Liam Pettersson – Djurgardens IF – SHL
Djurgardens was shut out 4–0 by Farjestad BK on Thursday, with Pettersson skating on the third pair. As expected, he didn’t factor into the scoring, but he did register one shot on goal and logged 16:02 of ice time. His minutes are starting to climb, and he’s playing with noticeably more confidence as his role expands. At this point, I don’t see any reason for him to go back to the U20 Nationell.
Djurgardens dropped another decision on Saturday, falling 4–2 to Frolunda HC. Back on the third pair, Pettersson logged just 6:39 of ice time and finished with zeros across the board.
Kirill Yemelyanov, Matvei Kotkov – Loko Yaroslav – KHL
Defeated Spartak MHA on Tuesday 4-1 but Yemelyanov was still with the KHL club.
Loko picked up a 3–1 win over Sibir on Wednesday in KHL action. Matvei Kotkov was held off the scoresheet, finishing with two shots on goal, an even rating, and 10:56 of ice time, including a brief look on the power play. Kirill Yemelyanov remains with the club but did not dress for the game.
On Saturday, Loko dropped a 4–3 decision to Dinamo Minsk. Kotkov finished without a point, didn’t register a shot on goal, and recorded one hit while logging 11:02 of ice time. Yemelyanov posted zeros across the board and saw just a single 52‑second shift.
Nils Bartholdsson – Rogle BK – SHL
Rogle knocked off Timra IK on Thursday, climbing back to .500 at 2‑2‑1. Bartholdsson, skating on the fourth line, finished without a point and didn’t record a shot on goal, logging just 7:59 of ice time in a limited role.
Vaxjo Lakers handed them a 3–2 loss on Saturday. Slotted on the fourth line, Bartholdsson logged just 5:23 of ice time and finished with zeros across the board.
Oscar Olsson – Orebro HK – U20 Nationell
Olsson kept his streak rolling on Friday, burying a pair of goals in a 7–1 rout of Malmö. Less than five minutes into the second period, he ripped home the eventual game‑winner — a one‑timer from the right dot on the power play — and added another man‑advantage marker early in the third, pouncing on a rebound in the right circle and snapping it home. He’s up to 4 goals and 5 assists over his last six games, and his confidence is surging.
On Saturday, Orebro fell 4-3 to Malmo in the rematch. Olsson’s streak came to an end while playing on the second line as he failed to get onto the scoreboard.
Vashek Blanar – HV71 – U20 Nationell
Blanar earned his first SHL call‑up of the season on Thursday, dressing as HV71’s seventh defenseman in a 2–1 overtime win against Orebro. Despite being in the lineup, he didn’t take a shift, serving in a reserve role throughout the night.
HV71 dropped a 3–1 decision to Farjestad BK on Saturday. Blanar dressed as the seventh defenseman once again and didn’t take a shift.
On Sunday, Blanar was back with the U20 squad and made an impact as HV71 defeated BIK Karlskoga 4-3. Down 1-0, Blanar set up the game tying goal with 8 minutes remaining in the opening period. Then, 3 minutes into the second frame, his wrist shot from just inside the blueline put his squad up 2-1 with a powerplay goal.
Cole Spicer – Western Michigan
Season begins October 8.
Casper Nassen – Lake Superior State
Lake Superior played to a 2-2 tie with Windsor in an exhibition game Friday.
Season begins October 8.
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
Quinnipiac opened its season in emphatic fashion Friday night, rolling to a 10–2 win over New Hampshire. Pelosi set the tone down the middle on the top line, striking twice — including a power‑play marker — while putting three shots on goal and winning seven of ten draws. Groenewold chipped in with a pair of even‑strength assists and added one shot on goal. Last season’s NCAA plus/minus leader was a steady plus‑3 on the night, picking up right where he left off.
Quinnipiac pushed its record to 2–0 on Saturday with a 6–3 win over Merrimack. Pelosi chipped in an assist and finished plus‑2, went 12‑for‑17 on draws, and logged 18:14 of ice time, though he was held without a shot on goal. Groenewold was one of the night’s standouts, collecting two assists, posting a plus‑2, firing a game‑high five shots on goal, and skating 22:10 — the second‑highest total among Quinnipiac defenders.
Jonathan Morello – Boston University
BU opened its season with a 2–1 overtime win over Alaska on Friday. Morello didn’t hit the scoresheet, but he registered three shots on goal, went 50 percent on draws, and once again looked poised for a primary shutdown role this season. There is no opportunity for him to move up given the depth in the middle.
On Saturday, they blanked Alaska in the rematch 4-0. Morello did not register a point, has 1 SOG – with several attempts blocked – and was a plus-1 while going 2 for 4 on the dot.
