Hello Blue Jackets fans! I’m back for another season of keeping you up to date on the team’s prospects from around the globe. I’ll be playing a bit of catch up as the European prospects have been playing since the start of the month.
Oscar Dansk – Erie Otters (OHL)
Season Stats 4GP 2-1-1 2.51GAA .925Sv%
Oscar and the Otters began the 2013-14 season on a five game road trip because they’re putting the finishing touches on renovations to the Erie Insurance Arena. In the season opener against Guelph it was a back and forth affair with the teams trading goals until Guelph would score 13 seconds into overtime. Oscar would make 33 saves in the loss. The next night it was off to Plymouth for a game against to the Whalers and fellow Jackets prospect Gianluca Curcuruto. With the help of two third period goals, Oscar would make 29 saves in winning his first game of the season. The Otters next game was another match-up with a Jackets prospect as it was off to Saginaw for a game with the Spirit and Nick Moutrey. The Spirit would get off to a quick start scoring just 47 seconds in and adding another in the second period. The Otters would score in the third to make it 2-1, with Oscar making 29 saves in the loss. Friday night it was off to Sarnia. Oscar would get his first night off in an 8-4 Otters loss to Kerby Rychel and the Windsor Spitfires.
Josh Anderson – London Knights (OHL)
Season Stats 3GP 2-0-2 +2 9PIM
Josh and the Knights began the defense of their back to back OHL titles, welcoming the team it defeated in a war of a Western Conference Final in the Plymouth Whalers. Josh was held scoreless in the Knights’ 3-0 win. After a week off, Josh and the boys would face the Saginaw Spirit and Josh was at his best scoring two goals and getting into a fight in a 6-3 Knights win. After Santino Centorame scored to make it 1-0 just 16 seconds later a Spirit player would try to take it out but would trip over the net giving the puck to Josh who’d snap it over Red Wings goalie prospect Jake Patterson’s shoulder. In the third period with the Knights leading 4-3 a Knights defenseman’s point shot would bounce off a Spirit players skate right to Josh who’d kick it to himself sliding to himself backhanding it past Patterson. Late in the third Josh instigated a fight with Sean Callaghan. Josh would wear an alternate captain’s A in the game. Unfortunately he was held scoreless in the Knight’s last game of the week, a 6-3 loss to Guelph.
Gianluca Curcuruto – Plymouth Whalers (OHL)
Season Stats 4GP 0-2-2 -2 4PIM
Gianluca and the Whalers got off to a rough start, losing their first three games with Gianluca being -2 and picking up no points. In a game against Ottawa Gianluca would pick up his first points of the season earning two almost identical assists. With the Whalers trailing 1-0 Gianluca would tee it up with Carter Sandlak deflecting it past the 67’s goalie, and late in the second period Ryan Hartman would tap in a rebound to make it 2-1 Whalers. The Whalers would win the game 4-2 with Gianluca being named 3rd star. Gianluca was held without a point in the Whalers 3-2 shootout win over Kingston on Sunday.
Nick Moutrey – Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Season Stats 5GP 1-2-3 -4 2PIM
The Spirit would open the season losing their first two games, with Nick being held scoreless. Nick then picked up an assist on Cody Payne’s fifth goal of the season in a 2-1 win over Oscar Dansk and the Otters. In the Spirit’s next game Nick and Cody would hook up again (highlights above with Josh) as Nick would win a puck battle in front getting the puck to Payne who’d shoot it through Anthony Stolarz’s five hole to make it 2-2. The Spirit would end up losing the game 6-3. Nick would score his first goal of the season in a 3-2 loss to North Bay (RIP Brampton Battalion).
