Liam Pettersson – Vaxjo Lakers – J20 Nationell
Vaxjo defeated Linkoping HC 4-1 on Tuesday and they did it without Pettersson who missed his second game.
Pettersson missed his third consecutive game on Saturday as Vaxjo faced off against Frolunda HC and fell 6-2. With a record of 2-3-1, Vaxjo needs him in the lineup. Still no official news from the team about his absence.
Vashek Blanar – HV71 – J20 Nationell
Blanar did not play in Saturday’s 6-5 shootout loss to Farjestad BK. However, this was not an injury. Blanar was called up by the big club in the SHL as HV71 was down a defenseman and wore number 88 as the seventh defenseman for HV71. It was a 2-1 loss against Frolunda HC but Blanar did not see the ice. If you recall, Kristian Kostadinski was in a similar situation with Frolunda two seasons ago.
Blanar returned to the ice on Sunday in the U20 and HV71 were handed an embarrassing 8-0 loss by Orebro. Not much to say other than it was ugly. On to the next one.
Kirill Yemelyanov – Loko Yaroslav – MHL
Loko blanked Amurskie Tigry 6-0 on Saturday morning to improve to 5-1-0-0-1-0 (W-OTW-SOW-OL-L). Yemelyanov did not register a point in the victory. In 17:46 TOI he had 3 SOG on 7 attempts, was a plus-2 and was 8 for 11 on the dot for 73%.
I’ve been following the MHL since its inaugural 2010–11 campaign, when Russian hockey consolidated its junior structure into a single, unified league. Over the years, it’s become clear that truly well-rounded players are few and far between at this level—but Yemelyanov stands out as one of those rare exceptions. I’m confident he’ll earn a shot in a higher-tier league before the season’s out, whether that’s the VHL (Russia’s AHL equivalent) or the KHL itself.
Cooper Simpson
Youngstown opened its back-to-back set against the NTDP on Friday with a strong showing, earning a 3–1 win. Simpson chipped in with an assist, posted a team-best plus-2 rating, and led all skaters with three shots on goal. His line, joined by Ryan Rucinski and Evan Jardine, was relentless in the opening frame—disrupting play in the offensive zone and generating a steady stream of chances off forced turnovers.
Youngstown handled the rematch with authority on Saturday, cruising to a 5–2 win. Chandler was held off the scoresheet but led the team with four shots on goal. His linemates also went without points, yet their relentless forecheck and ability to force turnovers in the offensive zone continued to make an impact. Just four games into the season, it’s already clear that Simpson’s line is shaping up to be one of the USHL’s most formidable.
Cole Chandler – Shawinigan – QMJHL
Shawinigan fell to 1-1-0-1 after a 4–1 defeat at the hands of Blainville-Boisbriand on Friday. Chandler was held off the scoresheet and, despite not being credited with a shot attempt (a point of contention), he was dominant in the faceoff circle—winning 10 of 13 draws. That performance bumps his season faceoff success rate to an impressive 71.8%.
Off the ice, Chandler has committed to play at Northeastern University for the 2026-27 season. Chandler made the announcement on his Instagram page on Saturday.
Providence Bruins
Boston announced its initial round of roster cuts on Sunday, with several players set to report to Providence’s training camp. Among them are goaltenders Simon Zajicek and Luke Cavallin, along with defensemen Jackson Edward, Loke Johansson, and Max Wanner. Also reassigned were defensemen Ty Gallagher and Colin Felix, as well as forwards Jake Schmaltz, Joey Abate and Ty Cheveldayoff, all on AHL contracts.
Surprisingly, the Bruins opted not to place any players on waivers for assignment to Providence. This suggests one of two possibilities: either the player remains in contention for a roster spot, or the organization is wary of losing someone to a waiver claim.
The following players remain at camp and are exempt from waivers: Dalton Bancroft, Riley Duran, John Farinacci, Brett Harrison, Dans Locmelis, Fabian Lysell, Fraser Minten, Matthew Poitras, and Frederic Brunet. All others would require waivers for assignment.
I wanted to touch on the hiring of Zdeno Chara as Hockey Operations Advisor and Mentor. Part of his duties according to the Bruins release says “he will also serve as a resource for the team’s development staff and make periodic visits to connect with prospects at the AHL level.”
That got me thinking—who stands to gain the most from Chara’s presence in Providence? Two names jumped out right away: Jackson Edward and Loke Johansson. Chara knows their playing styles and positional demands better than anyone in the organization, and his mentorship could be a game-changer in helping them elevate their development.
Edward and Johansson both play a hard-nosed, shutdown style with just enough offensive upside. There’s no better mentor for that mold than Chara—one of the most dominant physical defenders the game has ever seen. And with their high coachability, you can bet they’ll soak up every bit of wisdom he offers
Frederic Brunet wasn’t exactly front of mind for me, but his development path is well understood—an offensively inclined defenseman who’s long needed to sharpen his defensive game and add more bite physically. He’s made some progress but with Chara now in the fold, there’s real potential for accelerated growth. You couldn’t script a better mentor for that kind of evolution.
Chara’s influence isn’t limited to just a few players—but Edward and Johansson, in particular, mirror his style more closely than anyone else on the roster, including echoes of Adam McQuaid. That similarity positions them to benefit the most from his presence. Let’s be clear, though: they’re not becoming Zdeno Chara. They may not even become NHL players. That’s not the point. But they have the most to gain.
Coming up this week:
Things really start to pick up this week as most prospects will be getting into game action with some exhibition (ex) also slated!
Dom - Hockey 