Beckett Hendrickson – University of Minnesota
The Friday–Saturday set against Michigan Tech was supposed to open on Friday, but poor ice conditions pushed the series to Saturday–Sunday instead. Michigan Tech took the opener 3–2. Beckett Hendrickson provided the highlight for BU, stuffing in a wraparound midway through the second to tie the game 2–2 — his first of the season. He finished with three shots on goal, a plus‑1 rating, and 12:13 of ice time while working primarily on the fourth line.
Minnesota dropped the rematch on Sunday, falling 3–1. Hendrickson didn’t factor into the Gophers’ lone goal, finishing minus‑1 with one shot on goal and 11:57 of ice time. Ice time will be at a premium for Hendrickson this season.
Ryan Walsh – Cornell University
Season begins October 30.
Cullen McCrate – Brantford Bulldogs – OHL
It took a shootout Friday but Brantford remained undefeated through it’s first 6 games with a 5-4 win over the Brampton Steelheads. However, McCrate did not play. He would go on to miss Saturday’s 6-3 win over the North Bay Battalion as well. Sunday, Brantford lost for the first time 4-0 to Owen Sound and McCrate missed that game as well.
Cole Chandler – Cape Breton – QMJHL
Cape Breton dropped a 4–3 decision to Saint John in a shootout on Friday, slipping to 1‑0‑1‑2 on the season. Chandler was held off the scoresheet, snapping his four‑game point streak, and finished minus‑2 with no shots on goal. He went 10‑for‑19 on draws carries an uncharacteristic minus‑6 through the early part of the schedule.
Cape Breton picked up just its second win of the season on Sunday, edging Moncton 4–2. Chandler had his chances but didn’t factor into the scoring. He finished plus‑1 with one shot on goal and went 8‑for‑15 on draws, a steady effort in a game where the Eagles finally found a way to close one out.
Jacob Vandeven – London Knights – OHL
London pushed its record to a perfect 4‑0‑0 on Friday with a 4–1 win over the North Bay Battalion. Vandeven is still searching for his first point of the season, but he continues to give the Knights steady minutes on the second pair. He didn’t record a shot on goal and finished plus‑1 on the night, bumping his season mark to an impressive plus‑7 through four games.
London took its first loss of the season on Saturday, falling 7–2 to the Flint Firebirds. Vandeven is still searching for his first point of the year, but he managed two shots on goal and finished even — no small feat on a night when the Knights surrendered seven.
Yuri Ivanov – Spartak – MHL
Spartak MHA dropped a 4–1 decision to Loko on Tuesday, with Yemelyanov back between the pipes after a one‑game stint with the top junior squad. He kept his team in it for long stretches, turning aside 34 of 38 shots, but the loss pushes him to 2‑3‑0 on the season. Two of the goals he allowed came while Spartak was shorthanded, and the game was still within reach heading into the third at 2–1. But Loko pressed, scoring twice on 13 third‑period shots, while Spartak managed just five of their own — a gap that ultimately sealed the result.
Ivanov was back with the top junior club on Friday, starting the night on the bench as the backup. With his team down 4–0 midway through the first, he was thrown into relief duty — and responded with exactly the kind of performance coaches remember. He stopped all 24 shots he faced, including 14 in a frantic third period that gave his team every chance to claw back. The comeback fell just short in a 4–3 loss to Amurskie Tigry, but Ivanov’s effort was the story.
Still with the top junior squad on Sunday, Ivanov and his teammates dropped a 1–0 decision to Sakjalinskie Akuly. Ivanov was outstanding once again, stopping 31 of the 32 shots he faced and giving his club every chance to steal the game despite generating just 23 shots at the other end. Several of his saves were highlight‑reel caliber, continuing a trend that’s quickly becoming his calling card. Despite a sub 1.00 goals against average and a .974 save percentage, he is still looking for his first win of the season.
Providence Bruins
The Utica Comets edged the P-Bruins 2-1 in the season opener on Friday at home.
Down 2-0, it was Ivan Ivan who began a rush up ice and was able to find Brendan Gaunce to send him in all alone to pull the Bruins within one just under 6 minutes into the third period. Joey Abate also earned an assist on the play. But that’s as close as they would come.
Jiri Patera stopped 22 of 24 shots he faced while the Bruins were able to get 21 shots the other way.
Providence had only one bright spot on Sunday, and it was Simon Zajicek. The club was shut out 2–0 by the Springfield Comets, but Zajicek turned in a standout performance, stopping 20 of the 21 shots he faced — including one save that already qualifies as the “save of the year” and may still hold that title when the season wraps.
Providence generated 24 shots of its own but couldn’t solve the opposing netminder. The power play went 0‑for‑4, while the penalty kill finished 2‑for‑3.
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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