Liam Pettersson – Vaxjo Lakers – U20 Nationell
After missing 12 games with an undisclosed injury, Pettersson made his return to the lineup for Vaxjo in Saturday’s U20 Nationell matchup against Linkoping HC. While his presence was a welcome sight, it wasn’t enough to spark a turnaround, as Vaxjo fell 4–1. Pettersson was held off the scoresheet in his return, finishing with an even plus/minus and registering one shot on goal.
With the loss, Vaxjo dropped to 5–7–2 on the season, currently sitting eighth in the U20 Nationell Sodra Division standings. They remain three spots—and nine points—shy of qualifying for the U20 Top-10 group play as the race tightens.
Vashek Blanar – HV71 – U20 Nationell
It was a night to forget for HV71, who suffered a lopsided 11–0 defeat at the hands of Frolunda HC on Saturday. Blanar was recalled to the SHL squad for the game but did not play.
The loss leaves HV71 sitting ninth in the Södra Division standings, 11 points back of fifth place—the final spot that secures a berth in the U20 Nationell Top-10 group play. With the margin for error shrinking, HV71 faces an uphill climb in the weeks ahead.
Correction: The U20 went from Top-10 format to Top-8 beginning with this season.
Kirill Yemelyanov – Loko Yaroslav – MHL
Loko cruised to a 3–0 shutout victory over JHC Spartak on Tuesday, but the win came with a blemish late in regulation. Yemelyanov, held off the scoresheet despite a solid two-way effort, was handed a five-minute major for kicking and a game misconduct with just 3:17 remaining. Before the ejection, Yemelyanov logged 14:18 of ice time, registered three shots on goal, and went 12-for-20 in the faceoff circle.
Yemelyanov avoided supplemental discipline and responded with a strong performance on Saturday, recording a goal and an assist in Loko’s 4–2 win over Krasnaya Armiya. With his team trailing 2–1, he tied the game by collecting a loose puck at the offensive blue line, circling the net on a wrap-around attempt, and burying his own rebound with a slick backhand finish. He also picked up the primary assist on Loko’s opening goal. He finished a plus-3, had 6 shots on goal and was 9 for 16 on the draw with 15:13 time on ice.
I was asked on X by Repstat, a regular reader here, the following question: Great stuff as always, Dom! If you were to place a bet, how soon until Yemelyanov comes to the US? Because of all of the prospects in the pool, he’s the one that has me most intrigued.
I’ve heard quiet chatter suggesting the Bruins would like to see Yemelyanov spend at least one season in the KHL. Whether that comes next year or after a campaign in the VHL—Russia’s AHL equivalent—remains to be seen. A second path could emerge via the CHL Import Draft, where, if the Bruins are satisfied with the development setup, they might steer him toward a season in North America, similar to their approach with Loke Johansson.
Either way, patience is the play. Yemelyanov was always viewed as a long-term project, and with no transfer agreement between the NHL and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation or KHL, Boston retains his rights indefinitely. That gives them the flexibility to take the slow-and-steady route with his development.
William Zellers, – University of North Dakota
Zellers paced North Dakota with a two-goal performance Friday night, lifting the Fighting Hawks to a 5–2 win over Arizona State. His first of the night was a quick-release strike from the high slot to make it 2–0, then delivered the dagger just 1:04 into the third period. Skating undetected down the slot, Zellers took a feed in stride and beat the goaltender with a slick backhand-forehand finish — his team-leading seventh goal of the season and the eventual game-winner.
Arizona flipped the script on Saturday, responding with a 4–2 victory to split the weekend set. Zellers was held off the scoresheet in the loss, finishing with a minus-1 rating, but led his team with five shots on goal while logging 14:14 of ice time.
Casper Nassen – Miami (Ohio)
Miami fell to 7–2–0 on the season following a 5–2 loss to Western Michigan on Friday night. Nassen was held off the scoresheet, finishing with one shot on goal, a minus-2 rating, and 13:13 of ice time. The dry spell continues for the sophomore, who hasn’t found the back of the net since opening night — a stretch now spanning eight games.
Miami couldn’t bounce back in Saturday’s rematch, falling 6–2 and suffering back-to-back losses for the first time this season. Nassen recorded an assist and led his team with three shots on goal, but saw limited ice time, finishing with just 12:21 in the loss.
James Hagens, Oskar Jellvik, Andre Gasseau, Dean Letourneau, Kristian Kostadinski, Will Moore – Boston College
Boston College extended its win streak to three games Friday night, overpowering Massachusetts 7–3 in a high-scoring affair. Gasseau remains on schedule for a January return, continuing his recovery without setbacks. Jellvik was absent from the lineup for a second consecutive game. A source indicates his current absence is unrelated to the injury that sidelined him late last season. Hagens and Letourneau led BC with a goal and an assist each. Letourneau had 4 shots on goal and was 4 for 7 on the dot with 15:17 TOI, Hagens had 6 shots on goal and was 2 for 4 on the dot with 20:51 TOI.
