Judd Brackett Expected To Leave Wild
The Minnesota Wild could lose a core piece of their scouting room before the NHL Draft. Director of Amateur Scouting Judd Brackett is expected to leave the club for an elevated position somewhere else per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Brackett was granted permission to speak with the Toronto Maple Leafs regarding an assistant general manager position per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Brackett has built a strong reputation across USA Hockey – one honed since his move to the Minnesota Wild in 2020. He holds a strong voice in the Wild’s draft and prospect development conversations and played a role in the team’s connection to promising draft picks like Zeev Buium, Charlie Stramel, and Adam Benak.
Before his time with the Wild, Brackett spent seven seasons as an amateur scout and five seasons as Director of Amateur Scouting with the Vancouver Canucks. He was, again, a strong voice in the rooms that drafted Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser, and Thatcher Demko. Brackett was also a strong advocate for the 2019 U.S. National Team Development Program that produced Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, Matt Boldy, and Trevor Zegras – though none found a home in Vancouver.
His accolades with USA Hockey extend beyond recognizing strong, NTDP talent. He was a scout for Team USA’s 2024, 2025, and 2026 World Junior Championship rosters. The Americans won Gold in two of those tournaments but fell to Finland in the quarterfinals this year. He also won a QMJHL championship in 2008 and two USHL Clark Cups in 2009 and 2014.
A step up in the hierarchy seems well-timed on the other side of Brackett’s sixth year with the Wild. While Toronto represents the most direct connection currently, it would be no surprise to see Brackett return to the Canucks organization amid their biggest front-office shakeup in recent years. Whether it’s a move to Canada, or a shift to a team-in-need like the Nashville Predators, Brackett’s talents as a draft mind will seemingly be put to the test this Summer. His insight could be the final push needed to encourage Toronto to draft perennial star Gavin McKenna, or begin honing in coverage of a loaded 2027 draft class.
Senators Interested In Mason McTavish
The Ottawa Senators will have a busy summer ahead, one way or another. After expressing interest in building out the blue-line, and padding their goalie depth, general manager Steve Staios has also made it clear that Ottawa needs another top-six forward per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. Garrioch names Anaheim Ducks youngster Mason McTavish as the current name on Ottawa’s radar, though Seattle Kraken center Jared McCann and St. Louis Blues’ winger Jordan Kyrou could also fit the bill.
Staios has the rare experience of having traded for McTavish once before. He acquired the burly forward for the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs in a 2022 trade with the Peterborough Petes. McTavish had put together a season of dominance in the year leading up to the trade – earning a top-three selection in the 2021 NHL Draft on the back of a Covid-shortened season, but strong performance, in Switzerland’s second-tier pro league. He made his NHL and AHL debuts at the very start of the 2021-22 season, then closed the year as the star of Staios’ OHL championship-winning Bulldogs.
Since then, McTavish has put up four consecutive seasons of at least 40 points in the NHL. He hit a career-high 22 goals and 52 points – the most goals and second-most points on the Ducks – in the 2024-25 season, but fell back to 41 points in 75 games this year. Even with up-and-down success, and a fluctuating lineup role, McTavish has still shined as a young professional. He earned Anaheim’s alternate captaincy in 2023 and has carried the letter through two more seasons since. McTavish was also the captain of Team Canada at his sole appearances in the 2021 U18 Men’s World Championship and 2022 World Junior Championship.
There seems to be some certainty that McTavish can hold down a middle-six role in the lineup. His upside could be far higher, having broken the 20-goal ceiling once before his 23rd birthday. Garrioch also points out McTavish’s career-long 48.6 faceoff percentage, which peaked with a 51.7 percent in the 2023-24 season. That added tool could give Ottawa some interesting flexibility with Dylan Cozens‘ role as second-line center – while also padding the forward depth chart as a whole.
The cost of that certainty could be high, especially if Ottawa hopes to find it in a recent, top-three draft pick. The Senators’ don’t have a wealth of talent, or assets, to work with – but they do have two first-round picks and four third-round picks over the next two classes. That includes the 32nd-overall pick this season – a spot that’s locked in after Ottawa’s pick was revoked, then regranted, following a trade scandal. Ottawa could build an impressive package if they send that selection, additional draft capital, and a rising prospect like Blake Montgomery the other way.
