Liam Pettersson – Djurgardens IF – U20 Nationell
Pettersson was back in the lineup for Djurgardens on Saturday after missing one game but they went down in defeat to IF Bjorkloven by a score of 6-3. Pettersson, who was moved down to the second pairing, had an a powerplay assist but finished a minus-1 because of a shorthanded goal against as well. Despite moving down a pair, he played in all situations. Pettersson led all shooters with 4 SOG.
Djurgardens came up short on Sunday, falling 4–3 to Modo in a shootout, but Pettersson continued to make his mark from the second pair. He picked up the assist on the goal that tied the game 2–2 five minutes into the second period, extending his streak to three straight games with a helper. Five minutes later, he took a costly cross‑checking penalty that swung momentum back the other way. It was a mixed outing, but the offensive consistency from the back end remains a bright spot.
Kirill Yemelyanov – Loko Yaroslav – MHL
Loko handled JHC Dynamo 3–1 on Saturday, but Yemelyanov is still searching for his first point of the season through three games — not the start anyone expected. You can’t help but wonder how much of a mental dip came from watching Matvei Kotkov crack the KHL roster while he was sent back to junior, a tough contrast for any young player. Even so, he put in a solid night’s work: 2 shots on goal, an 8‑for‑12 performance on draws, and 16:06 of ice time.
Yemelyanov finally broke through on Sunday, picking up an assist on Loko’s final goal in a 4–1 win in the rematch. He added 2 shots on goal, finished at plus‑1, went 9‑for‑14 on draws, and logged 16:32 of ice time. It’s been a quieter start than expected, and his ice time is down from last season, but getting on the scoresheet is a step toward settling in and finding his rhythm.
Matvei Kotkov – Loko Yaroslav – KHL
Loko stayed undefeated with a 4–1 win over Traktor on Tuesday, grinding through a scoreless first period before the game finally opened up. The teams traded goals in the second, but Loko seized control in the third, pulling ahead 2–1 midway through the frame. With Traktor’s net empty late, Kotkov buried his second of the season to stretch the lead, and Loko added another empty‑netter with 11 seconds left to seal it. Kotkov’s night was understated but effective: 1 shot on goal, 3 hits, and 10:27 of ice time — all at even strength — as Loko kept its unbeaten run intact.
Loko kept rolling on Friday, grinding out a 2–1 win over Avangard to stay on the right side of the standings. Kotkov didn’t hit the scoresheet, but he was active, finishing with three shots on goal and logging 11:20 of ice time. For the first time this season, he also saw power‑play duty — 1:05 across two opportunities — a small but notable expansion of his role. He picked up his first penalty of the year as well, a hooking call.
Loko’s unbeaten run came to an abrupt halt on Sunday, shut out 5–0 by Barys in their first loss of the season. Kotkov, like the rest of the lineup, couldn’t get anything going offensively. He finished minus‑1, didn’t register a shot on goal, and logged 13:38 of ice time, with no power‑play usage this time.
Nils Bartholdsson – Rogle BK – U20 Nationell
Bartholdsson returned to U20 action on Thursday after his stint with the senior club in Champions League play, and he wasted no time making an impact. He opened his season with authority, posting a goal and an assist in a 5–4 win over HV71 — Vashek Blanar’s U20 squad, though Blanar wasn’t in the lineup. He was one of the driving forces offensively, leading his team with 4 shots on goal and setting the tone in his first game back.
Friday didn’t bring the same good vibes for Rögle, who fell 6–2 to Frolunda HC. Bartholdsson wasn’t in the lineup — for good reason. He’d earned a call‑up to the SHL club for Saturday’s matchup, a notable step even if the night itself was a quiet one.
Rogle dropped that game 4–2 to Lulea, and Bartholdsson, much like in the preseason, saw limited fourth‑line minutes and finished with zeros across the board. Still, the promotion speaks louder than the stat line — he’s on the organization’s radar, and that’s the real takeaway.
Oscar Olsson – Orebro HK – U20 Nationell
Orebro cruised to a 6–0 win over Tingsryds AIF on Saturday, and while Olsson is still hunting for his first goal of the season, he made his presence felt. He picked up an assist on the opening tally, fired 3 shots on goal, and finished the night at plus‑2. Through five games, the scoring touch hasn’t surfaced yet, but the chances are there. It feels like once he breaks through, the momentum — and the goals — could come in a hurry.
