Liam Pettersson – Djurgardens IF – U20 Nationell
Djurgardens edged Luleå 2–1 on Saturday, but Pettersson wasn’t in the lineup — he was up with the SHL club instead. That group dropped a 3–2 overtime decision to Timra IK. Playing on the third pair, Pettersson didn’t record a point, finished even, and didn’t register a shot on goal, logging just 8:47 of ice time.
Kirill Yemelyanov – Loko Yaroslav – MHL
Yemelyanov did not play this week as he was called up to the KHL but didn’t see any action.
Matvei Kotkov – Loko Yaroslav – KHL
Loko earned a 2–1 win over Admiral on Wednesday. Kirill Yemelyanov was called up to the KHL for the matchup but didn’t get into the lineup. Matvei Kotkov did, finishing without a point and registering one shot on goal in 12:27 of ice time — all at even strength. After seeing powerplay looks in the previous couple of games, he didn’t get any in this one.
Lokomotiv dropped just their second game of the season on Friday, falling 3–2 to Amur. Kotkov didn’t factor into their lone goal, finished minus‑1, and recorded two shots on goal in 11:27 of ice time.
On Sunday, they got back into the win column with a 2-1 win over Novosibirsk. Kotkov set up the game’s opening goal, his first helper of the season. He finished with 1 SOG with 12:30 TOI and returned to seeing powerplay time on the team’s second unit.
Nils Bartholdsson – Rogle BK – U20 Nationell
Bartholdsson was up with the big club for Thursday’s 2–1 loss to Farjestad but didn’t get into the game. On Friday, with Rogle’s U20 squad falling 5–4 to Linkoping HC, he wasn’t returned to junior action either.
Bartholdsson remained with the SHL club on Saturday and finally saw game action, as Rogle rallied for a 2–1 overtime win against Linkoping HC. He didn’t factor into the scoring, finishing with two shots on goal and 11:47 of ice time. Notably, he had under five minutes through the midway point of the second period, so his usage did climb as the game went on. Still, you have to wonder whether this is the best path for his development right now — or if a return to the U20 level might serve him better in the short term.
Oscar Olsson – Orebro HK – U20 Nationell
Orebro fell 5–1 to Frolunda on Saturday, dropping to 3‑3‑1‑0 on the season. Olsson scored their lone goal — his second of the year — and extended his point streak to four games, piling up 2 goals and 4 assists over that stretch. If there’s one area to tighten up, it’s the penalties. He’s not anywhere near the team’s leader in that department, but trimming a few of those down would only strengthen what’s already been a strong start.
Orebro squared off against Vashek Blanar and HV71 on Sunday and rolled to a 7–3 win. Olsson extended his points streak to five games, now up to 3 goals and 4 assists, adding a late marker with just 1:24 left and the outcome already decided. He led all skaters with five shots on goal, finished plus‑1, and — perhaps most importantly — stayed out of the penalty box. His game is trending in a really encouraging direction.
Vashek Blanar – HV71 – U20 Nationell
Blanar finally drew into his first game of the season on Saturday after spending time around the senior SHL squad, though this appearance came with the junior club. Unfortunately for HV71, it ended in a 6–3 loss to Vasteras IK. Blanar didn’t factor into the scoring and finished with an even plus/minus while logging minutes in all situations.
As mentioned, HV71 fell 7–3 to Orebro on Sunday, but Blanar — in just his second appearance of the season — made an early impact. He set up the game’s opening goal on the power play less than three minutes in and matched a game high with five shots on goal. Uncharacteristically, he finished the afternoon at minus‑4, a tough stat line on a day when HV71 simply couldn’t keep pace.
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 pushed its record to 3–0 on Friday with a 5–2 win over the Peterborough Petes, outscoring opponents 14–3 over that stretch. McCrate picked up his first OHL points, notching a pair of assists — including one on the game‑winning goal. He logged minutes in all situations while working on Brantford’s second pair.
Brantford kept rolling on Saturday, hammering Kingston 10–4 to extend their perfect start. McCrate buried his first goal of the season just as the Frontenacs were clawing back from a 4–0 deficit — a timely strike that pushed the lead to 5–3 and swung momentum firmly back in Brantford’s direction. He added a pair of assists to cap off a three‑point night, giving him a goal and four helpers over his last two games.
Brantford stayed perfect on Sunday, picking up its first road win of the season with a 5–3 victory over the Oshawa Generals. McCrate saw his two‑game scoring streak come to an end, held off the scoresheet with one shot on goal and an even rating.
Cole Chandler – Cape Breton – QMJHL
Cape Breton, after dropping its first two games in shootouts, fell to Charlottetown again Friday — this time 3–1 in regulation. Chandler picked up an assist on the Eagles’ lone goal, giving him points in each of his first three games of the season. He finished the night minus‑2, recorded two shots on goal, and went 18‑for‑29 on draws. Not the start to the season Cape Breton was looking for.
Cape Breton finally broke through, earning its first win of the season with a 5–4 overtime victory against the Saint John Sea Dogs. Chandler extended his scorching start — now up to a goal and five assists through his first four games — by adding two more helpers, including a highlight‑reel setup on the overtime winner. Tripped up and falling, he still managed to thread a perfect pass to seal the game.
Jacob Vandeven – London Knights – OHL
London moved to 3–0 on the season with a 7–4 win over the Owen Sound Attack on Friday. Vandeven is still searching for his first point of the campaign, but the coaching staff is clearly trusting his defensive game — bumping him up to the second pair. He finished the night plus‑3 and didn’t record a shot on goal.
Yuri Ivanov – Spartak – MHL
Spartak MHA dropped a 3–2 heartbreaker to Reaktor in a shootout on Thursday, and believe me — this one could have ended much earlier if not for Ivanov. Trailing 1–0 after the first period, he was outstanding in the second, holding Reaktor to just a single goal on 18 shots and keeping Spartak within striking distance. He steadied things again in the third, giving his team the chance to claw back and force overtime, but the comeback stalled in the extra frame and ultimately in the shootout.
On Sunday, he was back with the main junior squad and turned in a solid performance despite a 2–0 loss to Dinamo. Ivanov allowed just one goal on 21 shots — the second was an empty‑netter — and while it wasn’t a flashy outing, he was steady and composed throughout. Hopefully he stays with the primary group and continues getting starts. That’s the path that will push his development forward.
Coming up this week:
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