Hello, all! It’s your friendly neighborhood prospect guru back for another year of prospect weeks in review. We have a lot of catch up to do, especially in Europe, so without further ado, lets get started.
Kole Sherwood-Flint Firebirds (OHL)
Season Stats 4GP 5-4-9 +5 4PIM
Not even 24 hours after being assigned back to London, Kole was on the move again as he was traded to the drama filled Flint Firebirds for a pair of second round picks and possibly a third if Kole plays his overage season there next year. We also learned that it was Kole’s play in Traverse City that convinced Flint’s GM to make the deal.
In Sherwood’s debut on the Firebirds top line with Nicholas Caamano and Ryan Moore, two of the OHL’s top scorers, Kole was a star for the Birds. In the second, with the Birds leading 3-2, Kole took a pass from Caamano behind the net and snapped a shot past the Sting’s goalie. Late in the game with Flint leading 6-4, Kole got a loose puck and set off on a two on one with Ryan Moore. The pair skated into the zone and Moore sent a pass to Kole who fired a shot from one knee to make it 7-4 which would end up being the final.
The next game was another big night for Kole. Late in the first, Kole and Moore skated in on a two on two with a 67s defender. The puck was deflected back to Moore who found Sherwood behind the defense and scored to make it 1-0. Early in the second, Kole gathered the puck in the corner and found Moore again, who found Nicholas Caamano in front to make it 2-0. The game went to OT and Sherwood was be a big part of the game winner. Kole stole the puck and found Luke Kirwin who passed to Sherwood in front. The Jackets’ prospec tried to jam it past the 67s goalie but was stopped. Kirwin gathered the loose puck and scored the game winner.
Up next in his first road game with the Birds in Mississauga, Kole again opened the scoring when, late in the first, he skated in and tried to pass. His attempt was stopped but somehow the Steelheads try to clear had the puck coming right out in front and Kole had an empty net to shoot into to make it 1-0. Late in the second, Kole picked up an assist on the Bird’s second goal. The game went to a shootout with Kole shooting second. Kole skated in and fired a backhand to tie the shootout at one but the Trout would win it in round three.
Finishing off the week in Erie, Kole again helped open the scoring when he skated into the zone, lost the puck but an Otters defenseman hit it right to Ryan Moore who made it 1-0 Firebirds. After three straight Otter goals, Flint’s top line struck with a pretty one. Nicholas Caamano curled from the wall and found Ryan Moore who quickly passed to Kole in front to finish the tic tac toe play making it 3-2 in a 5-3 Firebirds loss.
Vitaly Abramov-Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Season Stats 5GP 2-3-5 -2 6PIM
Abramov started off the season with a two game pointless streak before having a big night against Saint John. In the first, Abramov took a pass off the draw and snapped a shot from the point that was stopped. But Alex Dostie gathered the puck and shoved it past the Dogs goalie. In the second, Dostie returned the favor when he skated down the wing and found Vitalii in front who snapped a shot to make it 2-1. Midway through the third, Abramov and Dostie combined again when Abramov’s shot was blocked. He was able to gather the puck and pass to Dostie whose shot was deflected by Vincent Milot-Ouellet to make it 3-3 in a 5-4 overtime loss.
Up next against Moncton, the Wildcats struck twice before Abramov helped get the Piques on the board. Abramov skated in, was stopped but the rebound was gathered and sent to the point. Dostie passed to Abramov in front and he sent a cross crease pass to Zack MacEwan to make it 2-1 in a 3-2 Olympique loss.
Closing out the week against Cape Breton, Abramov scored just 1:01 after one time Jackets prospect (despite what the Eagles lineup sheet says) Olivier LeBlanc opened the scoring. The Olympiques fell by a score of 2-1. In the loss Abramov was named third star.
Calvin Thurkauf-Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Season Stats 4GP 3-1-4 +2 13PIM
Calvin returned to the Rockets and was held pointless against Prince George along with getting injured when he blocked a shot. Thankfully, he missed only one game. Calvin returned for a game against Lethbridge and tied his game high in points. In the second period, Calvin skated into the zone passed to fellow import Tomas Soustal who dropped the puck to Gordie Ballhorn to tie it at one. Early in the third, Calvin took a pass from Nick Merkley and skated in and shot top corner to make it 2-2. In the third with the game tied at three, off a faceoff, Calvin gathered the puck and was off to the races. He skated in and fired a shot for his second of the game to make it 4-3 in a 6-3 Rockets win. Calvin was named first star.
Next up against Edmonton, Calvin picked up probably first ever fighting major (his first in North America at least) when he took on Brandan Klatt in a bit of a marathon bout. In the third, Calvin broke the scoreless tie. Off a draw in the neutral zone, Devante Stephens tried to dump the puck in but it bounced off an Oil Kings defender right to Calvin who skated in and fired a shot to make it 1-0 and that would be the final score. In the win, Calvin was named third star.
To close out the week, Calvin and all of his teammates were held off the scoresheet in a 5-0 loss to Red Deer.
Sam Ruopp-Prince George Cougars (WHL)
Season Stats 4GP 0-1-1 +3 2PIM
Sam returned to the Cougars lineup and in something I find a bit shocking, he didn’t have his normal captain’s C on his roster, he wore only an A. Sam was held pointless in his season debut against Kelowna before picking an assist in the rematch. Early in the third, with the Cougars leading 1-0, Sam passed to Justin Almeida down low who passed to Max Martin at the point. Martin hammered a shot to make it 2-0 in a 3-0 Cougars win.
Sam was held pointless in the Cougars next two games, but the Cougars are the CHL’s hottest team right now currently on a eight game winning streak to start the season.
