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Snapshots: Bowman, Kiersted, OHL

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As expected, accomplished Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman will be the next leader of Team USA. Sportsnet’s Frank Seravalli reports that USA Hockey has scheduled a press conference for Wednesday where they will officially name Bowman as the GM for the U.S. entry into the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Given the NHL’s absence at the most recent Olympics paired with the quality of American players who have blossomed into superstars over the past eight years, expectations are high for Team USA. A two-time Stanley Cup winning GM, whose current rebuild seems to be moving along nicely as well, Bowman has found great success in his career and appears ready for the challenge. With a familiar face in Chicago icon Patrick Kane leading the way, Bowman’s Team USA could be legitimate contenders for gold. He won’t be alone in the decision-making, either; Seravalli notes that Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin will be named an assistant of Bowman’s as well. Nashville’s David Poile and Carolina’s Don Waddell are also likely to be considered for the brain trust, among others.

  • North Dakota defenseman Matt Kiersted, considered by many to be the top college free agent available this year, is already having to chip away at his list of suitors. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that 20+ NHL clubs have already shown interest in the dependable puck-mover, and he has begun to whittle that down to a “workable” number. What criteria Kiersted is using to choose between what are virtually identical entry-level offers is unknown and there has been few whispers of which teams might remain in the running. However, Russo notes that the Elk River, Minnesota native will definitely keep his hometown Minnesota Wild in consideration. Russo adds that the impending Expansion Draft could strip the Wild of one of their starting defensemen and there could be NHL opportunity right away for the local product. Among other likely landing spots, it is hard to ignore the immense North Dakota presence in the Ottawa Senators’ pipeline, which could link the team to Kiersted and fellow premiere UFA Jordan Kawaguchi.
  • The OHL’s shortened season is expected to begin soon and teams would prefer that their players return as soon as possible. However, the league has yet to set a firm date, seemingly dragging its feet with actually opening up play as opposed to merely discussing it. This is posing quite a conundrum for some top prospects, writes Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Many top junior-age draft picks in recent years have been playing in the AHL this season with the OHL out of commission. This includes Washington’s Connor McMichael, Los Angeles’s Quinton Byfield, Montreal’s Jan Mysak and Carolina’s Ryan Suzuki, while Anaheim’s Jamie Drysdale would have to stay put with the Ducks. Per the CHL Transfer Agreement, these players must return to the OHL once the season begins if they are not on NHL rosters. However, without a solid start date and facing a quarantine period, it is a difficult ask to suggest that these talented young players leave their AHL clubs and head for the unknown. McMichael has been outspoken on the subject, stating “I honestly want to stay here and just play pro hockey. I think it would be best for my development” and Friedman feels the others likely share in that sentiment. Will there be an exception made to allow this group to stay put to close out the season? Or will they be forced to take yet another break from hockey to quarantine only to return to a junior game that they have outgrown?

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Tyler Angle

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Tyler Angle to a three-year entry-level contract, which will begin in the 2021-22 season. Angle is currently playing with the Cleveland Monsters on an amateur tryout contract.

Another example of an OHL player seeing his first professional action during this unique season, Angle actually is old enough to continue playing in the AHL even under a normal contract. The fact is he needed to prove he could hack it at that level before the team committed an entry-level deal, given how late the 20-year-old was drafted.

Selected 212th overall in 2019, Angle is a late-blooming center that failed to even crack the 20-point threshold until his third full season of OHL hockey. In his fourth he was better than a point-per-game, a rate that he has carried right to the AHL with seven points in his first six games for the Monsters. Had Angle not been signed by June, the Blue Jackets would have lost their exclusive draft rights and he could have become an unrestricted free agent. Instead, he’ll join the organization and try to continue his steep development path.

André Tourigny Signs Contracts With Hockey Canada, Ottawa 67’s

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It’s been a big day for André Tourigny. The junior coach has not only signed one contract but two, inking new deals with the Ottawa 67’s and with Hockey Canada.

