It may be mid-August, but for right now, there’s competitive and meaningful hockey on almost all day, every day. Yesterday’s World Juniors action saw Finland defeat Czechia in the shootout after an exciting back and forth game, followed by a commanding 11-1 Canadian victory over Slovakia, and concluded with the United States securing a dominant win of their own, 7-1 over Switzerland.
Today’s action only features two games, but a few quality ones. Sweden will take on Austria in the first game, set to faceoff around 2:00 pm ET, followed by Latvia and Slovakia around 6:00 pm ET. Despite the action in Edmonton, things have been relatively quiet in NHL circles lately, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t more to see around the other leagues, and we’ll keep that information sorted here throughout the day.
- Former Detroit Red Wings forward Dominic Turgeon is headed to Finland, signing with Porin Assat in the Finnish Liiga for next season (link). A third-round pick by Detroit in 2014, Turgeon was a standout for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL before turning pro. He played parts of five seasons with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s AHL affiliate, during which time he got into nine NHL games spread over the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. 2021-22 was Turgeon’s first season away from the Red Wings organization, getting into 58 games as a member of the Iowa Wild, where he had six goals and nine assists.
- Former Sudbury Wolves defenseman and captain Liam Ross is heading to the KHL, signing a one-year deal with Kunlun Red Star, the team confirms (link). Having concluded his OHL career without being drafted by an NHL club, Ross’s future had some uncertainty, but now the 21-year-old should have a chance to contribute to a team in one of the world’s top leagues outside of the NHL. While it may be challenging and an unfamiliar place for the Ontario native, if he can continue his development and show his ability to play at the pro level, it could expand his horizons down the road.
- After he signed a professional tryout contract with the Calgary Flames earlier this week, their Calgary Wranglers AHL affiliate signed defenseman Josh Brook to a one-year AHL contract, per a team release. Things haven’t gone as planned for Brook after the Montreal Canadiens drafted him in the second round in 2017, and he went unqualified this offseason after playing just 12 regular-season games between the AHL and ECHL in 2021 and 2022. Now with a guaranteed spot in the organization, Brook can focus on righting the ship and getting his NHL dreams back on track at age 23.
This post will be kept updated throughout the day.