Oskar Jellvik, Andre Gasseau,
There has been no update regarding whether the two Boston College forwards intend to pursue professional careers or return for their senior seasons at BC. However, one advantage they and the organization have at their disposal is ample time to make this decision.
Chris Pelosi, Elliott Groenewold
Pelosi was honored as Rookie of the Year by his Quinnipiac teammates during the team’s award announcements on Monday. While I am not a player or teammate myself, if given the opportunity to vote, I would have favored Groenewold for the accolade.
My case for Groenewold is straightforward: As an 18-year-old true freshman logging nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game and exhibiting a remarkably mature defensive presence at this level, his performance demands recognition. This is not to diminish Pelosi’s impressive season, but did anyone truly anticipate the standout campaign Groenewold delivered?
Jonathan Myrenberg
I have been endeavoring to obtain an update on Myrenberg’s status; however, I was unable to do so prior to the time of writing.
Loke Johansson
Moncton suffered its first defeat of the QMJHL playoffs on Tuesday, falling to Baie-Comeau in a 5-2 decision. Despite the loss, Moncton maintains a 2-1 lead in the series. Baie-Comeau capitalized on momentum late in the second period, scoring twice to establish a 2-0 lead. Moncton responded with determination, equalizing at 2-2 by the 12-minute mark of the third period. However, Baie-Comeau surged ahead with three goals in a span of just 2:21 during the final five minutes to secure the victory. Johansson was not involved in the scoring, recorded a minus-1 rating, registered one shot on goal, and delivered two hits during the game.
Moncton secured a crucial 4-3 victory in double overtime on Wednesday, demonstrating resilience and determination. The game was closely contested, with both teams exchanging momentum until the 14-minute mark of the second period. At that point, Moncton capitalized on consecutive goals, with Caleb Desnoyers scoring to give his team a 3-2 lead. Notably, Desnoyers has garnered attention from NHL teams, including Don Sweeney, who scouted him recently in preparation for the 2025 NHL Draft. Baie-Comeau, however, refused to back down and equalized at the 11-minute mark of the third period, forcing the game into overtime. The intense matchup continued until 4:56 into the second overtime period, when Desnoyers set up the game-winning goal, propelling Moncton to a 3-1 series lead. Johansson assisted on the Desnoyers goal when his shot from the point was deflected by Desnoyers. Johansson contributed significantly, recording one shot on goal, three hits, and two blocked shots over the course of the game.
On Friday, Moncton secured a 4-1 series victory with a hard-fought 5-4 triumph over Baie-Comeau. Moncton initially surged to a commanding 4-0 lead, but the Drakkar mounted an impressive comeback, managing to tie the game with 6:44 remaining in regulation. Nevertheless, Moncton reclaimed the lead just 19 seconds later and held on to clinch the win. Individually, Johansson concluded the game with a minus-2 rating, one shot on goal, and one hit. If you are keeping score on Caleb Desnoyers, he tallied three assists, two shots on goal, and three wins out of seven faceoff attempts.
Moncton will face Rouyn-Noranda in the next round beginning at home Thursday and Friday.
Will Zellers
In game one of the USHL opening round playoffs on Monday night, the Madison Capitols secured a 4-3 victory against the Green Bay Gamblers, taking a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three series. Despite Green Bay’s strong start, establishing a 2-0 lead by the midpoint of the first period, Madison rallied with a goal at 4:39 remaining in the period. The Capitols equalized the score at 8:02 in the second period, only for Will Zellers to set up the go-ahead goal for Green Bay just 2:07 later, making it 3-2. Madison responded again to even the game with 4:19 remaining in the second period and scoring the decisive goal at 4:57 into the third period. Zellers concluded the game with an assist and a team-high four shots on goal.
