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Liam Pettersson – Vaxjo Lakers – U20 Nationell
Vaxjo saw a commanding lead slip away Thursday at the Swedish Cup U-20, falling 5–4 to IF Malmo in a heartbreaking finish. Just 50 seconds into the second period, Vaxjo had built a 3–0 cushion and later held a 4–2 advantage midway through the frame, but the edge wouldn’t last as Malmo stormed back to steal the win. Pettersson chipped in on the scoresheet with an assist on the opening power-play goal. He closed the night with a minus-1 rating.
Vaxjo pulled out a dramatic 3–2 overtime win over Frolunda in Swedish Cup U‑20 action on Saturday, but the victory wasn’t enough to push them into the playoff round of the inaugural tournament. Trailing 2–0 late in the second period, Frolunda handed Vaxjo a lifeline with a penalty, then compounded it just 11 seconds later with a delay‑of‑game call. Vaxjo capitalized quickly—scoring on the two‑man advantage before Pettersson buried his first of the tournament just 10 seconds later to level the game and force overtime.
Vaxjo finished second in Group D behind Malmo and missed the playoff round. That loss on Thursday to Malmo will haunt them.
The U20 Nationell returns to league action on January 6, 2026.
Vashek Blanar – HV71 – U20 Nationell
Czechia defeated Latvia 3-2 in overtime in a WJC U-20 pre-tournament game on Friday. I was unable to watch this game but you can watch any of the pre-tournament action on USA Hockey TV at your leisure.
Kirill Yemelyanov – Loko Yaroslav – MHL
On Tuesday, Loko powered past JHC Dynamo with a decisive 7–3 victory. Yemelyanov turned in a solid performance, recording a goal and an assist while firing four shots on net. He dominated the faceoff circle, winning 12 of 18 draws, and logged 15:48 of ice time. His goal came late in the second period on the power play. Stationed at the right faceoff dot, he took a crisp feed and unleashed his trademark one-timer, stretching Loko’s lead to 4–2 and the insurance goal.
The two teams met again on Wednesday and once again Loko came out on top, this time by a 3-1 score. Yemelyanov had an assist, one shot on goal and was 10 for 19 on the dot with 16:07 time on ice.
Loko edged Dinamo 4–3 in a shootout on Sunday, highlighted by a standout performance from Ilya Yemelyanov. With Loko leading 2–1, Yemelyanov broke up a play in his own zone, turned up ice on a breakaway, and finished with a slick backhand move to extend the lead to 3–1. The game ultimately reached a shootout, and with Loko facing elimination, it was Yemelyanov who delivered again, scoring the must‑have goal to keep his team alive.
William Zellers, – University of North Dakota
Zellers remains at Team USA’s camp for the WJC. The USA has only made one cut so far and that was at the goaltending position on Saturday. There are still 29 skaters and 3 goaltenders at camp and they are expected to name their final roster on Christmas Eve.
James Hagens – Boston College
DULUTH NEWS TRIBUNE — Reporter Matt Wellens, covering Team USA’s World Junior Championship camp, noted that forward Hagens was sidelined after sustaining an upper-body injury on the opening day. The setback kept him out of action until Wednesday, when he returned to the ice in a red non-contact jersey, signaling his recovery remains cautious.
Dean Letourneau – Boston College
Good friend Court Lalonde walked into an Ottawa arena this week and spotted a familiar figure on the ice: Dean Letourneau. Home for the holidays, Letourneau was putting in extra work under the watchful and skilled eye of Ottawa Senators skating coach Shelly Kettles, who provided him with a detailed offseason program. The scene was a reminder that no matter what our eyes tell us, there’s always room to refine and improve.
By the way, if you don’t follow Court’s work, you can find it on YouTube. He’s one of the most connected people I know.
Cooper Simpson – Youngstown – USHL
Czech forward Richard Zemlicka, currently skating with SaiPa in Finland, is set to depart the club and join Youngstown immediately after the World Junior Championships. His arrival adds another skilled offensive piece to the lineup and could bolster Simpson’s production depending on how the coaching staff deploys him. More broadly, the move signals Youngstown’s intent to make a serious push, and Simpson stands to benefit from the added support.
Cole Chandler – Shawinigan – QMJHL
On Wednesday night, Shawinigan clawed back from deficits of 3–1 and 4–3 to force overtime against Victoriaville, but ultimately fell 5–4 in a shootout. Chandler was a driving force in the comeback, registering a goal and two assists. His tally came with Shawinigan trailing 3–1, as he slipped into the slot, took a feed, and snapped a wrist shot high over the pad and under the glove. Chandler finished the night with five shots on goal, a plus-2 rating, and went 6-for-13 in the faceoff circle.
Thursday was a wild one as Shawinigan outscored Val-d’Or 11-6. Chandler extended his point streak to 6 games with an assist. He had 7 shots on goal, was a plus-1 and was 4 for 4 on the dot.
Providence Bruins
Providence 3 – Syracuse 1
Georgii Merkulov led the way with his first career hattrick.
It took just 1:01 for Georgii Merkulov to open the scoring, streaking down the right wing and snapping a shot off the crossbar and in to give Providence an early lead. Patrick Brown and Christian Wolanin picked up the assists on the play.
Syracuse pulled even with 4:44 left in the first period, but Providence regained the lead midway through the second. With 10:59 gone in the frame, Billy Sweezey unloaded a one‑timer from the point that deflected off Merkulov and in for the go‑ahead goal. Riley Tufte picked up the secondary assist.
Merkulov would seal the win with an empty net goal with 18 seconds remaining. Tufte and Simon Zajicek, who stopped 23 of 24 shots, would earn the assists.
Fabian Lysell missed the game with an illness while Michael DiPietro is out with an injury.
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 