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Liam Pettersson – Vaxjo Lakers – U20 Nationell
Swedish Hockey Association introduced a new Junior Tournament back in October called the Svenska Cupen U20 (Swedish Cup U20) with junior teams across Sweden taking part. That tournament got underway on Wednesday as Vaxjo defeated HV71 4-2. Pettersson had a game high four shots on goal and was a plus-1.
Vashek Blanar – HV71 – U20 Nationell
Blanar did not play in their 4-2 loss to Vaxjo on Wednesday as he is with the Czech National junior Team hoping to make the final roster for the WJC.
Czechia appears poised to ice another competitive roster this season. On the blue line, Adam Jiricek, Radim Mrtka, Max Psenicka, and Jakub Fibigr are four I consider locks. Meanwhile, Blanar is expected to contend for a spot alongside Tomas Galvas, Matyas Man, and 2026 draft‑eligible defenders Vladimir Dravecky and Jakub Vanacek. I believe Blanar will secure his place.
Kirill Yemelyanov – Loko Yaroslav – MHL
Loko skated past SKA‑1946 with a 4–1 victory on Friday. Yemelyanov contributed an assist and finished plus‑1, registering three shots on goal from six attempts. He also won nine of 13 faceoffs and logged 15:57 of ice time.
In Saturday’s rematch, Loko came up short as SKA‑1946 earned a 3–2 overtime victory. Yemelyanov was held off the scoresheet and finished with an even plus/minus. He registered two shots on goal from three attempts, went 8‑for‑19 in the faceoff circle, and logged 18:32 of ice time.
William Zellers, – University of North Dakota
USA Hockey did the right thing on Monday and added Will Zellers to the preliminary roster for the National Junior Team. Now, it’s up to Zellers as they will have to cut one forward.
North Dakota extended its winning streak to six games Friday with a 4–1 victory over Omaha. Zellers was held off the scoresheet, registering two shots on goal in 17:02 of ice time — just the fourth time this season he has gone without a point. The game ended on a contentious note, as a late melee is expected to draw league discipline.
They made it seven straight wins on Saturday defeating Omaha in the rematch 3-1. Zellers was kept off the scoresheet once again and had 2 shots on goal.
North Dakota’s next game is January 2 when they take on Mercyhurst.
Casper Nassen – Miami (Ohio)
Miami and Colorado College skated to an official 4–4 tie on Friday, but the RedHawks claimed the shootout victory. With just 10 seconds left in regulation, Nassen delivered his fourth goal of the season, hammering a one‑timer from the top of the left circle to force overtime. He finished the night with two shots on goal and logged 12:06 of ice time.
Saturday’s contest was another nail‑biter, officially ending in a 3–3 tie before Colorado College claimed the shootout. In the rematch, Nassen was held off the scoresheet, finishing with zeroes across the stat line.
Miami does not play again until December 28 when they take on Michigan Tech.
Dean Letourneau – Boston College
One week after James Hagens was named the ECAC co-player of the week, Dean Letourneau was given the honors on Monday and it was well deserved.
Jonathan Morello – Boston University
BU defeated Northeastern on Saturday. Morello had an assist and was a plus-2. He finished with one shot on goal and was 4 for 7 on the dot with 15:03 time on ice.
It wasn’t the ending Northeastern wanted for their final game at Matthews Arena. With under 2 minutes to play, BU scored twice in 18 seconds to win it.
BU’s next game is an exhibition game on January 3 against Simon Fraser University. Their next regular season game is on January 9 against Massachusetts.
Philip Svedeback – Providence College
Providence College closed out its schedule before the holiday break with a 4–2 win over Brown on Tuesday. Goaltender Philip Svedeback delivered when called upon, turning aside 29 of 31 shots. The Friars, now 8‑6‑2 on the season, controlled much of the play and outshot Brown by a 47–31 margin. Their next game is January 2, 2026.
