The OHL trade deadline opened with a curveball. The London Knights made a surprising splash by acquiring the rights to Bruins’ prospect Will Moore, a move that immediately raised eyebrows across the league. Moore slid down the 2023 OHL Draft board due to his commitment to the U.S. National Team Development Program, but that didn’t deter London. The Knights still grabbed him 18th overall—and now, they’ve doubled down by bringing his rights into the fold.
Concerned that they wouldn’t be able to secure his commitment, the London Knights moved proactively, shipping Moore’s rights to the Barrie Colts—a move that ensured they’d receive a compensatory draft pick in return.
So why circle back for his rights? For London GM Mark Hunter, this fits a familiar pattern. He’s built a reputation on bold, calculated swings when he believes he can eventually bring a player into the program—and more often than not, he’s been right.
This move isn’t about the current campaign. It’s a long‑view play aimed at getting Moore into a Knights jersey for the 2026–27 season. On paper, it looks like a long shot, but Hunter has made a career out of turning long shots into roster pieces. And with the NCAA’s new eligibility rules reshaping the landscape, the door—however narrow—remains open.
Liam Pettersson – Vaxjo Lakers – U20 Nationell
Vaxjo lost 4-2 to Farjestad BK on Saturday then lost 5-2 to Orebro HK on Sunday. Pettersson did not play in either game.
Vashek Blanar – HV71 – U20 Nationell
HV71 defeated Rogle BK 4-2 on Saturday and then defeated IF Malmo Redhawks 5-3 on Sunday. Blanar did not play in either game.
Kirill Yemelyanov – Loko Yaroslav – MHL
Loko edged Dynamo‑Shinnik 3–2 in overtime on Monday. Yemelyanov put Loko ahead 2–1 late in the second period, driving to the net and generating a chance that was initially stopped before a teammate retrieved the puck behind the cage and fed it back out front for an easy finish. Dynamo pulled even with 5:29 left in regulation, but Loko sealed it in the extra frame. Yemelyanov finished with three shots on goal, went 4‑for‑7 on draws, and logged 15:15 of ice time.
In Tuesday’s rematch, Loko rolled to a 5–1 victory. Yemelyanov was held off the scoresheet, recorded one shot on goal, went 7‑for‑13 on faceoffs, and logged 14:50 of ice time.
On Friday, Loko rolled past HC Kapitan with a 6–1 victory. Yemelyanov chipped in two assists but, unusually for him, failed to register a shot on goal. He went 7‑for‑12 on draws and logged 13:14 of ice time. The lone concern came early in the third period, when he delivered a hit square to an opponent’s numbers, sending the player head‑first into the boards. The opponent was able to continue, but Yemelyanov was handed a five‑minute major for boarding.
Casper Nassen – Miami (Ohio)
Miami edged Arizona State 2–1 in overtime on Friday, improving to 12‑7‑2 on the season. Nassen opened the scoring at 16:27 of the second period, scooping up a rebound and beating the goaltender with a slick backhand‑forehand move and his wrist shot found the top of the net to make it 1–0. ASU drew even with 2:42 left in regulation, but Miami sealed it in overtime. The goal marked Nassen’s fifth of the campaign.
Sunday’s rematch delivered another razor‑thin contest, with Arizona State edging out a 1–0 victory. Despite the loss, Nassen remained active throughout the night, generating four shots on goal and pushing the pace in the offensive zone
William Zellers, – University of North Dakota
North Dakota dropped a 3–2 overtime decision to Colorado College on Friday, slipping to 16‑3‑2 on the season. Zellers picked up an assist on the game’s opening goal and finished the night at minus‑1 with five shots on net. Across NCAA play and the World Junior Championship, he’s now riding a seven‑game point streak, totaling five goals and five assists over that span.
North Dakota took the rematch on Saturday with a 5–2 victory, but it also marked the end of Zellers’ scoring streak. The forward was active, generating three shots on goal, yet he couldn’t break through on a night when the bounces simply didn’t fall his way.
James Hagens, Oskar Jellvik, Andre Gasseau, Dean Letourneau, Kristian Kostadinski, Will Moore – Boston College
It was only an exhibition game, but BC defeated Stonehill on Friday 6-2. Dean Letourneau had a pair of goals while James Hagens had a goal and 2 assists. It must also be noted that Will Moore did not play.