Orebro couldn’t make it two straight, falling 5–3 to the Vaxjo Lakers on Sunday, but Olsson delivered exactly the kind of breakout performance he’d been building toward. He opened the scoring with his first goal of the season on the power play, then added an assist on Orebro’s final tally, giving him 1 goal and 4 assists over his last three games. He finished the night at minus‑1, but the offensive surge is unmistakable — He is heating up.
Vashek Blanar –
Has yet to play a game this season in either the U20 Nationell or the SHL.
Cole Spicer – Western Michigan
Season begins October 8.
Casper Nassen – Lake Superior State
Season begins October 23.
William Zellers, Cooper Simpson – University of North Dakota
Season begins October 9.
Dean Letourneau, Kristian Kostadinski, Will Moore, Roberto Henriquez – Boston College
Season begins October 9.
Chris Pelosi, Elliott Groenewold – Quinnipiac University
Season begins October 2.
Jonathan Morello – Boston University
Season begins October 2.
Beckett Hendrickson – University of Minnesota
Season begins October 2.
Ryan Walsh – Cornell University
Season begins October 30.
Cullen McCrate – Brantford Bulldogs – OHL
Brantford opened its regular season on Friday with a 3–1 win over the Niagara IceDogs, starting the year on the right note. McCrate, back in the lineup fresh off the Prospects Challenge with the Bruins, had a quiet night statistically, finishing with zeros across the board, but settled back into the Bulldogs’ defensive rhythm as their campaign got underway.
On Saturday, Brantford blanked the Guelph Storm 6-0. McCrate was once again held off the score sheet. He had 3 SOG while playing in all situations.
Cole Chandler – Cape Breton – QMJHL
Cape Breton dropped its season opener in a 5–4 shootout loss to the Halifax Mooseheads, but Chandler was at the center of the third‑period push that nearly flipped the script. Trailing 4–2, he sparked the comeback with a sharp power‑play setup that cut the deficit and swung momentum back their way. It wasn’t a spotless night — he finished minus‑2 — but he was heavily involved, firing 3 shots on goal and going 16‑for‑27 on draws while logging minutes in every situation. It was a workload that reflected his importance, even in a narrow defeat.
Cape Breton dropped its second straight shootout on Sunday, falling 4–3 to the Charlottetown Islanders, but Chandler delivered a strong individual effort. Down 1–0, he found space in the slot, took a feed, and snapped it home for his first goal of the season. Later, with his team trailing 3–2, he did most of the heavy lifting on the sequence that produced the tying goal and forced overtime. He had a chance to extend the shootout and keep Cape Breton alive, but his attempt was turned aside, capping a night where his impact was undeniable even in defeat.
Jacob Vandeven – London Knights – OHL
The London Knights opened their season Friday with a 3–2 overtime win over the Windsor Spitfires, and Vandeven turned in a quietly effective debut. He didn’t hit the scoresheet, but he finished as a plus‑1, registered a shot on goal, and showed he’s not afraid to mix it up — taking a double minor for roughing at the end of the second period after refusing to back down from the physical stuff.
London and Windsor ran it back on Saturday, this time at the WFCU Centre, and the Knights took control with a convincing 6–2 win. Vandeven didn’t factor into the scoring and didn’t record a shot — though London mustered only 18 as a team — but he still finished a solid plus‑2 as the Knights closed out the home‑and‑home on a strong note.
Yuri Ivanov – Spartak – MHL
Spartak MHA fell 3–1 to SKA on Tuesday, and it marked Ivanov’s toughest outing of the young season. He surrendered three goals on 21 shots, never quite finding the rhythm he’d shown earlier. As noted last week, Spartak operates with two MHL squads — MHA, built around its younger developing players who feed the JHA, the more senior group.
On Wednesday, the two teams faced off again with SKA winning 3-2. Ivanov was not dressed.
On Sunday, Dinamo defeated Spartak MHA 4-1 and Ivanov did not dress again.
Coming up this week:
–