Kerby Rychel – Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Season Stats 3GP 5-2-7 E 2PIM
Kerby was returned to Windsor from Columbus just in time to make his season debut wearing the captain’s C but not being official since the team was missing players from NHL camps (more on that later). In the second period with the Spits trailing 3-1, Kerby would drive to the net with the puck just dribbling over the line for his first of the season. In the third period Kerby would hook up with his partner in crime, 2014 draft prospect Josh Ho-Sang, with Josh sliding the puck cross crease finding a driving Kerby to tie it up 3-3. Kerby was named second star in the 4-3 loss. Before the team’s next game Kerby was named the Spitfire’s captain. He’s the first forward since Mickey Renaud to be named captain (Renaud passed away in 2008 of a rare heart condition). This is quite the honor for Kerby, as his father is the GM and Kerby has been around the organization since Warren bought part of the franchise in 2006. In the team’s next game Kerby was held scoreless in a 3-1 loss to Sarnia in which Windsor trailed 3-0 after the Sting had only taken 6 shots. Kerby would close out the week in a big way collecting his third career hat trick while also picking up two assists. Kerby would get the night started with an assist on Nikita Yazkov’s goal when Kerby would shoot it, Ho-Sang would get a whack at it before Yazkov would tap it past Devin Williams to make it 2-1. Kerby would strike early in the second off a two on two curling to the side and sneaking it through Williams later in the period with the Spits leading 4-2 Yazkov would fire a shot with the rebound coming back to him before getting to Rychel, who fired from the slot for his second goal of the night. Kerby would complete the hat trick when Ho-Sang would send a crosscrease shot with Kerby banging in the rebound. Kerby was named first star in the 8-4 win.
Oliver Bjorkstrand – Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season Stats 4GP 6-6-12 +6 0PIM
Oliver got off to a hot start picking up points in his first three games, including his second career five point game in a 9-2 demolishing of Prince George. Oliver would strike for the first time in the second period picking up an assist on Nic Petan’s goal to make it 2-1. Oliver’s second assist would come when he’d get the puck to Garrett Haar whose blast was tipped by Presten Kopeck for his second of the night. Oliver would assist on the next Hawks goal when he’d get a whack at it with the puck bouncing to Chase De Leo for his first. Oliver’s third point in a row would come off a beauty passing play with him depositing it into a pretty much empty net. Oliver would make it four straight goals he was in on, as he would send a cross crease pass to Chase De Leo for his second of the night. Oliver was named first star for his five point game. In the Winterhawks next game against rival Seattle, less than a minute into the third period Oliver would strike off a pass from Nic Petan who the goaltender was focusing on. Oliver would shoot but miss in the 4-3 shootout loss. A rare Tuesday game against Tri-City was an ugly one, with the Hawks losing 6-2. Oliver added to his point streak as the Americans goalie would leave the puck behind the net, but before his teammates could get there Oliver would send it out to Taylor Leier who’d shoot it for his first of the season. The fun thing about playing on the West Coast is you can see what other prospects do and say “anything you can do I can do better”. Oliver would match Kerby Rychel’s five point night but one up him by scoring four goals including two shorthanded goals. Oliver made it 2-0 when he chipped it past a T-Birds defender driving down the rink before using a toe drag move pushing it through the five hole. Oliver would pick up his assist when he passed it to Chase De Leo whose shot was stopped before Taylor Leier tapped it in. Oliver’s second shorthanded goal was even prettier, as Adam Rossignal would chip it ahead sending Oliver off to the races making a nifty move to slide it past the Seattle goalie. In the third period with the Hawks leading 7-0 (no seriously) Chase De Leo and Oliver would have a two on one with De Leo taking a shot and Oliver banging home the rebound for the hat trick. 1:27 later Garrett Haar would lead the rush sending a drop pass to Oliver, who snapped it over the Seattle goaltender’s shoulder. To the shock of no one Oliver was named first star in the 10-4 win with his second five point game of the season.
Dillon Heatherington – Swift Current Broncos (WHL)
Season Stats 4GP 1-2-3 +3 2PIM
Dillon and the Broncos started the season with a back to back against the Regina Pats. In the 7-2 win, Dillon would score his first goal of the season to make it 6-2 Broncos. In the big win Dillon was a +3 and wore an A. In the rematch on Saturday Dillon would get an assist when he fired a shot and the rebound would bounce to Jake DeBrusk for his first career goal. The Broncos would win the game 3-2. On Thursday the Broncos would announce the captains for the 2013-14 season, with Dillon being named an alternate captain. In the team’s 3-2 shootout loss Dillon was held scoreless. To close out the week the Broncos would travel to Medicine Hat for a game with the Tigers. In the 3-1 loss Dillon would pick up an assist much like his one the other night when his blast would rebound out to the slot for Graham Black to blast it past the Tigers goalie.
Before we move onto the European prospects here’s a quick update on Joonas Korpisalo. At some point he injured himself during the European Trophy before finally returning to the Jesters J20 team making 35 saves in a 2-1 overtime win.
