NHL draft tracker: Brandon Halverson, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

Brandon Halverson could have done a lot worse for someone to play understudy to during his first go-round with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

The Traverse City, Mich., native spent his rookie season sharing the 'Hounds net with fellow long-limbed goalie Matt Murray, a 6-foot-5 Pittsburgh Penguins signing who was one of the OHL's best. Standing 6-3½ himself, Halverson benefited from seeing how Murray has learned to get all the working parts in sync.

"This year was a good learning year," says Halverson, who is NHL Central Scouting's sixth-ranked North American netminder. "I knew I had to fight for my ice with a fourth-year guy there in Matt. Matt was a really good guy to play behind. Most older goalies might see a younger guy come in and not give him the time of day at first. He brought me in and really showed me the ropes of how to be a No. 1 goalie in the OHL. Every practice, after games, I was always watching him, learning from him.

"We're both tall, skinny so our goalie coach Jon Elkin, he could teach us the same type of game," adds Halverson, who is one of three OHL 'tenders participating at this week's USA Hockey's national junior evaluation camp, along with Plymouth's Alex Nedeljkovic and Erie's Devin Williams.

Some childhood curiosity led to Halverson taking up residence in the cord cottage. Hockey wasn't part of the sporting consciousness of his parents, Paul and Jen ("no one knew about hockey in my family," he says). However, once he saw the sport, the young Halverson was hooked.

"I saw it on TV and I was really interested in it," says Halverson, who had a 2.96 average and .904 average across 19 games this season. "There was a local rink right by my house. I told my dad I wanted to try it, so we went out there with a baseball mitt and some skates and some pucks. After that, I ended up playing Double-A in Traverse City, always being the only goalie, until I moved away from home."

The Greyhounds were high enough on Halverson's potential at the outset of last season that they moved a potential future No. 1 goalie. Eighteen-year-old Justin Nichols, of course, backed the Guelph Storm to the OHL championship and the Memorial Cup final, and could still have another two years in the league. Halverson's showing as a rookie has verified that the Soo's calculated risk might pay off.

Of course, going from 19 games to being a No. 1 is a huge jump.

"There's a lot of good goalies, but it's really the mental toughness that decides it," Halverson says. "That's what separates the good goalies from the great goalies is being able to battle and be ready for anything, every single game, every practice."

1. When you analyze your game, break it down to small elements, where would you really like to demonstrate improvement next season?

"I just need to work on not over-committing and over-sliding, having too much movement. Something I'm working on is being more solid. Not a wall. You use your hands and react but stay in control. Be patient and let the puck come to me."

2. Which NHL goalie(s) do you study closely?

"I like to watch Mike Smith [of the Phoenix Coyotes]. He's a big goalie like me. He likes to get in front of the puck, loves to play the puck. Another guy is [the Montreal Canadiens'] Carey Price. He's so smooth. Every movement is so fast and so quick."

3. During a game, you want your teammates to score, but which opposing OHL goalie did you really enjoy seeing in action this season?

"One of the goalies I loved to watch, he's one of my buddies, is Alex Nedeljkovic. He's fast and positionally sound, just a really good goalie."

4. Let's say you suddenly have a million dollars; what would be the first thing you would buy?

"I'd pay my parents back for all the things they did for me. But I'd probably take a first vacation with my family. I've never really been on vacation with my family. It's always been hockey."

5. Favourite movie and/or TV show?

"I really like the movie Gladiator. For a TV show, I like Family Guy. Family Guy's a good, quality show."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.