On Monday, James Hagens was named a finalist for the Hockey East Player of the Year.
On Tuesday, Elliott Groenewold was named a finalist for the ECAC Defensive Defenseman of the Year.
On Wednesday, James Hagens was named a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
On Saturday, Dean Letourneau was named to the Hockey East All-Tournament Team.
Liam Pettersson – Vaxjo Lakers – U20 Nationell
On Wednesday, Pettersson was still up with the SHL club and his team lost 7-4.
On Thursday, Vaxjo defeated Frolunda 3-2 to even the series 2-2. Once again, Pettersson was up with the SHL club.
On Saturday, Frolunda defeated Vaxjo 4-3 to win the best of five series 3-2. Pettersson was still up with the SHL club but not playing.
Vashek Blanar – HV71 – U20 Nationell
On Tuesday, HV71 defeated IK Oskarshamn 4-1 to improve to 3-0 on the U20 Nationell Sodra qualifying round. Blanar assisted on the game winning goal just 10 seconds into the second period. Blanar finished a plus-2 and had a game high 8 shots on goal.
Kirill Yemelyanov – Loko Yaroslav – MHL
On Tuesday, Loko edged AKM‑Yunior 5–4, powered by a standout performance from Yemelyanov. The forward struck twice on just two shots, won 11 of 20 draws, and logged 18:30 of ice time. His first goal came late in the second, winning an offensive‑zone faceoff before driving the net and burying a rebound off the end boards to tie the game. He delivered the dagger on the power play, taking a feed at the right post and muscling his way to the front and put it home on his third effort for the eventual game‑winner.
On Saturday, Loko won their final regular season game over Almaz 6-2. Yemelyanov did not play. They finish the season with 105 points, 17 more than their closest competitor. They had just 5 regulation losses in 60 games with 5 more in overtime or shootout.
Yemelyanov finished second in goals, fourth in points and fifth in assists in team scoring. He topped the team in faceoffs taken (859) and faceoff winning percentage (60.8%)
The MHL has a play-in round in their playoff structure so it is unknown who Loko will face and when at this time.
William Zellers, – University of North Dakota
Waiting on the NCAA Tournament.
James Hagens, Oskar Jellvik, Andre Gasseau, Dean Letourneau, Kristian Kostadinski, Will Moore – Boston College
And just like that, the James Hagens watch is officially underway. Boston College bowed out of the NCAA tournament with a 4–3 overtime loss to Connecticut in the semifinals, despite a strong showing from their Bruins prospects—Letourneau scored twice, Hagens added a pair of assists, and Gasseau chipped in with a helper. The loss also marks the end of the NCAA careers of seniors Andre Gasseau and Oskar Jellvik. Boston holds their rights until August 15, giving the Bruins a clear decision point on whether to bring either player into the organization.
Chris Pelosi, Elliott Groenewold – Quinnipiac University
Waiting on the NCAA Tournament.
Ryan Walsh – Cornell University
Cornell fell 3–2 to Princeton in Friday’s ECAC semifinal, but Walsh did everything he could to keep the Big Red in it, finishing with a goal and an assist. His tally came on a late second‑period power play, batting a rebound out of midair to tie the game 2–2. He closed the night at minus‑1 with two shots on goal and went 9‑for‑22 in the faceoff circle.
Cornell will now wait for the NCAA Tournament.
Philip Svedeback – Providence College
Waiting on the NCAA Tournament.
Cooper Simpson – Youngstown – USHL
Simpson snapped a five‑game pointless drought in emphatic fashion Friday, netting a hat trick in Youngstown’s 4–1 win over Chicago. He opened the scoring with a wrist shot from the high slot that beat the goaltender over the right shoulder, added his second by cleaning up a rebound at the top of the crease, and completed the trio by burying another rebound from inside the right circle over the glove. Three goals, three different looks, from three distinct areas of the ice. Can he score from anywhere?