Marko Dano – HC Slovan Bratislava (KHL)
Season Stats 10GP 1-1-2 -3 4PIM
Marko and the EaglePenguins were the first team to get started, kicking off the season on September 6th. Marko would score Slovan’s first goal of the season, while trailing 2-0 Marko would win a faceoff with the puck going back to a defenseman whose shot appeared to be blocked with Marko picking up the puck and blasting it past the Donbass goalie. Marko would play 10:41 in the 4-2 loss. Marko would then be held scoreless in the team’s next six games playing anywhere from nine to 13 minutes before picking up an assist in a 5-4 loss to Dynamo Moscow. With Slovan holding a 2-1 lead, Marko would start a pretty passing play with Peter Olvecky finishing it off. To close out the month Marko was held scoreless in a 3-1 win over Metallurg Novokuznetsk and playing his fewest minutes of the season with a whopping 7:09.
Alexander Wennberg – Frolunda Indians (SHL)
Season Stats 6GP 2-0-2 E 0PIM
Alexander began his SHL career scoring a goal in his debut. With Frolunda trailing 3-1 off a faceoff win, Mathias Olimb would battle for the puck finding Alexander in front snapping it past Stefan Steen. Wennberg would play 12:14 in the 4-3 loss. In the team’s next game against Lulea, Alexander would tie it up at 1 when the Lulea goalie thought he had it but Alexander would tap it in. The Indians would win the game 2-1 with Alexander playing 15:13. Alexander was held scoreless in the Indians next four games with the Indians going 2-2.
Anton Forsberg – MODO (SHL)
Season Stats 3GP 1-1-1 1.94GAA .932SV%
Anton would start the season opener picking up a 2-1 overtime win, making 26 saves. Anton had the next two games off with MODO going 1-0-0-1. He would return to the crease taking a shootout loss while making 29 saves but not stopping either of Lulea’s shooters in the skills competition. MODO’s next game was against Alexander Wennberg and Frolunda with the Indians picking up a 2-1 win with Anton stopping 27 of 29 in the loss. Anton did not play in a 2-1 loss to Farjestads.
Daniel Zaar – Rogle (SHL-2)
Season Stats 7GP 4-1-5 +1 0PIM
It has been a rough start of the season for Rogle with Daniel being the lone bright spot for the team. Daniel was quiet in the team’s first two game both losses not even taking a shot on goal, which is a little odd for the Swedish sniper. Game three would be different as Daniel would take seven shots on goal. With Rogle trailing 1-0, Daniel would gather the puck skating untouched to the slot snapping a wrist shot home to make it 1-1. Daniel was named third star in the 3-1 loss to Troja-Ljungby, playing 20:13. Rogle’s next game would be a battle of Jackets prospects as Daniel would travel to face Anton Blomqvist and the Malmo Redhawks. Daniel would make it 4-2 after a pretty passing play that ended with Daniel snapping it from just above the faceoff circle. In the 4-3 loss Daniel against was named 1st star. In Rogle’s first win of the season Daniel would have his best game so far scoring two goals and adding an assist. Daniel’s first goal would come with Rogle leading 1-0. After a blast from the point the rebound would come out and Daniel would take it from an Oskarshamn player and burying it from the slot. Early in the second period he’d scored his second, being part of a three on two and finishing it off on an almost empty net. Daniel would finish his three point night by finding Kelsey Tessier in front. Daniel was named first star in the 6-2 victory. Daniel was held scoreless in the next two games but would still be named first star in a loss to VIK Vasteras and third star in a shootout loss to Almtuna IS, in which he missed in the shootout. Daniel was named one of the stars of the week according to a Swedish site.
Markus Soberg – Frolunda Indians J20
Season Stats 8GP 6-3-9 +6 8PIM
Markus and the Indians have been the top team in the J20 SuperElit Sodra (southern part of Sweden), losing its season opener then rattling off seven straight. Markus was held scoreless in the season opening loss before having a season high four points with two goals and two assists in the team’s win over Orebro Hockey. While Markus was held scoreless in the next two Indians wins, he would score the extra point in a 7-0 win over the Vaxjo Lakers. In the Indians next game Soberg would open the scoring 3:25 into the first of a 3-2 win, while being held scoreless in the team’s win over Rogle. Markus would have another big game against Malmo picking up a sort of Gordie Howe hat trick scoring two goals an assist and earning a coincidental roughing call against Mathias Bau Hansen. Markus is currently second or tied for second in the J20 league in goals and assists.
There you have it folks my first update. I’ll be back again next week with all the prospects including the first updates for the NCAA prospects as most will be playing their preseason games, most against Canadian schools.
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