The Court of Arbitration for Sport has directed the IIHF to permit Russia’s return to international competition, though the implications for this year’s World Junior Championship remain unclear. Any potential impact on Bruins prospects Matvei Kotkov, Kirill Yemelyanov, and Yuri Ivanov has yet to be determined. None of the three were named to Russia’s roster for its upcoming Under-20 tournament, leaving their international status unchanged for the time being.
The KHL released their own statement:
“It is premature to discuss possible changes to the season calendar structure at this time. Once all decisions are approved, the League will consult with the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF) on the procedure for recruiting KHL players to international competitions.”
“The League would be delighted if the young players who have excelled in the KHL could participate for the first time in six years in the World Junior Championship, which starts in December 26. On December 22, out hockey will celebrate its 80th anniversary, and the final matches of the Cup of Firsts will be held on Hockey Day. The participation of the junior team in the World Championship will be a wonderful gift for our fans.”
Liam Pettersson – Djurgardens IF – U20 Nationell
Djurgardens defeated HV71 3-0 on Thursday. Pettersson did not register a point and only played 1:34 in this game as the seventh defenseman.
Djurgardens defeated Brynas IF 3-2 on Saturday. Dressed as the seventh defenseman, Pettersson did not register a point and had 1 SOG with 6:28 TOI. It was his last regular season game before joining Sweden this week at the Five-Nations U20 in preparation for the World Junior Championships.
Kirill Yemelyanov, Matvei Kotkov – Loko Yaroslav – MHL
Both prospects scored twice to power Loko to a 6-2 win over HC Sochi on Thursday. The performance marked the first two KHL goals of Yemelyanov’s career, with the forward showcasing his offensive versatility by scoring both with his shot and through a hard-net drive that produced a greasy goal in close. Just as notable was the increased opportunity he received, logging 11:01 of ice time, including power-play usage, after averaging roughly two minutes per game in his previous appearances.
Kotkov also continued to demonstrate the variety in his offensive game. His fourth goal of the season came off a determined net drive, where he capped the play with a deft redirection at the top of the crease. He followed that with his fifth of the year on the rush, driving the net before beating the goaltender high with a backhand finish. Kotkov logged 14:35 of ice time and also earned power-play opportunities in the victory. This is the type of all situations play I want to see for both players.
Nils Bartholdsson – Almtuna – Allsvenskan – Rogle – SHL
Almtuna edged Vasteras IK 1-0 in a shootout on Wednesday after neither team was able to find the back of the net through regulation or overtime. With Almtuna trailing 1-0 in the shootout, the pressure shifted to Bartholdsson, who needed to score to keep his club alive and extend the competition to a third round of shooters. The forward delivered, converting his attempt to keep Almtuna’s hopes alive. While he came through in the shootout, Bartholdsson did not record a shot on goal during regulation or overtime.
Almtuna dropped a 4-1 decision to Mora IK on Friday. Bartholdsson did not play.
On Saturday, Bartholdsson was back with Rogle in the SHL as they defeated Orebro 3-2. He played on the fourth line and managed 2 SOG in just 7:25 TOI.
Oscar Olsson – Orebro HK – U20 Nationell
Olsson missed a pair of games on the weekend with an ongoing injury.
Vashek Blanar – HV71 – U20 Nationell
HV71 dropped a 5-1 decision to Vasteras IK on Saturday. Blanar did not register a point in the loss.
On Sunday, HV71 lost 5-3 to Orebro. Blanar did not register a point, had 2 SOG and was an uncharacteristic game low minus-3 on the day. It was his final game before heading to the Five-Nations Tournament this week.
Cole Spicer – Western Michigan
Western Michigan snapped its two-game losing streak in emphatic fashion with a 10-2 rout of Long Island on Thursday. Spicer chipped in an assist in the offensive outburst, a game in which all but one forward found the scoresheet. He also recorded four shots on goal, won six of 14 faceoffs, and logged 14:58 of ice time.
On Friday, Western Michigan completed a weekend sweep of Long Island with a 7-4 victory. Spicer contributed a pair of assists in the win, extending his strong start to the season. Through seven games, Spicer has recorded one goal and six assists for seven points, maintaining a point-per-game pace. He finished plus-2, registered three shots on goal, and won 9 of 19 faceoffs. Early in the season, Spicer appears to have put all the pieces together, emerging as a consistent offensive contributor while making an impact in all areas of the game.