For Canada, it is a one-year deal to become a full-time coach, with a guarantee that Tourigny will be behind the bench at four different events. He will serve as head coach at the 2022 World Juniors and 2022 IIHF World Championships while serving as an assistant for the 2021 IIHF World Championships and 2022 Olympic Games. This is the first full-time coaching agreement with Hockey Canada since Marc Habscheid in 2005 and provides even more stability to an organization that always puts a competitive team on the ice. Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada’s senior vice president of national teams, released a statement on the agreement:

We are extremely excited to welcome André Tourigny to Hockey Canada as a full-time coach for the 2021-22 season, as his extensive hockey pedigree makes him a key asset to our national teams. André’s knowledge, insight and international experience will be a critical factor in supporting our Olympic preparation in addition to leading Canada’s National Junior Team for the second consecutive year at the IIHF World Junior Championship. André will also contribute to our work with our NextGen players and coaches through his involvement with our development programs. We are thankful to the Canadian Hockey League and the Ottawa 67’s for their support in releasing André to Hockey Canada for next season.

The 67’s may be releasing him for a year, but that doesn’t mean his involvement in Ottawa’s OHL team is over. Just minutes after Hockey Canada made their announcement, the 67’s made one of their own. Tourigny has signed a six-year extension with the team to remain head coach and vice president of hockey operations. Associate coach Mario Duhamel, who also signed a multi-year agreement, will serve as head coach while Tourigny is fulfilling his international duties.

Ottawa has been a powerhouse under Tourigny, compiling a 130-52-16 record since he took over in 2017. After losing in the OHL Finals in 2019, the team looked poised to compete for a title again given their .815 winning percentage before COVID shut down the 2019-20 OHL season. This year, while the OHL was still on pause, Tourigny coached the Canadian World Junior squad to a silver medal, a year after leading them to gold.

If there was any thought of bringing Tourigny up to the NHL level, it appears to be off the table for the time being. The 46-year-old has plenty of career left though and could chase that dream down the road. He last appeared at the NHL level with the Ottawa Senators in 2015-16, serving as an assistant coach.

New Jersey Devils Sign Michael Vukojevic

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The New Jersey Devils have signed one of their draft picks, inking Michael Vukojevic to a three-year entry-level contract that will start in the 2021-22 season. Vukojevic has been playing on an AHL contract with the Binghamton Devils this season as he waited for the OHL to return to play.

Selected 82nd overall in 2019, the 19-year-old defenseman has been quite impressive for Binghamton, recording five points in seven games so far this season. The 6’3″ Vukojevic could be considered a mid-round steal for the Devils, given that at times in the past he’s been considered a top prospect with a lot more upside than you can normally find in the third round. He took part in the 2019 CHL Top Prospects game that included names like Bowen Byram, Kirby Dach, and Dylan Cozens, has competed at both the U18 World Junior Championship and the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup for Canada, and was ranked 55th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.

Though there are obvious warts to his game, the Devils obviously believe that Vukojevic was worthy of an NHL deal. He would have become an unrestricted free agent if not signed by June, but will now be able to return to Binghamton next season and refine his performance. When (or if) the OHL returns this season, he’ll need to be sent back to the Kitchener Rangers.

Prospect Notes: Drysdale, CHL Agreement, Nappier

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The Anaheim Ducks will have the future on the ice tonight when they take on the Arizona Coyotes. Jamie Drysdale is expected to make his NHL debut, in the lineup along with fellow top prospect Trevor Zegras, who will be in his 11th. The 18-year-old Drysdale has dominated the AHL so far this season, scoring ten points in 14 games. The young defenseman was the sixth overall selection in the 2020 draft and has almost limitless offensive upside.

The Ducks, who have lost four straight and scored just 67 goals in 30 games this season have nothing to lose by testing Drysdale at the NHL level, though a few games down the road they’ll have a decision to make. The team has already elected to burn the first season of Zegras three-year entry-level contract when they could have theoretically had it slide forward, keeping him in the minor leagues all season. The same would happen for Drysdale if he plays in more than seven NHL contests this season. With the OHL still hopeful that a season could begin in April, Drysdale wouldn’t be able to return to the AHL if his junior team is in session. If he shows he can compete at the highest level right away, it might not matter.