Youngstown completed the sweep on Saturday, edging Chicago 4–3, and Simpson stayed hot with a pair of assists. He finished the night plus‑3 with three shots on goal as the Phantoms locked up the top seed in the Western Conference. They now hold a slim three‑point cushion in the overall standings with three games left on the schedule.
Cole Chandler – Shawinigan – QMJHL
Shawinigan rolled past Victoriaville 7–2 on Friday, and with just one game left on the schedule, the win officially locked the Cataractes into fourth place in the Western Conference. Chandler chipped in a pair of assists, pushing his season total to 32, and finished the night plus‑3 with four shots on goal while going 3‑for‑8 in the faceoff circle.
They closed out the regular season with a 5-4 shootout loss to Victoriaville. Chandler had an assist, was a plus-1 with one shot on goal.
Shawinigan’s playoff schedule is set. They will host Sherbrooke for games 1 and 2 of their best of seven quarter-finals series beginning Friday.
Cole Spicer – Western Michigan
Waiting on the NCAA Tournament.
Providence Bruins
Providence 3 – Lehigh Valley 6
By the midway mark, Providence found itself in a 4–0 hole, but a late spark shifted the tone. With seven seconds left in the second period, Alexis Gendron spotted Joey Abate cutting to the right post and threaded a pass from the left circle that Abate needed only to redirect to finally get Providence on the board. Michael DiPietro picked up the secondary assist on the play.
Just 38 seconds into the final period, Gendron teed up Matthew Poitras in the left circle, and his shot rang off the iron and across the goal line to cut the deficit to two. Georgii Merkulov also earned an assist.
Abate then worked the puck into the left corner and slipped a feed to Jake Schmaltz, who quickly spotted Riley Duran at the right post. Duran’s redirection beat the goaltender to pull Providence within one just 6:01 into the third period.
That’s as close as they would come as the Phantoms added two goals in the final 12:14. DiPietro had a tough outing stopping 15 of 20 shots. Providence had 31 shots on goal.
Providence 4 – Utica 3
Utica carried a 2–0 lead into the second period, but Providence finally broke through at 8:47 when a Max Wanner point shot produced a rebound that Abate pounced on, wrapping it around the goaltender to cut the deficit to one.
With 7:03 left in the second period, Poitras sliced around a defender in the right circle and slipped a perfect feed to Abate driving the far post, where Abate redirected it home to tie the game. Victor Soderstrom picked up the secondary assist on the play.
Gendron gave Providence its first lead of the night with a power‑play strike in the final seconds of the period, jamming at a loose puck on the right post and slipping a backhand off the iron, off the goaltender, and in with just three seconds left. Riley Tufte and Soderstrom picked up the assists.
Soderstrom sealed it with an empty‑netter with 38 seconds left, set up by John Farinacci, before Utica tacked on a late marker with seven seconds remaining to close out the scoring. DiPietro stopped 19 of 22 shots he faced.
Providence 5 – Utica 2
Providence wasted no time getting on the board, striking just 30 seconds in. Abate led a 2‑on‑1 rush and slid a pass across to Schmaltz at the left post for an easy tap‑in and a 1–0 lead. That score held until Utica finally pulled even with 8:19 left in the second period.
Providence jumped back in front just 52 seconds into the third when Poitras threaded a pass to Merkulov in the left circle, and Merkulov beat the goaltender as he sprawled across the crease. Christian Wolanin picked up the secondary assist on the play.
Max Wanner stretched the lead early in the third, firing a point shot that Riley Duran redirected home at 8:12 to make it 3–1 Providence, with Michael Callahan collecting an assist. Then, with 7:27 left in regulation, Tufte jumped on a lively bounce off the end boards and tucked it in to push the advantage to 4–1. Soderstrom and Ty Gallagher picked up the helpers on the insurance marker.
Utica would get one back but then Tufte’s slap shot found the back of the net with 3:08 remaining to close out the scoring. Matej Blumel and Billy Sweezey picked up the assists. Simon Zajicek stopped 18 of 20 shots for the win.
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:
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Dom - Hockey 