{{Short description|Canadian ice hockey player (born 2003)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | name = Josh Kotai | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|3|13}} | birth_place = Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 2 | weight_lb = 175 | position = Goaltender | catches = Right | league = NHL | team = New York Islanders | former_teams = | ntl_team = | career_start = 2026 | career_end = }} '''Joshua Kotai''' (born March 13, 2003) is a Canadian ice hockey goaltender for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played college ice hockey at Augustana University.
==Playing career== ===Junior=== Kotai played the 2022–23 season with the Battlefords North Stars in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), where he posted a 32–4–3 record with a 2.39 goals against average (GAA) and .935 save percentage. During the postseason, he posted a 12–1–0 record with a 1.72 GAA and a .945 save percentage to help Battlefords win the championship.<ref name="Bio">{{cite web|url=https://goaugie.com/sports/mens-hockey/roster/josh-kotai/12976 |title=Josh Kotai |website=goaugie.com |access-date=March 24, 2026}}</ref>
===College=== He began his college ice hockey career during the 2023–24 season. During his rookie year he appeared in 13 games and posted a 2–9–2 record, with a 3.32 GAA and an .904 save percentage. During the 2024–25 season, in his sophomore year, he appeared in 31 games, and posted a 17–10–3 record, with a 1.92 GAA and a .936 save percentage.<ref name="Bio"/> During October 2024, he posted a 3–2–0 record, with a 1.63 GAA, .950 save percentage and two shutouts. He posted the highest save percentage in the nation among netminders with four or more starts and his two shutouts ranked first in the nation during the month and was subsequently named the Hockey Commissioners' Association's Co-National Goaltender of the Month.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.siouxfallslive.com/sports/college/augustanas-josh-kotai-garners-national-goalie-of-the-month-award-for-october |title=Augustana's Josh Kotai garners national goalie of the month award for October |website=siouxfallslive.com |first=Trent |last=Singer |date=November 1, 2024 |access-date=March 24, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ccha.com/news/2024/11/1/mens-ice-hockey-josh-kotai-named-co-national-goaltender-of-the-month.aspx |title=Kotai Named Co-National Goaltender of the Month |website=CCHA.com |date=November 1, 2024 |access-date=March 24, 2026}}</ref> He was also named the CCHA Goaltender of the Month, becoming the first recipient in program history to earn a monthly award from the league.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.siouxfallslive.com/sports/college/augustanas-josh-kotai-nabs-award-for-ccha-goaltender-of-the-month |title=Augustana's Josh Kotai nabs award for CCHA Goaltender of the Month |website=siouxfallslive.com |first=Trent |last=Singer |date=October 30, 2024 |access-date=March 24, 2026}}</ref> In January 2025, he posted a 5–0–2 record, with a 1.39 GAA and .958 save percentage, and was named Hockey Commissioners' Association's Co-National Goaltender of the Month for the second time in his career.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://goaugie.com/news/2025/2/6/mens-hockey-kotai-named-hca-co-national-goalie-of-the-month.aspx |title=Kotai Named HCA Co-National Goalie of the Month |website=goaugie.com |date=February 6, 2025 |access-date=March 24, 2026}}</ref>
During the 2025–26 season, in his junior year, he appeared in 35 games, and posted a 20–11–4 record, with a 1.99 GAA and a .938 save percentage. He ranked second nationally in saves made (1,056) and save percentage, fifth in minutes played (2,111) and seventh in both GAA and wins. During conference pay, he appeared in 26 games and posted a 14–8–4 record, with a 1.87 GAA and a league-best .941 save percentage. He tied for the conference lead with four shutouts, and made a league-high 786 saves across 1576:04 minutes. He ranked third among all CCHA goaltenders in single-season save percentage, and fourth in GAA since the league was reconsituted in 2021–22. Following an outstanding season, he was named the CCHA Goaltender of the Year and CCHA Player of the Year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://goaugie.com/news/2026/3/13/mens-hockey-kotai-named-ccha-player-of-the-year.aspx |title=Kotai Named CCHA Player of the Year |website=goaugie.com |date=March 13, 2026 |access-date=March 24, 2026}}</ref> He was also named a First-Team All-CCHA selection, and a top-three finalist for the Mike Richter Award.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hockeycommissioners.com/articles/20252026/augustine-hrabal-and-kotai-are-voted-finalists-for-2026-mike-richter-award.php |title=Augustine, Hrabal and Kotai Are Voted Finalists for 2026 Mike Richter Award |website=hockeycommissioners.com |date=March 20, 2026 |access-date=March 24, 2026}}</ref>
