Hello, all! Time for the CBJ prospect week in review!
We start of in Cleveland for a quick stop. The Monsters came out of the All Star Break with a back to back with Iowa and…they fell flat on their face. Friday night Alex Stalock shut them out. Anton Forsberg took the loss and stopped only nine of eleven in the 3-0 loss.
Saturday night was slightly better – they at least got a point. Brad Thiessen stopped 23 of 24 in the overtime loss.
Now let’s take our regular tour around the world to check in on the rest of the Blue Jackets’ prospects.
Kole Sherwood-Flint Firebirds (OHL)
Season Stats 42GP 26-32-58 +17 45PIM
Kole returned from his three game suspension this week and picked up right where he left off. Early in the first, Kole took a pass out of the corner, skated into the neutral zone and found Ryan Moore. Moore skated in and scored to make it 1-0. Early in the second, Kole fired a shot that started some net front chaos with Moore finishing it to make it 2-0. Four minutes later, Moore and Sherwood would team up again when Kole took a pass above the blueline and he skated around 2016 1st overall pick Ryan Merkley before backhanding a shot to make it 3-0. The Storm roared back with three straight goals to tie the game and send it to overtime. Early in OT, Kole entered the zone and fired a shot above the circles that was stopped but he followed the puck and hammered a shot from the circle to win it. Kole was named first star.
Up next against Kitchener, Kole opened the scoring when he took a pass from Alex Peters and snapped a shot to make it 1-0 just 57 seconds into the game. Later in the game, Kole skated in on a two on one before taking a pass and trying to slide one around the goalie. But Maurizio Colella tipped it to make it 4-1 in a 5-2 victory. Kole was named third star.
Dante Salituro-London Knights (OHL)
Season Stats 12GP 6-6-12 +11 10PIM
Starting off against Kitchener, Dante closed out the scoring in a blowout win. Late in the third, Dante entered the zone and lost the puck due to a hit before JJ Piccinich found Mitchell Stephens. Stephens who dropped the puck to Dante whose shot was stopped, but he would pick up his rebound to make it 6-1.
Up next against Owen Sound late in another blowout, Dante garnered the attention of three Attack players before passing to Robert Thomas who quickly passed to Mitchell Stephens who snapped a shot to make it 4-0 Knights. Dante was held without a point in a 4-1 loss to Saginaw.
Pierre-Luc Dubois-Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
Season Stats 32GP 18-21-39 +10 48PIM
We open up the week for PLD in a game against Drummondville. After a scoreless first, PLD started the scoring. PLD dumped the puck with Alexander Alain gathering it and passing to Anthony Poulin who found Pierre in front. He fired quickly to make it 1-0 in a 6-0 Armada win.
Up next against Val-d’Or, Pierre again opened the scoring when, on the power play, PLD finished a passing play by snapping off a shot to make it 1-0. 1:44 later Pierre skated down the wing and drew the attention of two Drillers before threading a pass to Alexander Alain who made it 2-0. The game turned in Val-d’Or’s way after another Armada goal made it 4-3 Foreurs. But then it fell to Dubois to set up the game tying goal. Pierre joined a board battle, got the puck and passed to TJ Melancon at the point who hammered a shot to make it 4-4. Early in the resulting overtime, PLD skated in and gathered a loose puck in the Val-d’Or zone before skating around a defender and sliding in a backhand for his second of the night. In the 5-4 overtime win, PLD was named first star.
Vitaly Abramov-Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Season Stats 50GP 35-39-74 -2 64PIM
It was a busy but very successful week for Vitaly. Starting off against Baie-Comeau, Vitaly had a big night. Late in the first, they young Russian gathered a loose puck from a Drakkar dman who was trying to clear and Abramov skated in and passed to countryman Yakov Trenin who made it 2-0. 2:19 later abracadAbramov performed a little magic. Vitaly took a long pass, split the defense, and skated in before sliding a backhand to make it 3-0. Drakkar responded by scoring three straight to tie it. In overtime, much like Vitaly’s earlier goal, he took a pass behind the defense and skated in before slamming on the brakes and finding a trailing Mitchell Balmas who won it. Vitaly was named first star in the victory.
Next up, another game another big night for the Russian. Playing against Val-d’Or, the Foreurs built a 2-0 lead before Vitaly and Yakov Trenin combined. In the first, Vitaly passed to Trenin who skated in and. with a broken stick, snapped a shot to make it 2-1. 3:08 later, Vitaly skated in and stickhandled around a diving defender before passing to Jake Barter who made it 2-2. Late in the second, with the Foreurs leading 4-3 and the Piques on the power play, Vitaly took a pass at the top of the circle and shot towards the net with Jeffrey Durocher finishing to tie it at four. Late in the third, with Gatineau leading 6-5, a Gatineau player kept the puck in and found Vitaly who skated around and shot over the Val-d’Or goalie for his 34th goal of the season. Vitaly was named second star in the win.