Will Moore had an assist and was 7 for 10 on the dot with 16:55 TOI. He is quietly having a good freshman season. Kostadinski is still seeing limited ice time. He did manage a shot on goal in 6:40 TOI.
Boston College extended its win streak to four games with a commanding 4–0 shutout over UMass on Saturday. Letourneau was the lone prospect to hit the scoresheet, picking up an assist on BC’s third goal. He finished the night with a plus-2 rating, three shots on goal, and went 6-for-13 in the faceoff circle while logging 15:30 of ice time.
Hagens finished plus-1, adding one shot on goal, and going 10-for-15 in the faceoff circle over 16:58 of ice time. Moore contributed three shots and won six of nine draws while logging 14:57, and Kostadinski saw an uptick in usage, skating 14:15 and finishing plus-1 with one shot on goal.
Beckett Hendrickson – University of Minnesota
Minnesota’s struggles deepened Friday night with a 6–2 defeat at the hands of Long Island, dropping the Gophers to 4–8–1 on the season. The difference-maker was special teams, as Long Island capitalized three times on the power play to pull away. Despite the loss, Hendrickson turned in a solid individual effort. Back in his familiar third-line wing role, he recorded an assist, finished plus-2, and registered two shots on goal.
Minnesota responded in convincing fashion on Saturday, earning a 6–3 win in the rematch to split the weekend series. With the Gophers holding a 4–3 edge after two periods, Hendrickson extended the lead midway through the third with his third goal of the season, then added an assist just three minutes later to help seal the victory.
Chris Pelosi, Elliott Groenewold – Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac cruised to a 6–2 win over Boston University on Saturday, improving to 7–3–2 on the season. Pelosi turned in a strong two-way performance, recording two assists, a team-high five shots on goal, and a plus-1 rating while going 3-for-7 on faceoffs in 20:19 of ice time. Groenewold logged a team-leading 23:39 but was held off the scoresheet, finishing with one shot and a plus-1 in the victory.
Ryan Walsh – Cornell University
Cornell returned to the win column Friday night with a convincing 4–1 victory over Brown. Walsh notched his first goal of the season early in the third period, extending the Big Red’s lead to 4–0 with 6:50 gone. The goal came on a second-effort sequence. After setting up a prime scoring chance that went unfinished, Walsh remained active in the zone, slipping into open ice as the puck cycled to the point. A point shot off the goaltender’s glove dropped into the slot, and Walsh pounced — lifting the rebound over a sprawling netminder to cap off a determined shift.
Cornell handled business on Saturday with a 5–2 victory over Yale, powered by a standout performance from Walsh. The forward found the back of the net twice, led his team with four shots on goal, and went 11-for-19 in the faceoff circle while logging 19:47 of ice time in the win. It’s safe to say Walsh is in mid-season form now.
Mason Langenbrunner – Harvard University
Harvard eked out a 2–1 win over Clarkson on Friday night, improving to 3–1–1 on the season. Langenbrunner, skating on the second pair, was held off the scoresheet but logged one shot on goal in the victory.
Harvard extended its win streak to three games with a 4–3 victory over St. Lawrence on Saturday. Bruins prospect Langenbrunner contributed early, assisting on the game’s opening goal, and finished with a plus-1 rating while logging 20:14 of ice time in the win.
Jonathan Morello – Boston University
As mentioned earlier, Quinnipiac rolled to a 6–2 win over Boston University on Saturday, and while Morello was held off the scoresheet, he remained active throughout the contest. The forward registered five shots on goal, posted a plus-1 rating, and logged 15:23 of ice time, though he struggled in the faceoff circle, finishing 3-for-15 on draws.
Philip Svedeback – Providence College
Providence College improved to 5–3–2 on the season with a 4–2 win over Merrimack on Friday night. Svedeback wasn’t heavily tested, facing just 15 shots, but delivered when called upon to secure the victory. The Friars controlled the pace for much of the night, and Svedeback’s calm presence in net helped close out a disciplined team effort.
On Saturday, Merrimack took the rematch 3-2. Svedeback stopped 22 of 25 shots he faced. The shots were lopsided in Providence College’s favor in this game by a 42-25 margin. PC had an XG for of 3.5 while Merrimack had 2.1.
Cooper Simpson
In a tightly contested battle Friday night, the Youngstown Phantoms came up short against the Fargo Force, falling 2–1. Simpson provided the lone tally for Youngstown. Trailing 1–0, Simpson collected the puck at the left faceoff dot, toe-dragged deftly around a defender, briefly lost control, then recovered at the edge of the circle and snapped a shot over the goaltender’s left shoulder. The goal marked Simpson’s ninth of the season. Simpson finished the night with five shots on goal and a minus-1 rating.
