then you’re not quite playing up to them. Just realizing how important that is and learning from it, just using it to your benefit, that’s my biggest mindset,” Medvedev said. “I feel like that might have been one of the best things that’s happened to me. Especially that early on in my career, it’s really valuable experience.”

With the cerebral approach he’s taking to his craft, the next time Medvedev returns to Vancouver, he’ll be a much better goaltender for it.

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