Casper Nassen – Lake Superior State
It officially goes down as a 2-2 tie, however, Minnesota State defeated Lake Superior in a shootout on Friday. Nassen did not register a point, was a minus-1 and had 1 SOG.
Saturday’s rematch saw a complete reversal, with Lake Superior prevailing in the shootout, though the game officially goes into the books as a tie. Nassen was held off the scoresheet despite recording four shots on goal in 15:34 of ice time, and he was unsuccessful on his shootout attempt.
William Zellers, Cooper Simpson – University of North Dakota
After starting the season 4-0, ND dropped it’s third straight with a 5-3 loss to Michigan State on Saturday. Simpson and Zellers provided all of North Dakota’s offense. Down 2-0 on the powerplay, Simpson riffled a shot from the top of the right circle far post and in for his first of the game and NCAA career. Then, Zellers would tie it from exactly the same spot on a shot that the goaltender got a piece of, but found the back of the net to end his 4-game pointless streak. Trailing once again, Simpson would tie it, again on the powerplay with his second of the game.
Zellers finished with a goal and assist, was a minus-1 and had 5 SOG with 20:11 TOI. Simpson scored twice on 5 SOG and had 14:50 TOI.
Dean Letourneau, Kristian Kostadinski, Will Moore, Roberto Henriquez – Boston College
Boston College snapped its three-game winless streak on Friday with a 3-2 overtime victory over Northeastern. Kostadinski picked up his first point of the season with an assist on BC’s opening goal. His point shot was turned aside, but the Eagles capitalized on the rebound opportunity. Henriquez did not dress for the game, while Moore remains sidelined with an injury. Letourneau delivered the overtime winner and was one of Boston College’s most dangerous players throughout the night, finishing with nine shots on goal, winning three of 11 faceoffs, and logging 19:06 of ice time. His game took an interesting turn midway through the second period when a retaliatory penalty earned him an extended stay on the bench, as head coach Greg Brown was clearly unhappy with the infraction. Letourneau responded in the best possible way, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to help the Eagles end their three-game winless skid.
Boston College was unable to complete the weekend sweep as Northeastern earned a 4-3 overtime victory on Saturday, dropping the Eagles to 2-4-1 on the season. Letourneau continued his strong start, opening the scoring with his fifth goal of the year on the power play. Taking a pass off the rush inside the right circle, he snapped a quick shot past the goaltender for the game’s first goal. He later added his fifth assist of the season, finishing with a game-high nine shots on goal, a 10-for-21 mark in the faceoff circle, and 20:41 of ice time. Kostadinski was held off the scoresheet and finished minus-1 while logging 15:50 of ice time. Henriquez did not dress for the contest.
Chris Pelosi, Elliott Groenewold – Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac earned a 5-1 win over Providence on Saturday afternoon heading into Halloween festivities. Pelosi’s three-game point streak (2 goals, 2 assists) came to an end as he was held off the scoresheet. Despite not recording a point, Pelosi generated four shots on goal and won six of 10 faceoffs. Groenewold was also held without a point, extending his pointless streak to four games. He finished the afternoon plus-1 but did not register a shot on goal.
Jonathan Morello – Boston University
BU easily took care on Maine on Friday with a 7-2 victory to improve to 5-2 on the season. Morello earned an assist on the eventual game winning goal, just his second point of the season. He was a plus-2 with 4 SOG and was 5 for 12 on the dot.
On Saturday, BU won it’s third straight with a 3-2 overtime win in the rematch. Morello had zeroes across the board but was a perfect 6-0 on faceoffs with 13:04 TOI.
Beckett Hendrickson – University of Minnesota
Minnesota lost a shootout to Penn State on Friday but it officially goes down as a 1-1 tie. Hendrickson had zeroes across the board.
Minnesota prevailed 4-3 in overtime on Saturday. Hendrickson was held off the scoresheet, did not record a shot on goal, and finished with a team-low minus-2 rating.
Ryan Walsh – Cornell University
Cornell opened its season on Friday with a convincing 5-2 victory over Sacred Heart, and Walsh played a leading role in the win, scoring the Big Red’s first two goals of the night. Now in his fourth and final collegiate season, Walsh is looking to make the most of his senior campaign. The veteran forward will be aiming to build on a strong start as he works toward earning a professional opportunity once his NCAA career comes to a close.
In Saturday’s rematch, Sacred Heart edged Cornell 3-2. Walsh was held off the scoresheet but generated four shots on goal and won 26 of 36 faceoffs.