Big Hype Prospects: DuPont, Vanhanen, Lecompte, Pridham
The 2026 Memorial Cup has been action-packed. On the other side of the round robin, the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers and WHL’s Everett Silvertips have broken away from the pack and will compete for the CHL championship. One roster represents immense depth, while the other has one of the strongest top-lines in recent, junior hockey memory. Both are led by top NHL draft talent, giving us another chance to borrow MLB Trade Rumors’ Big Hype Prospect series. This time, we’ll focus on the top scorers, and storylines, from Canada’s top tournament.
Four Big Hype Prospects
Landon DuPont, RD, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
2025-26 Season – 63 GP, 18 G / 55 A / 73 P, 52 PIM, +59
Landon DuPont receives a rare double-feature in the Big Hype series on the other side of the second-highest scoring season a 16-year-old defenseman has ever put up in the WHL. He is the modern addition to a list including Doug Bodger (1982-83), Jim Benning (1979-80), and Scott Niedermayer (1989-90) and DuPont fits right in with the trio of NHL veterans. He was nothing short of electric this season, consistently taking over shifts with his effortless skating and next-level thinking. Those star traits are continuing to propel Everett past their competition at the Memorial Cup, even as DuPont fights through an injury that held him out of the Silvertips’ Game 3 against the Kelowna Rockets. He was back in the lineup for a 6-1 win over the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, though, and should get superstar treatment in the Final. On the other side of this tournament, DuPont will face tough questions about a potential NCAA future ahead of what appears to be, from far out, a surefire first-overall selection in 2027.
Matias Vanhanen, LW, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
2025-26 Season – 62 GP, 21 G / 66 A / 87 P, 6 PIM, +58
Playing in front of DuPont has had its perks for the last two seasons – but winger Matias Vanhanen has shown the boost a complimentary style can bring. He led the Silvertips in scoring this season while playing smarter and harder than most of his peers. Vanhanen has the oomph to bully his way through traffic, or through battles in the corners, even while standing at 5-foot-10. The winger was largely unknown after spending last season – his first year of draft eligibility – in Finland’s U20 league. His year ended with a five-game taste of the Liiga and Vanhanen has brought those pro habits into his first season in North America. Boosted by smart, playmaking instincts, reliable puck-control, and a tireless motor – Vanhanen has held scout attention all season long. He is a strong blip on the draft radar and could be playing his way into high second-round territory with a tournament-leading seven points at the Memorial Cup.
Nathan Lecompte, C, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)
2025-26 Season – 61 GP, 27 G / 36 A / 63 P, 20 PIM, +21
Another player entering his second year of NHL Draft eligibility, Nathan Lecompte found a new gear in his ability to drive the Saguenéens’ offense this season. He was a constant threat coming down the wings, capable of finding sneaky passes on odd-man-rushes or simply firing a hard wrist-shot in a blink. Lecompte’s ability to suck in opponents created space for goal-scoring teammates and he was quick to follow chances through to the net. He had the benefit of great company in Chicoutimi – but still fit perfectly as the orchestrater in a loaded top-six. Lecompte was a surprise performer at the New Jersey Devils’ 2025 training camp, as a free-agent invite, and has draft precedent in his family – the son of a former Chicago Blackhawks first-round pick Eric Lecompte. Perhaps most exciting for the scouts is Eric’s 6-foot-5 frame, which could suggest some late growth for the 5-foot-10 Nathan. That growth will come at Northeastern University – a club that should cater well to Lecompte’s ability to stand out on the fast break – next season.
Jack Pridham, RW, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
2025-26 Season – 65 GP, 46 G / 44 A / 90 P, 54 PIM, +38
Chicago Blackhawks draft pick Jack Pridham broke out as a dominant scorer while playing as one of only 50 age-20 players in the OHL. He used every bit of his 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame to punish opponents, standing as a bully in the middle of the offensive zone with the quick hands needed to convert on pucks that come his way. Pridham added to that a lights-out shot when left with too much space, and a new layer of speed as he broke into the zone. There is buzz that the OHL’s second-ranking goal-scorer could go unsigned by Chicago this Spring, which would allow his rights to expire in the Summer unless he announces a new commitment to the NCAA – having previously decommitted from Boston University. That could set the third-year draft-eligible up to re-enter the 2025 draft class, though his eligibility has been debated by draft pundits. Should he enter the class, Pridham would quickly become one of the most interesting prospects of the year – with the size and quick thinking needed to earn a pro role juxtaposed by a much lower developmental standing than many of his other age-20 peers.