Chris Pelosi, Elliott Groenewold – Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac rolled past Union 7–2 on Friday, pushing its record to 14‑4‑2. Pelosi chipped in an assist, posted a plus‑2 rating, fired four shots on goal, and went 5‑for‑5 in the faceoff circle. Groenewold was held off the scoresheet but registered one shot and a plus‑4, continuing to easily pace the team with an impressive plus‑21 on the season.
Quinnipiac pushed its win streak to four on Saturday, grinding out a 4–3 overtime victory against RPI after a dramatic finish to regulation. Pelosi appeared to seal it late, giving the Bobcats a 3–2 lead with 1:50 left on a quick release from the top of the blue paint, only for RPI to force overtime with an equalizer in the final 14 seconds. Groenewold picked up the secondary assist on Pelosi’s goal—his second of the night—while Pelosi finished plus‑1 with one shot on goal, a 10‑for‑19 performance in the faceoff circle, and 23:13 of ice time. Groenewold closed the night plus‑2 with two shots and 23:20 of ice time, anchoring a heavy‑minutes effort on the back end.
Jonathan Morello – Boston University
BU climbed to 10‑8‑1 with a 1–0 win over Massachusetts on Friday night. Despite controlling play and outshooting UMass 30–18, the Terriers couldn’t generate more than the lone tally. Morello was held off the scoresheet, registered one shot on goal, and went 7‑for‑8 in the faceoff circle
Massachusetts flipped the script in Saturday’s rematch, earning a 2–0 shutout over BU to close out the weekend. Morello logged 11:39 of ice time, registering one shot on goal while going an efficient 6‑for‑8 in the faceoff circle.
Beckett Hendrickson – University of Minnesota
Minnesota was shut out 3–0 by Penn State on Friday, dropping to 8‑11‑1 on the season. Hendrickson finished a disappointing minus‑2, though he led the Gophers with three shots on goal and logged 14:20 of ice time.
Minnesota couldn’t reverse its fortunes on Saturday, dropping a second straight matchup to Penn State in a 5–2 loss. Hendrickson, skating on the second line, was held off the scoresheet, finished minus‑2, and recorded three shots on goal across 17:14 of ice time. It’s been a rough stretch for the Gophers, and the frustration is starting to show.
Ryan Walsh – Cornell University
Cornell moved to 10‑4‑0 with a commanding 7–1 win over Alaska on Friday night. Walsh added to the rout with a 5‑on‑3 tally, redirecting a pass off his skate while left alone in front to make it 5–1. He finished with the goal, an even rating, four shots on net, and went 3‑for‑12 on draws in 18:41 of ice time. It’s becoming evident that Cornell trims his minutes when the game is well in hand.
Cornell extended its winning streak to five on Saturday, rolling to a 5–2 victory in the rematch. Walsh set the tone early, hammering home a one‑knee one‑timer from the left faceoff dot on the power play for his sixth of the season, then later sealing the win with an empty‑netter. In between, he added his team‑leading 12th assist, capping off a well‑rounded performance. He finished the night plus‑1 with three shots on goal, an 11‑for‑17 showing in the faceoff circle, and 20:45 of ice time.
Mason Langenbrunner – Harvard University
Harvard slipped to 7–6–1 after a 5–4 setback against Dartmouth on Friday night. Langenbrunner factored into the scoring with a shorthanded assist in the second period, pulling the Crimson even at 2–2. Despite finishing with a strong plus-2 rating, he was held without a shot on goal in the defeat.
Philip Svedeback – Providence College
The injury bug has hit the Bruins’ prospect pool once again, this time sidelining goaltender Philip Svedeback for an expected six weeks. The timing couldn’t be worse for the senior netminder, who is entering a pivotal stretch as he looks to secure a professional contract once his collegiate season wraps up. He is now in the same situation as fellow prospects Oskar Jellvik and Andre Gasseau.
Providence rolled past Maine 6–1 on Friday, doing so without the services of Svedeback. One notable spectator in the building was Bruins goaltending development coach Mike Dunham. His presence raised some eyebrows: either he was unaware of Svedeback’s injury status, or he was taking the opportunity to evaluate UFA netminder Albin Boija, who was pulled in the second period after surrendering three goals on five shots. My guess is he was there for the latter.