Green Bay faced a tough outcome in Game Two, as Madison emerged victorious with a 5-3 win, completing a 2-0 sweep in the best-of-three series. Madison established an early advantage, securing a 3-0 lead by the end of the first period and extending it to 4-0 at 12:19 of the second period. Green Bay made a determined effort to mount a comeback when Zellers netted his first goal of the playoffs with under four minutes remaining in the second period. By 13:10 of the third period, Green Bay narrowed the deficit to one goal. However, Madison solidified their win with an empty-net goal in the final 50 seconds.
Looking ahead, Zellers will transition to Development Camp and prepare for his NCAA journey, which begins next season at the University of North Dakota.
Kristian Kostadinski, Jonathan Morello, Cole Spicer
The Dubuque Fighting Saints commenced their best-of-five USHL second-round series against the Madison team, which had previously swept Green Bay. Unfortunately, the series began on a challenging note for the Fighting Saints, as Madison secured a decisive 3-0 victory. Dubuque faced setbacks across multiple areas, being outscored, outshot, out-chanced, and out-hit. Individually, Kostadinski registered two shots on goal from the blue line and maintained an even plus/minus rating. Morello contributed one shot on goal, also finishing with an even plus/minus. Spicer, with two shots on goal, ended the game with a minus-1 rating.
The Dubuque Fighting Saints responded decisively on Saturday, securing a dominant 6-1 victory to even the best-of-five series at 1-1. Although Madison opened the scoring just 1:13 into the game, setting an ominous tone for Dubuque, the team regrouped and delivered a stellar defensive performance, limiting their opponents to only 15 shots the rest of the way while scoring six unanswered goals. Defensively, Kostadinski, despite recording no points and finishing at minus-1, played a pivotal role in shutting down the opposition for the remainder of the game. Morello contributed his first career USHL playoff point with an assist and posted a plus-1 rating, although he did not record a shot on goal. Offensively, Spicer stood out with a goal, an assist, and four shots on net, earning recognition as the game’s third star.
Providence Bruins
Dans Locmelis delivered another standout performance on Wednesday, as the Providence Bruins secured a 3-2 victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, claiming sole possession of third place in the Atlantic Division. The Penguins initially took a 1-0 lead midway through the first period, and it wasn’t until 5:55 remained in the second period that Providence equalized. Locmelis redirected a shot from Chris Ortiz into the net, with Mason Millman also contributing an assist. In the third period, the Penguins regained the lead with 12:10 remaining. However, just 3:09 later, Patrick Brown leveled the game, slipping the puck beneath the goaltender’s pad. Locmelis and Michael Callahan provided the assists. Finally, with only 27 seconds left on the clock, Riley Tufte sealed the victory with a precise wrist shot beyond the goaltender’s glove. Jaxon Nelson and Ortiz were credited with assists on the game-winning goal.
The Providence Bruins concluded their regular season on a high note, securing a 3-2 victory over the Bridgeport Islanders on Saturday. Goaltender Michael DiPietro delivered an outstanding performance, making 33 saves on 35 shots. The AHL First Team All-Star capped off the season with an impressive 26-8-5 record, alongside a 1.99 goals-against average (GAA) and a .927 save percentage. Leading the offensive effort, Vinni Lettieri contributed a goal and an assist, while Locmelis notched two assists. Matthew Poitras and John Farinacci also found the back of the net, and Frederic Brunet reached the 20-assist milestone with a helper on Lettieri’s goal.
The Bruins are set to face the Springfield Thunderbirds in the opening round of the playoffs, a best-of-three series. The action begins Wednesday in Providence, with Game 2 scheduled for Friday in Springfield. If necessary, Game 3 will return to Providence on Sunday.
Take a closer look at the leaders of the Providence Bruins. You will notice a column labeled ‘Benchrates,’ courtesy of our partners at Benchrates. Founded by a retired professional hockey player, Benchrates has developed a sophisticated algorithm that calculates values in real time. The displayed figure represents the power score each player has earned so far this season. We encourage you to explore their platform and learn more about their innovative approach.
Coming up this week:
Dom - Hockey 