He finished his collegiate career with a 39–30–9 record, a 2.17 GAA, .931 save percentage and eight shutouts in 79 games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://goaugie.com/news/2026/3/24/mens-hockey-kotai-signs-two-year-entry-level-contract-with-the-new-york-islanders.aspx |title=Kotai Signs Two-Year, Entry-Level Contract with the New York Islanders |website=goaugie.com |date=March 24, 2026 |access-date=March 24, 2026}}</ref>
===Professional=== On March 24, 2026, Kotai signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the New York Islanders.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/islanders/news/kotai-signs-two-year-entry-level-contract |title=Kotai Signs Two-Year, Entry-Level Contract |website=NHL.com |date=March 24, 2026 |access-date=March 24, 2026}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:75%;" |- style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" style="background:#fff;"| ! rowspan="99" style="background:#fff;"| ! colspan="9" style="background:#e0e0e0;"|Regular season ! rowspan="99" style="background:#fff;"| ! colspan="8" style="background:#e0e0e0;"|Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season !! Team !! League ! GP !! W !! L !! OTL !! MIN !! GA !! SO !! GAA !! SV% ! GP !! W !! L !! MIN !! GA !! SO !! GAA !! SV% |- | 2022–23 | Battlefords North Stars | SJHL | 39 || 32 || 4 || 3 || 2,313 || 92 || 3 || 2.39 || .935 | 13 || 12 || 1 || 802 || 23 || 3 || 1.72 || .945 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2023–24 | Augustana University | CCHA | 13 || 2 || 9 || 2 || 723 || 40 || 0 || 3.32 || .904 | — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — |- | 2024–25 | Augustana University | CCHA | 31 || 17 || 10 || 3 || 1,809 || 58 || 3 || 1.92 || .936 | — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2025–26 | Augustana University | CCHA | 35 || 20 || 11 || 4 || 2,112 || 70 || 5 || 1.99 || .938 | — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="4"|NCAA totals ! 79 !! 39 !! 30 !! 9 !! 4,644 !! 168 !! 8 !! 2.17 !! .931 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! — !! — !! — !! — |}
==Awards and honours== {| class="wikitable" ! Award ! Year ! |- ! colspan="3"|College |- | Second Team All-CCHA | 2025 | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://ccha.com/news/2025/3/10/mens-ice-hockey-all-ccha-teams-announced.aspx |title=All-CCHA First Team Announced |website=CCHA.com |date=March 11, 2025 |access-date=March 24, 2026}}</ref> |- | First Team All-CCHA | 2026 | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://ccha.com/news/2026/3/10/mens-ice-hockey-2025-26-all-ccha-teams-revealed.aspx |title=2025-26 All-CCHA Teams Revealed |work=CCHA |date=March 10, 2026 |access-date=March 24, 2026}}</ref> |- | CCHA Player of the Year | 2026 | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://ccha.com/news/2026/3/13/mens-ice-hockey-josh-kotai-is-ccha-player-of-the-year.aspx |title=Josh Kotai is CCHA Player of the Year |work=CCHA |date=March 13, 2026 |access-date=March 24, 2026}}</ref> |- | CCHA Goaltender of the Year | 2026 | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://ccha.com/news/2026/3/12/mens-ice-hockey-defenseman-goaltender-and-forward-of-the-year-announced.aspx |title=Murr, Kotai and Sardarian Honored by CCHA |work=CCHA |date=March 12, 2026 |access-date=March 24, 2026}}</ref> |- | AHCA West Second Team All-American | 2026 | <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uscho.com/2026/04/10/ahca-names-24-all-americans |title=AHCA names 24 All-Americans|website=USCHO.com |date=April 10, 2026 |access-date=April 10, 2026}}</ref> |}
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{Ice hockey stats|hockeydb=246807|elite=711887}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ach}} {{succession box | before = Alex Tracy | title = CCHA Player of the Year | years = 2025–26 | after = Incumbent}} {{succession box | before = Alex Tracy | title=CCHA Goaltender of the Year | years = 2025–26 | after = Incumbent}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kotai, Josh}} Category:2003 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian ice hockey goaltenders Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Category:Augustana (South Dakota) Vikings men's ice hockey players Category:Battlefords North Stars players Category:Ice hockey people from Abbotsford, British Columbia Category:AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans Category:21st-century Canadian sportsmen