Prospect Notes: Meyer, MacKinnon, Second Overall
Top 2027 NHL Draft prospect Carter Meyer could be making a groundbreaking change of leagues. The U.S. star has requested release from the U.S. National Team Development Program per Jeff Marek of Daily Faceoff. Meyer is undoubtedly the top player of the NTDP’s U17 squad and is currently projected to be drafted in the 2027 top-10. Should he be granted release, Meyer would likely move to the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts, who picked up his rights with the 17th-overall pick in the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft.
Meyer is a true, top playmaker who proved he had the top-end motor to support his top-end skill during his first year at the NTDP. He led the team in scoring with 15 goals and 37 points in 42 total games – four points more than Nolan Fitzhenry in second place. The Boston University-commit also led the U.S. roster in scoring with 10 points in four games of the World U17 Hockey Championship. That performance earned him a promotion to the roster for the U18 Men’s World Championship, where he notched five points in five games. Meyer is the son of 281-game veteran of the NHL Freddy Meyer, who currently serves as the head coach of The Rivers School in Massachussetts high school hockey.
Other notes from the prospect world:
- The Providence Bruins have signed defenseman Dylan MacKinnon to a one-year, two-way, AHL contract. MacKinnon wrapped up his fifth season in the QMJHL this year, finishing with just 12 points in 47 games between the Moncton Wildcats and Charlottetown Islanders. He signed with the ECHL’s Maine Mariners to finish the season and managed no scoring in three pro games. MacKinnon was the shutdown defender on strong, offense-first teams during his junior career. That style didn’t pop much, leading the Nashville Predators to forgo signing MacKinnon after drafting him in the 2023 third-round. He will look to fit in a bit better at the AHL flight.
- Speculation around the San Jose Sharks’ dangling of the second-overall pick continues to grow. The team could find potential trade partners across the top-15 per NBCS’ Sheng Peng. The St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames have already expressed interest in moving up on draft day – but Peng points out that the Chicago Blackhawks could also be an interesting candidate. Any deal would need to land San Jose a player close to the NHL – and with some upside worth looking forward to. A tinge of promise could help San Jose justify stepping back in a top-10, or top-15, filled with upside and interesting defense prospects.
Devils Expected To Sign Anton Silayev
The New Jersey Devils will have one more first-round pick in their system next season. Defenseman Anton Silayev is expected to sign his entry-level contract following his third season in Russia’s KHL per Artur Khairullin of Russian news site Sport-Express. The 6-foot-7 defender was selected 10th-overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. He will be the last of 2024’s top 15 to sign his entry-level contract when he puts pen to paper.
Silayev has had a sure role with the KHL’s Torpedo Novgorod since the 2022-23 season, when he led the team’s junior affiliate to a junior league championship. Even in his age-17 season, Silayev’s size, smooth skating, and stick checks proved tough for opponents to beat. Those advantages earned him a full-time role in the KHL during his draft season in 2023-24. Silayev had ups-and-downs as a KHL rookie. Never the scorer, he racked up only 11 points in 63 regular season games. More glaring were the amount of times that Silayev got turned around by top-tier competition – though his aggression in board battles and ability to move the puck still warranted a top pick come draft day.
Silayev has spent the last two seasons ironing out the gaps from his age-18 season. He climbed to 12 points in 63 games of the 2024-25 season, then joined the Torpedo’s minor-league club for the postseason en route to a league championship. He contributed two points to 17 games of the 2025 VHL playoffs. Surprisingly, Silayev’s routinely-low offense turned downwards this year. He finished the 2025-26 KHL season with just three points in 61 games. Much of that diminished scoring came from Silayev’s struggles to spark the breakout in the same way he had in prior years – casting a shadow over his clear improvements on either end of the ice. Following their elimination from the Gagarin Cup playoffs, Torpedo finished Silayev’s season with a brief assignment to Russia’s junior-league playoffs, where he scored two points in four games while standing as one of only 20 defensemen age-20 or older in the junior postseason.
A down year in Russia will be followed by a major opportunity for one of New Jersey’s top prospects. Silayev will likely step into a top role in the AHL, where his big frame and puck-moving abilities could quickly stand out. He could also be a candidate to break camp with the Devils to begin the 2026-27 season – if the club finds a way to use his unique style and size in a depth role while he finds his stride. Either way, an entry-level contract will give Devils fans another player to watch close once training camp kicks off.