Cooper Simpson – Youngstown – USHL
For the third straight game, Cooper Simpson delivered a two‑goal performance, powering the Phantoms to a 4–3 victory over Des Moines. The forward jump‑started Youngstown’s offense with back‑to‑back strikes in the second period, flipping a 1–0 deficit into a 2–1 lead. Simpson’s first came on the man advantage, a heavy wrist shot from the left circle that knotted the game at 1–1. Ten minutes later, he mirrored the effort from the opposite dot, ripping another pinpoint wrister to give Youngstown its first lead of the night.
Youngstown handled the rematch on Saturday, earning a 4–1 win over the Buccaneers in a game that quickly turned chaotic. Simpson saw his red‑hot goal‑scoring streak snapped but still factored in early with an assist on the opening tally. The second period unraveled into a parade to the penalty box, featuring four fighting majors, multiple misconducts, and additional calls for head contact and clipping. Through the chaos, Simpson remained steady, finishing plus‑2 with three shots on goal.
Cole Chandler – Shawinigan – QMJHL
On Thursday, Shawinigan cruised past Cape Breton with a 7–2 victory. Chandler scored his 12th of the season, making it 4–1 after lingering at the blue line during what looked like a Cape Breton breakout. When his teammates forced a turnover, he slipped into open ice in the high slot and buried a one‑timer. Chandler added two assists on the night and went 10‑for‑19 in the faceoff circle.
Shawinigan had a rough outing on Sunday, falling 6–1 to Val‑d’Or in a game dominated by special‑teams time, with a dozen minor penalties handed out. Chandler closed the night at minus‑2, registered three shots on goal, and went 4‑for‑13 in the faceoff circle.
On Sunday afternoon Shawinigan defeated Rouyn-Noranda 4-3. Chandler did not register a pint, was a plus-1 and had one shot on goal and was 5 for 7 on the dot.
Cole Spicer – Western Michigan
Spicer did not play on the weekend’s 4-1 and 6-2 wins over Denver. He continues to be out with an injury.
Providence Bruins
The Providence Bruins announced Tuesday that they’ve signed Jake Schmaltz to a two‑year contract extension. The deal remains an AHL agreement, not an NHL entry‑level contract. Due to his age, any future ELC Schmaltz signs with Boston would be limited to a one‑year term.
Providence 4 – Bridgeport 1
Bridgeport opened the scoring Friday night with 5:06 left in the first, and the 1–0 margin held until late in the second. With 4:26 remaining, Dans Locmelis jumped on a rebound off the post and lifted it under the bar to pull his team even. John Farinacci and Brett Harrison picked up the assists on the play.
Less than a minute later, Matthew Poitras threaded a pass to Frederic Brunet, who spotted Christian Wolanin cutting toward the right circle and delivered a feed that Wolanin deftly redirected into the net.
With 5:28 gone in the third, Victor Soderstrom pushed the lead further, taking a feed from Fabian Lysell in the right circle and snapping a wrist shot into the back of the net. Matej Blumel picked up the secondary assist on the play.
Blumel scored into an empty net with 26 seconds remaining. Lysell and Poitras would earn their second assist of the night.
Michael DiPietro stopped 25 of 25 shots he faced while Providence had 35 shots on goal.
Providence 1 – Hartford 5
The Bruins fell into a 4–0 hole and spent most of the night chasing the game, with little in the way of momentum swings or sustained pressure. Their lone highlight came shorthanded, when Locmelis picked a Hartford defender clean and fed a slick drop pass to Riley Tufte in the slot. Tufte snapped it blocker‑side to break the shutout, but it stood as the only spark in an otherwise forgettable outing.
It was also a tough outing for goaltender Simon Zajicek, He faced 28 shots on the night stopping 25 of them. Providence managed 25 shots of their own.
Providence 4 – Lehigh Valley 2
DiPietro stopped 28 shots for his second win of the weekend.
Ty Gallagher stepped out of the penalty box and immediately made an impact, winning a footrace for a loose puck and turning it into a partial break down the right wing. He cut hard to the net and lifted a backhander home, giving his team a 1–0 lead.
Tufte pushed the lead to 2–0 midway through the second, snapping home a Georgii Merkulov feed from the left circle at the 5:35 mark. Billy Sweezey picked up the secondary assist on the play.
Lehigh Valley struck twice in a 2:44 span late in the second period, erasing the deficit and the two teams were knotted at 2–2. But with 2:28 remaining in the period, Brunet put Providence back in front with a beautiful effort on a wrap-around goal. Lysell and Gallagher would get the assists.
Brown capped it off with 5 seconds remaining with an empty net goal.
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 