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.
Kotai played the 2022âÂÂ23 season with the Battlefords North Stars in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), where he posted a 32âÂÂ4âÂÂ3 record with a 2.39 goals against average (GAA) and .935 save percentage. During the postseason, he posted a 12âÂÂ1âÂÂ0 record with a 1.72 GAA and a .945 save percentage to help Battlefords win the championship.
He began his college ice hockey career during the 2023âÂÂ24 season. During his rookie year he appeared in 13 games and posted a 2âÂÂ9âÂÂ2 record, with a 3.32 GAA and an .904 save percentage. During the 2024âÂÂ25 season, in his sophomore year, he appeared in 31 games, and posted a 17âÂÂ10âÂÂ3 record, with a 1.92 GAA and a .936 save percentage. During October 2024, he posted a 3âÂÂ2âÂÂ0 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. 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. In January 2025, he posted a 5âÂÂ0âÂÂ2 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.
During the 2025âÂÂ26 season, in his junior year, he appeared in 35 games, and posted a 20âÂÂ11âÂÂ4 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 14âÂÂ8âÂÂ4 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 2021âÂÂ22. Following an outstanding season, he was named the CCHA Goaltender of the Year and CCHA Player of the Year. He was also named a First-Team All-CCHA selection, and a top-three finalist for the Mike Richter Award.
He finished his collegiate career with a 39âÂÂ30âÂÂ9 record, a 2.17 GAA, .931 save percentage and eight shutouts in 79 games.
On March 24, 2026, Kotai signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the New York Islanders.