Greetings, all! After last week’s technical difficulties, we’re back with a full CHL recap for last week.
Kole Sherwood-Flint Firebirds (OHL)
Season Stats 48GP 29-38-67
Starting off last week, Kole did something he hadn’t done since December 28th of last year when he was held pointless in a 4-0 loss to Owen Sound. During his 14-game point streak, Kole collected 31 points scoring 14 goals and 17 assists including a seven point game. For those needing a reminder, Kole only had 34 points all of last season.
Against Saginaw, Kole may have started a new streak. In the first with Flint trailing 1-0, Kole took a pass from Ryan Moore behind the defense and scored his 28th goal of the season in a 4-1 Flint loss.
Up next is one of the more fun nights in Flint. The Firebirds donned the jerseys of the team name I think everyone wanted them to be…The Flint Tropics. Starting off, the Sting led 1-0 when Jalen Smereck fired a slap pass to Kole who quickly passed to Ryan Moore who scored his 33rd of the season. The game would go back and forth and the game was tied at five before Kole struck. With just over a minute remaining, Kole entered the zone, skated to just above the circle and snapped a shot for his 29th goal of the season making it 6-5 in a 7-5 Flint win.
Pierre-Luc Dubois-Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
Season Stats 38GP 20-27-47 +15 52PIM
Pierre-Luc and the Armada opened the week against Baie-Comeau. Early in the first, the Armada entered the zone with Pierre getting the puck and firing a shot that was tipped in by Alexander Katerinakis to make it 1-0 in a 4-3 Armada win. The Armada erased a 3-1 deficit in the victory.
Next it was off to Chicoutimi for a game with the Sagueneens. Early in the second with the Armada trailing 3-2, PLD took a pass in the corner and found Antoine Crete-Belzille to tie it at three. PLD picked up another assist this time on the game winner, but the cameraman must’ve fallen asleep or something because he completely lost track of the puck. The final score of the win was 6-4.
In was time for another match up of the Jackets top two CHL prospects as Blainville faced Gatineau. PLD picked up an assist on the Armada’s opening goal but it didn’t make the highlights. In the second with the Armada leading 3-1, PLD won a draw and the puck went back to Joel Teasdale who passed to Connor Bramwell who found PLD at the top of the circles where he fired a shot to make it 4-1 Armada in a 5-1 win.
Closing out the week against Sherbrooke, PLD was held pointless in a 2-1 shootout win. He missed his attempt in the shootout.
Vitaly Abramov-Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Season Stats 56GP 43-44-87 +6 68PIM
Vitaly opened the week by going pointless in a 3-2 overtime loss. The game snapped a five game point streak during which Vitaly collected 13 points (6-7-13). But he wouldn’t go pointless for long starting with another big weekend.
First up against Sherbrooke, Vitaly had himself a night. Early in the first, Zack MacEwan stickhandled through the Phoenix lineup and slid a pass to a wide open Vitaly (not a smart move Sherbrooke) who snapped a shot to make it 1-0 on his 39th goal of the season. Later in the first, the Olympiques Russian duo skated in on a two on one with Yakov Trenin passing to Abramov and Vitaly finishing. After one time Jackets prospect Julien Pelletier scored, and a rare none Abramov related point went on the board, the diminutive Russian would strike. Late in the second, Abramov got the puck at the top of the circles in his own zone and was off to the races. As he got near the goal, Vitaly slammed on the brakes and waited, adding a pump fake before snapping a shot to complete the hat trick. After another Phoenix goal, Vitaly picked up an assist when he came out from behind the net and found Mitchell Balmas in front to make it 5-2 Gatineau. Later in the third after absorbing a check, Vitaly passed to Trenin who passed to Ryan O’ Bonsawin who fired a bomb for his first of the season to make it 6-2. In the win, Vitaly was named first star. This was Abramov’s second hat trick in four games and his 3rd of the season.
Next was a game against PLD and the Armada. After Blainville took a 1-0 lead, Abramov got the puck in his own zone and skated down the wing before skating into the slot and firing a shot top corner to make it 1-1 in a 5-1 Olympiques loss.
Closing out the week against Victoriaville, Vitaly was the hero. In the first after the Tigres took a 1-0 lead, Vitaly skated in and fought off a check. He lost the puck but Yakov Trenin was there to gather the puck and tie it at one. The game went back and forth and eventually headed to overtime. Late in the OT Vitaly took a pass at the redline, skated in and deked past the Tigres goalie to clinch Gatineau a 6-5 overtime win.
