We should be a month into fully-fledged hockey throughout the world. But we’re not, because 2020 is a pandemic year that we all have to try to get through. But there is some hockey to keep track of with Calgary Flames prospects competing.
Let’s check in on how hockey’s going, shall we?
In case you missed it:
- Last week’s update
- In the USHL, Jake Boltmann and the Lincoln Stars begin their regular season on Nov. 6. Boltmann has no points so far in the preseason.
Not playing yet:
- The AHL. Last word was the AHL was aiming for a Dec. 4 start, but that’s increasingly looking unlikely. Players waiting for the Heat to start up include Emilio Pettersen, Luke Philp, Adam Ruzicka, Matthew Phillips, Glenn Gawdin, Justin Kirkland, Alexander Yelesin, Carl-Johan Lerby, Connor Mackey, Colton Poolman and Tyler Parsons. (Depending on the status of the Canadian border, Stockton may be playing in Canada for 2020-21.)
- The ECHL. A chunk of the teams, including Kansas City, begin play on Dec. 11. A schedule is out and everything! It’s unclear how NHL-contracted players will be involved – right now it looks like they won’t be until NHL and AHL camps get going.
- The WHL. The Dub is supposed to open on Jan. 8. Everett’s Dustin Wolf and Kamloops’ Connor Zary are waiting for their seasons to start.
- The OHL. The OHL hasn’t set a start date yet officially, but last word was they’re targeting Feb. 4. Sault Ste Marie’s Rory Kerins is the lone Flame pick in the O.
- The NCAA. The NCAA schedules are conference-centric, and things vary:
- Michigan State (Josh Nodler and Mitchell Mattson) plays in the Big 10, which has announced a Nov. 13 start date but hasn’t yet announced a schedule. Considering that’s in two weeks, that’s not a great sign.
- Connecticut (Yan Kuznetsov) plays in Hockey East. They haven’t announced anything except a broad intention to play this season (which they announced back in July).
- Arizona State (Demetrios Koumontzis) are independent but are playing games this season against the Big 10 conference. That season begins (in theory) on Nov. 13 but, again, no schedule has been announced.
Lucas Feuk- LW, AIK, Allsvenskan/Superelit
GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
Allsvenskan up to date | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5.19 |
Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Superelit up to date | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9.50 |
Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Feuk was the Flames’ fourth round pick in 2019. Like he did last season, he’s been bouncing around a bit between Allsvenskan (Sweden’s secondary pro league) and Superelit (Sweden’s major junior league). He’s a depth body in pro (at 19), but one of the top players on his junior team.
Ryan Francis- C, Cape Breton Eagles, QMJHL
GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
Up to date | 8 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 26.20 |
Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Francis was the Flames’ fifth round pick earlier this month. He’s a point-per-game player right now, but he’s pretty dependent on special teams for production.
Johannes Kinnvall- D, HV71, SHL
GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
Up to date | 6 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 57.01 |
Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Kinnvall is the offensive engine for HV71’s power play and despite missing three weeks to begin the SHL season with a shoulder injury, he’s one of the top point-generating D-men in the circuit. He is dependent on PP time for his points, though.
A free agent signing in the spring, Kinnvall’s on loan to HV71 for the full season.
Jakob Pelletier- LW, Val-d’Or Foreurs, QMJHL
GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
Up to date | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 34.93 |
Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
The Flames’ first round pick in 2019, Pelletier’s now captaining Val-d’Or after spending last season with Moncton. The Foreurs haven’t played since Oct. 10 due to COVID-19 restrictions in Quebec. They’re supposed to be back in action this weekend for a home-and-home with Rouyn-Noranda. (He’s under contract, but his deal won’t begin until next season as long as he’s still in junior.)
Jeremie Poirier- D, Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL
GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
Up to date | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 19.41 |
Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
The Flames’ third round pick in early October, Poirier is off to a steady start for Saint John. He’s scoring at just shy of a point-per-game pace and all of his points are at even strength.
Martin Pospisil- C/LW, HC Kosice, Tipsport Liga
GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
Up to date | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | n/a |
Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Based on how the Tipsport Liga schedule is laid out, HC Kosice should have played eight games by now. They’ve played three so far, and the rest of the league is between one and six games played due to COVID-19 restrictions. It’s going to be a weird season.
The Flames’ fourth round pick in 2018 and signed to an entry level contract, Pospisil is on loan until the North American season begins.
Ilya Solovyov- D, Dynamo Minsk, KHL
GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
Up to date | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 11.93 |
Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
A seventh rounder in the 2020 draft, Solovyov is on the third pairing for Dynamo Minsk. But he’s just 20 and given his age it’s fairly remarkable that he’s getting a regular shift in the KHL.
Filip Sveningsson- LW, MODO Hockey, Allsvenskan
GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
Up to date | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5.19 |
Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
A seventh rounder back in 2017, Sveningsson is off to a quiet offensive start this season. He had four points in 29 SHL games and four points in eight Allsvenskan games last season, so this is basically just a reflection of the role he has with MODO right now.
The Flames have until June 1 (2021) to sign him or they’ll lose his rights.
Eetu Tuulola- RW, Vasterviks IK, Allsvenskan
GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
Up to date | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 12.21 |
Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Tuulola is playing top six minutes for Vasterviks while he waits for the North American season to start. He’s not a huge offensive producer yet, but has chipped in somewhat. (He was a sixth rounder in 2016 and is headed into the second year of his ELC.)
Juuso Valimaki- D, Tampereen Ilves, SM-Liiga
GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
Up to date | 10 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 43.09 |
Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
The Flames’ first rounder in 2017 is playing top pairing minutes in Finland’s top league to knock a year and a half of rust off after missing all of last season with an ACL injury. He’s performing well thus far. (He’s entering the third season of his ELC.)
Dmitri Zavgorodniy- C/RW, SKA St. Petersburg, KHL
GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
Up to date | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 49.32 |
Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Zavgorodniy hasn’t played since Oct. 7 due to an injury, but is reportedly ready to return. A seventh round pick in 2018, he’s about to begin his ELC.
Daniil Chechelev- G, Russkie Vityaz Chekhov, MHL / HK Ryazan, VHL
GP | TOI | SV% | |
MHL up to date | 10 | 571 | 0.943 |
Change from last week | – | – | – |
VHL up to date | 3 | 147 | 0.987 |
Change from last week | – | – | – |
The Flames’ fourth rounder in 2020, Chechelev was superb for his junior team (Russkie Vityaz Chekhov, “the Russian Knights”) and was called up to the minor-pro VHL to play with HK Ryazan. He had a shutout in his first start after his recall giving him two VHL shutouts in two VHL starts. He has yet to lose a game this season.
Artyom Zagidulin- G, Metallurg Magnitigorsk, KHL
GP | TOI | SV% | |
Up to date | 3 | 159 | 0.862 |
Change from last week | – | – | – |
A free agent signing on loan to the KHL until NHL camps begin, Zagidulin has made three appearances and has been alright. He was pulled in one game, was great in another, and suffered a close loss in his third outing.