Senators Hire Maciej Szwoch To Goalie Development Role
The Ottawa Senators have hired goalie coach Maciej Szwoch to serve as coordinator of goalie scouting and development. Szwoch spent 10 seasons working with Farjestad BK of Sweden’s SHL from 2015 to 2025. He also served as a consultant for the Detroit Red Wings from 2015 to 2022.
Szwoch most notably oversaw the rise of Team Italy’s Olympic starter and Anaheim Ducks prospect Damian Clara during his time in Farjestad. Clara served as Farjestad’s backup in the 2024-25 season and finished the year with nine wins and a .879 save percentage in 21 games. He also led NHL prospects Mans Goos, Carl Lindbom, and Melker Thelin on recent Farjestad rosters.
Szwoch began his coaching career with the Vaxjo Lakers’ youth teams in 2007. He climbed to Vaxjo’s men’s squad two years later, while also intermittently working with Norway’s Frisk Asker. With pro footing under him, Szwoch moved to MoDo Hockey in 2011 – taking reign over a goalie room that featured Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg. He continued to oversee their growth until his move to Farjestad.
Ottawa will now reconnect Ullmark with his former goalie coach after the former Vezina Trophy winner posted the first sub-.900 save percentage of his NHL career. A fresh face in the Senators goalie room could help Ullmark get back on track while also seeking out some upside to work into the Senators’ backup role.
Prospect Notes: Bakke Olsen, Masse, Lacelle
Norwegian forward Eskild Bakke Olsen is catching NHL attention at the 2026 World Championship. He has begun to garner interest from NHL clubs, Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis told Norwegian news outlet Nitten. Bakke Olsen is currently tied for second on Team Norway in tournament scoring with five points in seven games. He signed a three-year contract with the SHL’s Linkoping HC ahead of the 2025-26 season. That will mean any NHL move prior to 2028 will require a buyout.
Bakke Olsen, 24, grew up through Norway’s youth hockey ranks and debuted in the country’s top pro league in 2020. He moved to Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan three years later and quickly stood out. He led BIK Karlskoga in scoring with 37 points in 49 games of the 2023-24 season, then held onto his title with 53 points in 48 games of the 2024-25 season. Those performances earned Bakke Olsen a promotion to the SHL last season. He made good work of it, with 32 points in 51 games of his first season with Linkoping – the second-most scoring on the team.
The playmaking center will try to continue his climb up the hockey world with another strong SHL season, or a move to North American pros, on the other side of the World Championship.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- The University of Massachusetts has confirmed the addition of Anaheim Ducks prospect Maxim Masse. The reigning QMJHL scoring champion will be one of college hockey’s top recruits after notching 51 goals and 102 points in 63 games of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens season. At 6-foot-3, 200-pounds, Masse brings a rare mix of size and scoring ability. He has grown to top prospect status since his third-round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft and should continue to demand a top lineup role with the MinuteMen. But already 20 years old, Masse will also face questions of if he can turn pro before his fast-moving development begins to slow down.
- 2026 NHL Draft goalie prospect William Lacelle has decided to continue his career at the University of Nebraska-Omaha next season. He will help the Mavericks make up for the graduation of captain Simon Latkoczy following his move to the ECHL. Lacelle is garnering mid-round attention after splitting his season between the Rimouski Oceanic and Baliville-Boisbriand Armada. He finished the year with a .917 save percentage and 27-15-2 record between the two squads. Lacelle added a .909 save percentage and 10-5-0 record in 15 playoff games with the Armada. He will compete with Omaha’s 2025-26 backup Dawson Cowan for starting minutes next season. Cowan recorded a .901 save percentage and four wins in 12 starts this season.
Four-Time Cup Winner Claude Lemieux Passes Away At Age 60
New Jersey Devils cult star and four-time Stanley Cup-winner Claude Lemieux has passed away at the age of 60. Lemieux played through 21 seasons and 1,215 games in the NHL between 1983 and 2009. He was a true pest, filling a unique and impactful lineup role through seven years with the Montreal Canadiens, six with the Devils, five with the Colorado Avalanche, three with the Phoenix Coyotes, and one each with the Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks.
Lemieux’s hockey career began in the QMJHL. He racked up 66 points and 213 penalty minutes in the 1982-83 QMJHL season, immediately establishing his place as a forward adamant about making the scoresheet in one way or another. Montreal drafted Lemieux in the second-round of the 1983 NHL Draft and returned him to the junior league for the next two seasons. He finished his QMJHL career with a staggering 210 points and 379 PIMs in 103 games before turning pro full-time in 1985.