Cooper Simpson – Youngstown – USHL
Youngstown was shut out 4–0 on Friday night. Simpson was held off the scoresheet despite generating a game‑high seven shots on goal. The two‑game drought marks his longest pointless stretch since a three‑game span from October 19–26.
Youngstown responded in the rematch with a 4–1 victory on Saturday. Simpson powered the offense with a goal and an assist on the man advantage, adding two shots on net while finishing even in plus/minus.
Their next game is December 27 against Chicago.
Cole Chandler – Shawinigan – QMJHL
Drummondville proved too much for Shawinigan on Thursday, skating to a 7–3 victory. Trailing 4–0 entering the second period, Shawinigan clawed one back before Chandler collected a loose puck at the top of the left circle, carried it to the dot, and snapped a wrist shot through traffic to cut the deficit to two. The Cataractes added another later in the frame, but that was as close as they would get. Chandler finished with three shots on goal, went 8‑for‑14 on faceoffs, and posted a minus‑1 rating
Chicoutimi delivered the same outcome Saturday, edging Shawinigan 4–3. Chandler chipped in with an assist, registered one shot on goal, and went 7‑for‑14 in the faceoff circle.
Sunday saw Shawinigan drop yet another one, this time 3-1 to Quebec. Chandler scored Shawinigan’s lone goal with 28 seconds remaining in the game. It was his only shot on goal and he went 5 for 9 on the dot.
Providence Bruins
Providence 3 – Hershey 1
It was a big bounce back game for Michael DiPietro on Wednesday nigh as he stopped 37 of 38 shots to lead Providence to a 3-1 win over Hershey.
Providence opened the scoring on the power play with 7:52 left in the first period. Frederic Brunet set up Brett Harrison with a crisp drop pass as he cut through the slot, and Harrison’s wrist shot threaded its way through traffic to make it 1–0. John Farinacci was credited with the secondary assist.
Midway through the second period, a Patrick Brown shot on goal produced a rebound that popped into the air. Riley Tufte took a swipe at it before jamming home the loose puck to extend the lead. Georgii Merkulov picked up the secondary assist on the play.
Hershey cut into the deficit with 11:25 left in the second period, but Providence sealed the win late. Fabian Lysell broke free on a breakaway and scored with 5:07 remaining in regulation to close out the scoring. Dans Locmelis and Jake Schmaltz picked up the assists on the play.
Providence 4 – Hershey 1
Providence secured back‑to‑back victories over Hershey with Friday’s 4–1 result. Merkulov paced the offense with a goal and an assist, while Brown chipped in three helpers. Goaltender Simon Zajicek was steady in net, turning aside 29 of 30 shots.
Providence struck first with 12:58 left in the opening period, as Merkulov, falling to the ice, managed to shovel in a rebound for the 1–0 lead. Brown and Brunet picked up the assists.
Just over two minutes later, Locmelis extended the advantage, firing from the slot for his eighth goal of the season. Lysell and Brunet collected the assists on the play.
Hershey trimmed the deficit to one with 6:42 gone in the second period, but Providence answered back. With 9:02 remaining in the frame, Merkulov slid a cross‑crease feed to Matthew Poitras, who buried the power‑play goal to restore the two‑goal cushion.
Ty Gallagher closed out the scoring, firing from the right circle and following up his own rebound. After the initial stop, Gallagher dove toward the crease and pushed the puck across the line. Brown and Riley Duran picked up the assists.
Providence 1 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 2 (OT)
My sympathies go out to the people at Brown University, the City of Providence and their families for the tragedy that took place on Saturday.
Tufte provided Providence’s lone tally, striking on the power play to even the score in the second period with Poitras and Harrison collecting the assists. DiPietro exited 12:29 into the opening frame after turning aside all 12 shots he faced, leaving Zajicek to carry the load. Zajicek was sharp, stopping 34 of 36 the rest of the way. No update has been given on DiPietro’s injury, though his decision to pull himself from the game made clear he could not continue.
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 