Cullen McCrate – Brantford Bulldogs – OHL
The Peterborough Petes edged Brantford 4-3 on Thursday, with Cullen McCrate held off the scoresheet. He had two shots on goal and finished minus-1. The scoreless outing marked the first time since the opening two games of the season that McRae has gone without a point in consecutive contests.
Brantford got back on the winning side Friday with a 3-1 win over the Ottawa 67’s. McCrate did not play.
On Sunday, Brantford was blanked 5-0 by the Kingston Frontenacs. McCrate remained sidelined.
Cole Chandler – Cape Breton – QMJHL
After a rough start to the season, Cape Breton won their fourth straight Friday with a 4-1 win over the Moncton Wildcats. Chandler increased his point streak to 3 games (2 goals, 3 assists) with an assist. He was a plus-1 on the night, had 2 SOG and went 3 for 4 on the dot.
Cape Breton extended its winning streak to five games on Sunday with a 5-2 victory over Saint John, and once again, Chandler was at the center of the offense.
As noted a few weeks ago, Cape Breton’s success often mirrors Chandler’s production, and that trend continued in this matchup. He opened the scoring just 1:39 into the game, finding himself alone in front before making a smooth backhand-to-forehand move for his fourth goal of the season. Chandler struck again with less than three minutes remaining in the second period. After breaking up a play at his own blue line, sped up ice on a 2-on-0 rush and finished it with another backhand deke to record his second goal of the night. The performance extended his point streak to four games, during which he has collected four goals and three assists.
Jacob Vandeven – London Knights – OHL
It was an unconventional lineup deployment for the London Knights, who dressed 13 forwards and five defensemen in Thursday’s matchup against the North Bay Battalion. Despite the unusual setup, London emerged with a 5-4 overtime victory. Vandeven did not record a point, finishing the game with a minus-1 rating and no shots on goal.
Their road trip through the north continued Friday and the Knights lost 4-3 to the Sudbury Wolves in overtime. Vandeven had zeroes across the board.
The first two games of the Knights’ northern road trip required overtime, and Sunday’s matchup followed a similar script as London edged the Soo Greyhounds 5-4 in extra time. For Vandeven, the game featured a milestone moment as he scored his first goal of the season just past the midway point of regulation, extending London’s lead to 3-1. The marker came on a heavy blast from the top of the right circle and stood as his lone shot on goal of the afternoon. He finished the contest with a minus-1 rating.
Yuri Ivanov – Spartak – MHL
Ivanov continued the up and down load of some of the prospects as he was with the main junior club on Tuesday. He dressed as the backup.
On Saturday, they blanked Krylya Sovetov 2-0. Ivanov was still with the main club but once again, he backed up in this game.
Providence Bruins
If Providence is going to turn around their tough start to the season, Friday nights 7-6 overtime win over the Springfield Thunderbirds has to be a step in the right direction. Ivan Ivan led the way with a pair of goals that included the overtime winner while also adding an assist. Mikey Eyssimont and Ty Gallagher both had a goal and two assists while Brian Halonen and Brendan Gaunce had a goal and assist. Lukas Reichel had the other goal. Simon Zajicek stopped 24 of 30 shots he faced while Providence had 41 in the other direction.
Providence had an explosive offensive output on Sunday as they hammered Leigh Valley Phantoms 8-0. Jiri Patera earned the shutout stopping all 21 shots he faced. Gaunce led the way with a pair of goals and an assist along with Alex Steeves who had a goal and 4 assists. Jake Schmaltz, Dans Locmelis, Cross Hanas, Lukas Reichel and Gallagher, who has scored in back-to-back- games also scored. Providence outshot the Phantoms 32-21. They went 1 for 3 on the PP and killed both penalties against them.
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:
With several European leagues entering a brief pause due to international tournament play, attention shifts to a pair of Bruins prospects on the international stage. Liam Pettersson (Sweden) and Vashek Blanar (Czechia) are set to compete at the Five Nations U20 Tournament as they look to strengthen their cases for selection to their respective countries’ World Junior Championship rosters. It ends with a head-to-head matchup on Sunday.
Meanwhile, club competition will take center stage later in the week as the Champions Hockey League playoffs get underway. Nils Bartholdsson, who has been with Rogle BK throughout Champions League play, is expected to be part of the club’s postseason push as the European championship tournament resumes.
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