Peter Thome-Omaha Lancers (USHL)
Season Stats 4GP 2-0-0-0 3.99GAA .843Sv%
Its been a bit of a rough start for Peter and the Lancers. Peter started the season opener but did not finish it. He stopped only nine of thirteen before earning a two game stint on the bench. Thome finally got back in net when he drew back in in relief of Jacob Acton but it didn’t go much better. Peter stopped 14 of 18 while Acton only stopped four of eight in a 8-3 loss to Des Moines.
Finally, Peter picked up his first career win against Sioux Falls making 23 saves in a 6-3 Lancers win.
Peter made it back to back victories when he had 24 saves in a 3-2 win over Clark Cup Champion Tri-City to close out the weekend.
Kevin Stenlund-HV71 (SHL)
Season Stats 3GP 0-1-1 +2 0PIM
This season got off to a rough start for Kevin. He started the year on the injured list before coming back with the J20 team and picking up three points in three games. After that, Kevin was loaned to Vasterviks IK in Allsvenskan. Initially, that was going to be for just a few weeks but it lasted all of two games, and he did have four points in those two games.
Upon returning, Kevin did most of the work on Erik Andersson’s goal when he drove down the wing, shook off a check and found Andersson in the slot who control;ed the puck and fired to make it 2-0 in a 7-1 Chainsaws win.
Kevin went without a point in the team’s next two games.
Gabriel Carlsson-Linkoping HC (SHL)
Season Stats 6GP 0-1-1 +2 2PIM
Gabriel opened the season going pointless in the Lions first two games but he was second on the team in icetime. In the season opener against HV71, he played 19:03.
Gabriel picked up his first point of the season against a fellow Jackets prospect. Late in the first, Gabriel skated the puck into the zone and lost it but gathered it before giving it to Andrew Gordon who made it 2-1 in a 3-2 overtime loss.
Gabriel was held pointless in the Lion’s next two games and played almost 19 minutes in a 2-1 overtime loss to Leksands.
Oscar Dansk-Rogle (SHL)
Season Stats 4GP 2-1-0 4.08GAA .844Sv%
Oscar started the season as the backup and that lasted all of one game as the team lost 5-3. Oscar then returned to the net and made 21 saves in a 4-3 win.
Oscar then earned a back to back with a victory over Gabriel Carlsson’s team when he earned 29 saves in a 3-2 overtime win. Oscar’s next game was an ugly one. He stopped only 10 of 15 making it 5-3 in a 7-6 Rogle loss in which Oscar would earn no decision.
After a night off, Oscar took another loss stopping 16 in a 4-2 loss to Karlskrona HK.
Veeti Vainio-KooKoo (Liiga)
Season Stats 7GP 0-1-1 -3 4PIM
Veeti went pointless in his first game with the…(yeah I need some more time to make up a nickname for the team) KooKoobirds? Anyhoo, Veeti picked up an assist very late on a garbage time goal with a second or so left in the game. With the puck at the blueline, Vainio skated around a defender and into the zone to find Mikko Lehtonen who shot and scored to make it 3-1 in a 3-1 loss.
Veeti went pointless in the team’s next six games with diminishing icetime, he didn’t even play 10 minutes in three of their last four games, including a whopping 6:32 before being sentenced to the pressbox for the team’s last two.
Elvis Merzlikins-HC Lugano (NLA)
Season Stats 5GP 4-0-1-0 2.16GAA .931Sv%
Elvis, like Oscar, started the season as the backup in a 4-3 loss before taking over the net and picking up wins over Ambri-Piotta when he stopped 24 of 27 in a 5-3 win, and turning away 33 of 34 in a 3-1 win over Fribourg-Gottéron.
Before the team’s next game, Elvis suffered an injury during practice that forced him to miss the Panther’s next six games.
In his first start back, Elvis stopped 30 of 33 in a 4-3 overtime win over SC Bern (the team that beat Elvis and HCL for the NLA title). In their next game, the score was reversed as Elvis fell 4-3 in overtime making 31 saves.
To close out this period of time, Elvis made 31 saves in a 3-1 win over EHC Biel.
Vladislav Gavrikov-Lokomotiv (KHL)
Season Stats 18GP 0-3-3 +5 6PIM
Vladislav opened the season going without a point for the first eight games while playing more than 17 minutes in all but one of them.
In a game against Neftekhimik, in the first with the Trains on the penalty kill, off a faceoff, Vladislav got the puck and sent it around the boards with Max Talbot gathering it and skating in and shooting. His shot was stopped but Petri Kontiola picked up the rebound to make it 1-0 in a 2-1 loss.
After two games without a point, Gavrikov found his way back to the scoresheet as part of a four goal second for Lokomotiv. Off a draw, Vladislav passed down low to Yegor Korshkov who skated to the blueline and passed to Pavel Kraskovsky. He fired and his shot trickled past the Spartak goalie to make it 4-1 and end Markus Svensson’s night. Lokomotiv won the game 6-3.
After two more games without a point, Gavrikov picked up an assist on Daniil Apalkov’s goal to tie the game at three in a 4-3 loss.
Gavrikov went without a point in the team’s next two games but he set a new career high in time on ice playing 24:36 in a 3-2 shootout loss. That game also set a new record for longest shootout in KHL history 18 rounds.
There you have it, folks. I’ll be back with updates for the first time ever on the defending Calder Cup Champions – the Lake Erie Monsters – now known as the Cleveland Monsters. Of course I’ll be heading up for opening night to watch the banner raising ceremony this coming week.
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