For Abramov’s big week he was named the QMJHL’s third star of the week making it a clean sweep for Vitaly as he was named second star just two weeks ago and first star back in December when he had 11 points in three games.
Calvin Thurkauf-Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Season Stats 47GP 30-24-54 +23 71PIM
It was another big week for Calvin. Starting off against Keegan Kolesar and the TBirds, Calvin opened the scoring when he took a pass from Nick Merkley and popped the Seattle goalie’s water bottle about a foot off the net. After introducing a TBird to his teammates on the bench, Calvin scored again when Merkley wrapped around the goal and found Calvin in front to make it 3-3 in what would end up a 6-3 Rockets win. Calvin was named 1st star.
Next the Spokane Chiefs came to town and opened up a big lead before the Rockets would get on the board. Early in the third with the Rockets trailing 3-2, The Swiss Beast struck. Calvin gathered the puck just inside the zone and drove around a Chiefs defender and went to the net before scoring on his second jab at the puck. Late in the game with the Chiefs trailing 4-3 and on the power play, Cal Foote passed to Reid Gardiner. His shot was stopped but Calvin was at the net front and tapped it past the Chiefs goalie to tie it at four. The game went to overtime with the Chiefs winning, but Calvin was named 1st star in the loss. Here are Calvin’s postgame comments.
Closing out the week against another Jackets prospect, Sam Ruopp and the Prince George Cougars came to town. Late in the game with the Rockets leading 4-2, Calvin gathered the puck at his own blueline and skated down the wing and into the slot before firing into the empty net to make it 5-2. It was Calvin’s 30 goal of the season and puts him at 99 career points.
Keegan Kolesar-Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Season Stats 42GP 19-24-43 +25 79PIM
Opening the week against Calvin and the Rockets, Keegan struck when, with the Birds trailing 2-1, he took a pass from Ethan Bear at the circle and hammered a shot to tie it at two. Sadly the TBirds would fall by a score of 6-3.
Up next against Red Deer, Keegan helped open the scoring when he passed to Mathew Barzal who skated in with Ryan Gropp on a two on one before Gropp fired a shot. That attempt was stopped but it bounced over the goalie and in. 26 seconds into the second period, Barzal intercepted a clearing attempt and found Gropp who passed to Keegan. The big CBJ prospect snapped a shot to make it 2-0 in a 4-1 Seattle win. Keegan was named second star of the game.
Up next, the team was off to Kennewick, Washington to face the Tri-City Americans. Gropp and Kolesar combined early in the third with Gropp passing to Keegan in front to make it 4-2 Americans.
And finally, the group headed back to Seattle for a game against Portland. Keegan picked up an assist when he skated through the zone and dropped a pass to Ethan Bear who hammered a shot to make it 2-1 Birds. Late in the third with the TBirds leading 4-3, Keegan took a home run pass from Bear and skated in before passing to Gropp who scored to make it 5-3 which held as the final score.
Keegan missed Seattle’s last game of the week as a late scratch. That he’s day to day is the only update I have.
Peter Thome-Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
Season Stats 22GP 13-4-0-1 2.95GAA .892Sv% 1SO
Another update, another team for Peter Thome. Unlike his previous trade, I’m not going to bore you with the details since there were no OSU recruits involved and it was a confusing three team deal so let’s move on.
Peter has mostly been the backup, but this weekend he got all of the work. In his Black Hawks debut (feels wrong saying that) Peter not only picked up the win but he picked up an assist when he settled a puck and gave it to Nick Swaney who flipped it to center ice. Shane Bowers gathered the puck from there and after one swipe at it, he fired and scored to make it 5-2. In the win, Peter made 32 saves for his 13th win of the season. This helper was Peter’s second assist of the season both have been with Waterloo.
Up next against the Lincoln Stars, Peter was the Star (see what I did there?). In the 6-0 Hawks shutout win, Peter made 22 saves for his first career USHL shutout. In the win Peter was named first star.
In stats I made up but that are backed up by the USHL’s Director of Communications, Cincinnati’s own Aaron Westendorf, Peter is the first goalie to win a USHL game with three different teams. Now for some hardware. For his successful week Peter was named the USHL’s goalie of the week. Last week Peter went 2-0 with a 1.00GAA and a .964 save percentage to go with his shutout.
There you have it, folks, another week in the world of CBJ prospects. Next week we could have an update on playoff hockey as the KHL playoffs have begun, but Vladislav Gavrikov has been injured.
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