Lemieux spent his first pro season in the AHL. He finished the year with 53 points and 145 PIMs in 58 games – then stepped up as an X-factor addition to Montreal’s run to the 1986 Stanley Cup. Lemieux recorded three points and 31 PIMs in five games of the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals, helping the Canadiens seal a 4-1 series win over the Calgary Flames. The gritty winger would go on to net 53 points in his NHL rookie season in 1986-87 and would continue to pace for 50-to-60 points on Montreal’s second-line role through the 1989-90 season.
Montreal sought a bit more well-roundedness in the 1990 summer, leading the Canadiens to trading their gritty winger to the Devils in exchange for playmaker Sylvain Turgeon. That move kicked off the heart of Lemieux’s career, as he joined a loaded New Jersey offense already featuring Brendan Shanahan, Peter Stastny, Kirk Muller, and John MacLean. Lemieux scored 47 points in 78 games of his first season in New Jersey.
That dip below 50 points was quickly forgotten when Lemieux led the team in scoring with 68 points of their transformative 1991-92 season. Through major roster turnover, including the emergence of Scott Stevens and Martin Brodeur, it was Lemieux’s all-out energy and work ethic that held the Devils together. He willed the team to the 1992 postseason to extend what was, then, a six-year streak of playoff appearances for the winger. He topped the lineup again with a career-high 81 points in 1992-93, while continuing to pace for 150 PIMs every season.
The 1993-94 season brought some relief to Lemieux’s lineup-leading responsibilities. He scored just 44 points and 84 PIMs in 79 games that season – but seemed to be conserving his energy all year long, and spent that reserve on a tremendous 1994 playoff run. Always a playoff star, Lemieux raced to 18 points and 44 PIMs in 20 games of the ‘94 postseason as New Jersey pushed to the Eastern Conference Finals.
They would lose that series to the New York Rangers – but Lemieux repeated his performance in 1995, with a quiet regular season followed by a loud playoffs. He recorded 13 goals, 16 points, and a tame 20 PIMs in 20 playoff games as New Jersey breezed to the 1995 Stanley Cup. While the lineup was full of superstars – including the legendary defense pairing of Stevens and Scott Niedermayer and starting goaltender Brodeur – it was again Lemieux’s nasty edge that brought the Devils life. His ability to play a chippy, relentless style proved exhausting for opponents and led to multiple goals scored from seemingly inside of the opposing crease. His ability to tie everything together landed Lemieux the 1995 Conn Smythe trophy – the only individual award he would win in his expansive career.
The Devils, surprisingly, traded Lemieux to the Colorado Avalanche ahead of the 1995-96 season. He was again swapped in a one-for-one deal, this time returning Wendel Clark to the Devils. Lemieux was in a familiar situation, joining a strong Avalanche lineup that included Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, and Patrick Roy. He was the final addition in Colorado’s top-six and reached a lofty 39 goals and 71 points in 79 games of the regular season. Lemieux kept it rolling with 12 points and 55 PIMs in the 1996 Stanley Cup playoffs, once again proving to be the X-factor behind a loaded offense en route to his third Stanley Cup win and second consecutive win.
It was in the 1996 postseason that Lemieux delivered one of his most notorious hits. He hit Detroit Red Wings star Kris Draper into the boards, resulting in Draper sustaining a concussion, broken jaw, broken nose, and broken cheekbone. The injuries required reconstructive surgery that forced Draper to have his jaw temporarily wired shut. The hit cemented Lemieux’s status as a cheap-shotting grinder and would lead to a prolonged rivalry between the Avalanche and Red Wings.
Lemieux continued to perform at a top level and help ensure runs to the playoffs through Colorado’s next three seasons. He was traded back to the Devils in 2000 in a colossal exchange that sent Brian Rolston back to the Avalanche. Lemieux didn’t miss a beat in one year back in New Jersey, notably notching 10 points and 28 PIMs in 23 games of the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs as he supported a fourth Stanley Cup win.
Lemieux moved to the Phoenix Coyotes after winning another Cup with the Devils. He was an early great in the Coyotes franchise but the move would bring an end to Lemieux’s 15 consecutive postseason berths in 2001. He willed the Coyotes back to the postseason in 2002, all while notching diminishing offense and penalty totals on a roster still trying to find its core. The Coyotes flipped Lemieux to the Dallas Stars in January 2003. After another down year, he opted to step away from the NHL for the 2003-04 season, moving to Switzerland’s National League for one season before announcing his retirement in 2004.