It was another 1 goal game on Saturday with Fargo coming out on top once again 4-3. Simpson had an assist in this game but was limited to just one shot on goal.
Cole Chandler – Shawinigan – QMJHL
Shawinigan picked up a 5–3 win over Rimouski on Thursday, but the night ended early for forward Chandler, whose three-game point streak came to a sudden halt. The veteran winger, who had tallied three goals and three assists over his recent run, was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct for a hit from behind just 15:43 into the opening period.
Back in the lineup after narrowly avoiding suspension, Chandler was on the ice Friday night—but it wasn’t enough to lift Shawinigan, who dropped a 6–2 decision to Victoriaville. Chandler struck on the power play, setting up shop in front of the crease. He deflected a point shot that was stopped, but wasted no time corralling the rebound and tucking it past the goaltender for his fifth goal of the season.
Shawinigan needed extra time on Sunday but ultimately edged Sherbrooke 5–4 in an overtime thriller. Chandler opened the scoring, slipping undetected down the slot and burying a quick release to give the Cataractes a 1–0 lead. With the game knotted at 3–3 late in the second, Chandler struck again—this time from the left wing, sending a sharp-angle shot that found its way in for his second of the night. Sherbrooke forced overtime with a late equalizer, but Chandler’s two-goal effort, five shots on net, and 4-for-10 performance in the faceoff circle helped pace Shawinigan to the win.
Cole Spicer – Western Michigan
Word is that Spicer is eyeing a return for the next semester.
Providence Bruins
Providence 3 – Hartford 2 (OT)
Providence edged the Hartford Wolf Pack 3–2 on Wednesday night, powered by a goal and an assist from Patrick Brown and Fabian Lysell. Lysell, scratched in the previous game and starting on the fourth line, made the most of his return to the lineup, helping drive the Bruins to a hard-fought victory.
Joey Abate scored his first of the season driving the crease to redirect a sharp Jake Schmaltz feed and give Providence a 1–0 lead with just under six minutes to play in the first period. Lysell picked up the secondary assist on the play.
The 1–0 lead held until late in the second period, when Hartford broke through with the equalizer at 18:38. Providence regained control midway through the third as Brown redirected a Riley Tufte shot on the power play, making it 2–1 with 7:17 to go. Michael Callahan had the second assist. But the Wolf Pack had one last push, tying the game with just 2:20 remaining in regulation to force overtime.
Lysell played the lucky hero in overtime, sealing Providence’s win 3:28 into the extra frame. After beating a defender at the left circle, Lysell’s centering attempt deflected off a Hartford skate and slipped past the goaltender for the game-winner. Brown and Frederic Brunet picked up the assists on the decisive play.
Michael DiPietro turned aside 26 of 28 shots, extending his unbeaten run to 7–0–0 on the season. The Providence netminder continues to anchor the crease with a 2.13 goals-against average and a sparkling .929 save percentage, reinforcing his status as one of the AHL’s steadiest performers.
Providence 3 – Utica 2 (OT)
Dans Locmelis leads Providence with a shorthanded goal and overtime goal to victory over the Utica Comets.
With 8:27 gone in the opening period and Providence shorthanded, Matej Blumel chipped the puck ahead to Locmelis, springing him on a breakaway. Locmelis made no mistake, snapping a wrist shot past the goaltender’s glove to give Providence a 1–0 lead.
With 34 seconds left in the period, Tufte extended the lead to 2–0, hammering home a one-timer off a feed from Brown at the bottom of the left circle. Utica responded with two unanswered goals, including the equalizer with 9:37 remaining in the third, to erase the deficit and draw even.
In overtime, Locmelis delivered the game-winner in style, slicing through two defenders down the slot before snapping a wrist shot past the goaltender’s glove. Lysell and Brunet picked up assists on the decisive play.
Simon Zajicek turned aside 34 of 36 shots on Saturday, backstopping his team to another win and improving his record to 5–1–0 on the season. The Bruins prospect continues to impress between the pipes, boasting a 1.65 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage through six starts.
Providence 0 – Utica 2
DiPietro stopped 25 of 26 shots but it wasn’t enough as Utica blanked Providence 2-0 on Sunday. Tufte and Blumel were scratched for this game, presumably because Boston is looking at a possible callup Monday.
Here’s a look at the Providence Bruins leaders. You will notice a column called “Benchrates” This is provided by our friends at Benchrates. Created by a retired hockey player, Benchrates has created an algorithm that computes values in real time. The value you see is the cap hit value they’ve earned this season to date. Give them a look and check out their site.
Coming up this week:
Dom - Hockey 