Jakub Dobeš is a freshman with senior confidence

MONTREAL -- You could say prospect Jakub Dobeš has had a great season in the collegiate ranks.

As Ohio State's starting goaltender, Dobeš took home a slew of awards at the Big Ten Men's Hockey Award ceremony, including Goaltender of the Year, Co-Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Star, and a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team.
He's also been nominated for the Mike Richter Award, which is presented to the best goaltender in the NCAA.
"I'm definitely happy, and I'm honored, too," shared Dobeš. "I need to thank all my teammates. Without them, I wouldn't have made it this far."
And while there's certainly something to be said about growing increasingly confident after receiving such acclaim, if there's one thing that stands out about Dobeš, it's that he's tremendously poised.
You could even say his self-confidence matches his imposing 6'4" frame.
"I always had a feeling that I deserved it," said Dobeš. "I didn't get the Player of the Year, but that's okay. It'll serve as more motivation for next year, or in the future, and that's always good, to have that hunger."

A quick look at his statistics this season with the Buckeyes is enough to understand where his confidence emanates from.
Dobeš finished the campaign with a glowing 21-12-2 record. Even more impressively, the freshman maintained a sparkling 2.24 goals-against average, as well as a borderline elite .934 save percentage.
All told, those are impressive results for a goaltender that had to earn the starting position this season.
"I'm always confident in my abilities," said Dobeš. "That's one thing a goalie needs to have. Without it, you probably won't be successful. I know my goals and my standards, and I just try to follow them."
However, the individual accolades aren't enough. As Dobeš and his Buckeye teammates wait to see if they're going to participate in the NCAA Tournament, there's a certain feeling of frustration bubbling beneath the surface of his calm demeanor.
He wants to do more. He knows he can do more.
"I feel like we have unfinished business," said Dobeš. "But, everything happens for a reason. If we don't make it to the tournament, it'll serve as further motivation to improve next season."
He just needs an opportunity to do more.

In the meantime, Dobeš, who made the jump to North America at the tender age of 15, will keep his eyes on the prize.
If he doesn't get another chance this year, he'll redouble his efforts. That's simply the kind of person he is; there's no such thing as satisfaction until you reach the summit of the sports mountain.
He's added one crucial aspect to the mix, though, a healthy reminder that beyond the awards, statistics, and tournaments, it's important to remember why you started playing hockey in the first place.
"It was difficult when I first arrived here," said Dobeš. "I figured it out, and now I know exactly what I need to do to be successful. Hard work and focus leads to having fun, and right now I'm having fun."
Goalies come in all shapes and sizes.
There's no set pattern or mold when it comes to developing a netminder that will eventually turn into a dominant force at the highest level.
But given Dobeš' large frame, lightning-quick reflexes, extreme confidence, and thirst for improvement, it's clear the Canadiens' prospect is on track to eventually becoming an NHL starter.
Cover photo courtesy of Ric Kruszynski/Ohio State Athletics.