Retirement did not keep Lemieux out of the spotlight. He assumed the president role for the ECHL’s Phoenix RoadRunners from 2005 to 2007 and was frequently featured in TV and media. After stepping down from his front office role in the ECHL, Lemieux built up towards a return in the 2008-09 season. At the age of 43, Lemieux began the year with the China Sharks of the Asia League, then signed a contract with the AHL’s Worcester Sharks in November. That led to a two-way contract with San Jose in December and a call-up to the NHL in January. Lemieux would score one point in 18 games with San Jose as the Sharks chased the President’s Trophy as the league’s top team.
Lemieux stayed a prominent hockey figure well after his second retirement in 2009. He was most recently a torch-bearer in one of Montreal’s pre-game ceremonies during the 2026 Eastern Conference Final. It was his final public appearance. Lemieux will be remembered as one of the greatest NHL players to hate among many fans. He was a tenacious, relentless, and aggressive winger who seemed to constantly deliver devastating blows – whether it was timely goals or injury-inducing hits. Pro Hockey Rumors sends our condolences to Lemieux’s family, friends, and countless fans.
Photo courtesy of RVR Photos-Imagn Images.
Sharks Sign Phillip Sinn To Entry-Level Contract
The San Jose Sharks have looked towards Germany to reinforce their blue line. Defenseman Phillip Sinn has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Sharks set to begin next season. Sinn spent last season with EHC Munchen of Germany’s DEL and played five games with Team Germany at the 2026 World Championships. Reports of NHL interest around Sinn was first reported by German hockey news source Eisblog.
Sinn, 22, is a true shutdown-defenseman. He scored just nine points across all levels of competition in the 2025-26 season, including three points in 35 games of his DEL season. Despite those low marks, Sinn stood out with a long reach and physical style that helped secure an otherwise offensively-leaning defense corps – led by former Carolina Hurricanes defender Ryan Murphy. Sinn was most productive in a seven-game assignment to Germany’s minor-pro league, where he recorded four assists.
The 6-foot-2 defender rose through the ranks of Austrian hockey and made his debut in the country’s top league in 2023. He finished his first pro season with seven points in 30 games with EC Salzburg and captained Team Germany at the 2024 World Junior Championships – where he scored four points in five games. Sinn has since built a tendency for very little scoring in top pro leagues, but near point-per-game scoring in minor-pro leagues, through trips in Austria and Germany. Those tenures include no scoring in 12 games in the Champions Hockey League, but two points in three games of Germany’s Deutschland Cup.
Sinn will bring another big body and shutdown ability to the Sharks defense corps. He could have a hope at one day filling the hard-working, shutdown role filled by Mario Ferraro in his final months in the Sharks lineup. That dream will be far off, though, as Sinn enters his North American career behind prospect Leo Sahlin Wallenius on the depth chart and almost certainly headed for a second-pair role in the AHL.
Belarus Reinstated For IIHF Tournaments
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has announced that Belarus will be reinstated for competition beginning next season per Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff. The announcement came during the organization’s annual congress held in Zurich, Switzerland this week. Belarus has been barred from international competition since 2021 due to their involvement in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In a statement, the IIHF said:
This decision was not taken lightly. The safety and well-being of players, officials, fans, volunteers, and all participants remains our highest priority. Based on the assessments conducted and ongoing consultations with relevant stakeholders, we believe this can be done in a safe, responsible, and controlled manner.
No update was provided on Russia’s eligibility for IIHF tournaments. In a statement, the Russian Hockey Federation acknowledged their partnership with the IIHF to work back towards tournament eligibility while also noting that their ban remains in place.
Belarus’ last participation in an IIHF tournament was at the 2022 World Junior Championship Division-1A tournament. They won the tournament with a 5-0-0 record and 26-to-eight goal differential. Their roster was laden with NHL talent. Top draft pick Artyom Levshunov led a group that also featured forwards Vitali Pinchuk and Yegor Sidorov, defensemen Dmitri Kuzmin and Daniil Karpovich, and goaltender Aleksei Kolosov. Belarus was suspended from IIHF competition following this tournament and Latvia – the Silver Medal winners – were promoted in their place.
Belarus appears set to join the top division of the World U18 Championship, but the second division of the World Championship, ahead of the IIHF’s 2027 tournaments. The country will bring a high-powered roster to the men’s tournament, while also boasting a chance to showcase their top draft-eligible prospects next season.