Closing out the week against Shawinigan, 1:18 after Gatineau took a 1-0 lead, Vitaly struck when Yakov Trenin skated in and missed on a shot, but Vitaly was close enough to gather the puck and fire into an almost empty net for his 35th of the season. The Olympiques won in overtime by a score of 3-2.
For his successful week, Vitaly was named second star for the QMJHL.
Calvin Thurkauf-Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Season Stats 41GP 24-23-47 +20 64PIM
Calvin started this week off in a big way in a blowout win over Calgary. After the Hitmen scored, Calvin picked up an assist on the Rocket’s first goal. Then, just under two minutes later Nick Merkley skated through the Calgary defense and threw a puck in front that Calvin tipped past the Hitmen goalie, (it bounced off the goalie’s skate). Later in the first, out of a board battle Calvin found Nick Merkley who snapped a shot to make it 3-1. In the second after a Calgary goal, Calvin picked up an assist on Nolan Foote’s goal. Then, midway through the second, Merkauf would combine again when Calvin passed to Nick Merkley who found a driving Calvin in front to score his second of the night. In the 8-2 win Calvin was named third star.
Up next it was off to Prince George for a pair against the Cougars. Late in the first Calvin passed to Nick Merkley who skated in and found Reid Gardiner to make it 2-0 in a 3-2 Rockets victory.
Closing out the week, it would be another confusing one. Much like a game in my last recap, the gamesheet shows Calvin picking up no points but in the game by game report it shows Calvin with an assist, so who knows.
Keegan Kolesar-Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Season Stats 34GP 12-16-28 +17 62PIM
Keegan followed up his four point night with another big night against Kamloops. Starting in the third with the Birds trailing 2-1, Keegan scored his first of the night. Turner Ottenbreit fired a blast that was stopped with the rebound going to Keegan who fired to make it 2-2. After the teams went back and forth with goals, Keegan ended up being the hero. Early in OT, a mishandle by both the TBirds goalie and Keegan and after a blocked shot/poke check by Ethan Bear, Keegan was off to the races. He skated in and deked past the Blazers goalie to make it 4-3 TBirds.
Keegan was held pointless in a 3-2 shootout win over Kamloops. In the rematch, he did get into a fight with Jermaine Loewen and scored in the second round of a nine round shootout.
Keegan was held pointless in a loss to Portland to close out the week.
Tyler Bird-Brown Bears (ECAC)
Season Stats 23GP 5-5-10 -7 16PIM
Tyler and the rest of the Bears were held pointless in a 1-0 loss to Quinnipiac on Friday night.
Saturday night against Princeton, Tyler opened the scoring. With the Bears shorthanded, Tyler took a pass from Davey Middleton and hammered a shot from the slot to make it 1-0 in a 3-3 tie. Tyler’s goal was the Bear’s third shorthanded goal in their last four games.
Ryan Collins-Minnesota Golden Gophers (Big 10)
Season Stats 25GP 2-4-6 +9 18PIM
Ryan and the Gophers welcomed the Penn State Nittany Lions to town and Ryan picked up an assist on Vinni Lettieri’s opening goal. Ryan chipped the puck in and Taylor Cammarata gathered it before passing to Letteiri who scored to make it 1-0 in a 5-1 Gophers win. In the win Collins laid this big hit on a Lions player.
Ryan was held pointless in the rematch, a 5-2 Gophers win.
Andrew Peeke-Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Hockey East)
Season Stats 28GP 4-9-13 +11 10PIM
Starting off against Vermont, with the Irish leading 1-0, Andrew sent a long pass to Mike O’Leary who spun and passed to Bo Brauer who made it 2-0. Late in the third with the Irish trailing 4-3 and on the power play, Andrew fired a shot that led to some net front chaos before Cam Morrison scored the game tying goal with 1:13 remaining. The game ended in a 4-4 tie. Andrew was named third star.
Andrew was held pointless in a 4-1 win on Saturday.
Kevin Stenlund-HV71 (SHL)
Season Stats 38GP 12-6-18 +9 10PIM
Kevin was held pointless in the Chainsaws first two games last week before scoring against a fellow Jackets prospect. In the third, with the game tied at one, Oscar Sundh and Par Albrandt skated in on a two on one before Arlbrandt fired and the Lions goalie had no idea where the puck went. Kevin gathered the puck and put it past the netminder to make it 2-1 in a 3-2 shootout loss.
There you have it folks! Another week in review in the world of CBJ prospects. We’ll be back next week with a full week of action. You’ll have a chance to see a prospect in action as Ryan Collins and the Golden Gophers come to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes.
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