  • That CHL agreement, which states that players drafted out of the WHL, OHL, or QMJHL cannot play in the AHL while the junior league is in session until they are 20 years old, will actually expire once again at the end of this season. Frank Seravalli of TSN reports today that there is a growing appetite for some sort of an exception to be included in the renegotiated deal for players like Drysdale, who have shown an obvious ability to perform at the minor professional level. Seth Jarvis and Connor Zary have already been sent back to the WHL after it started, despite strong showings in the AHL.
  • That agreement won’t matter for the players named today to the 2021 Biosteel All-American Game, a showcase for the top draft-eligible players in the USNTDP and USHL. The group includes Luke Hughes, the younger brother of Quinn Hughes and Jack Hughes, and many other picks that will end up going off the board relatively early in July. The game takes place in Plymouth, Michigan on April 7.
  • The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed undrafted Ohio State University goaltender Tommy Nappier to an unusual three-year AHL contract that will kick in right away. Nappier, 22, posted a .906 save percentage this season but had been almost unbeatable in years past. His college career ends with a .925 in 82 appearances and his professional one is just getting started.

Marlies, Senators Approved To Host AHL Games

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While the first part of the AHL schedule for both the Toronto Marlies and Belleville Senators has already been released, with the two teams traveling outside of the province of Ontario, it still wasn’t clear how long they would have to wait to host home games. That problem seems resolved now, as Lisa MacLeod, Ontario’s Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Minister, tweets that the chief medical officer has approved a return-to-play plan for both teams to host games.

This is huge for the AHL, who had a Canadian Division of teams all circling Ontario, hoping that they would be able to play in the province before the end of their shortened season. It also provides some hope for the Ontario Hockey League, which is still on pause even while the QMJHL continues and the WHL prepares to start. There was some hope that the OHL has formed a start plan recently, but the league threw cold water on any speculation by announcing they have “not yet arrived at an approved return to play framework for the coming season.”

That speculation is going to ramp up again now that the province has allowed the Marlies and Senators to play, especially with pressure from the NHL. The OHL is one of the biggest sources of draft picks for the professional leagues and many of its players haven’t been on the ice in a competitive game in nearly a year. As explained the other day though, if the OHL does restart it will pose an interesting predicament to NHL squads that have junior-aged players suiting up in the AHL currently. Those players would need to return to their junior team once it restarts or go to the NHL, even if they’re handling themselves at the minor league level.

At any rate, this is strong news for the AHL. It happens to come on the same day that Belleville will start their season, hitting the ice against the Laval Rocket later this evening.

OHL Working On Hub City Restart Plan

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The QMJHL has completed more than 150 games of their 2020-21 schedule, giving prospects in the league a chance to continue their development and put performances on tape for scouts to view. The WHL hasn’t announced an official schedule yet but is on track to start their season later this month. That left the OHL as the last remaining CHL member without a clear plan for their teams this season, as Ontario continues to debate how even AHL hockey will take place.

We may be heading closer to a return for the OHL however, as Scott Wheeler of The Athletic reports that a memo was sent to teams today with plans for a restart. The 24-game season would be held in four hub cities, with a target start date of the April 2-4 weekend. None of that plan has been made official and is still subject to government approval.

While development and scouting is certainly the most important result of an OHL campaign taking place, it also would have an impact on NHL rosters later this season.

For instance, a player like Philip Tomasino, who is currently tied for the AHL scoring lead with five points in his first three games, would not actually be eligible to play in the minor league if the OHL was in session. The 19-year-old forward would have to either stay with the NHL club or go back to his OHL club (in this case the Oshawa Generals), but importantly, once assigned to junior could not be recalled until his season there was complete. Currently, Tomasino could be recalled from the AHL at any time to help the Predators if they felt he was ready.

Still, the benefits for an NHL scouting department are huge, given the league is already considering drastic options like pushing the 2021 Entry Draft until next year. There’s simply not enough information about this year’s draft class, or at least not as much as NHL teams want. 24 games would be better than none, though even this plan is far from confirmed at this point.

Minor Transactions: 02/08/21

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The AHL (at least most of its teams) has now joined the NHL in a new season, but there are still plenty of moves being made in the minors as teams solidify their lineups for the new campaign. Of course, many of those who were not successful in securing a contract in the NHL or AHL continue to find work overseas, while other are returning to juniors. Keep up with all of the minor moves made today right here:

  • A pair of veterans have been successful with AHL tryouts in Pennsylvania. Tim Schaller has earned a spot with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, per a league release, while Chris Mueller will be back in the AHL for a 13th consecutive season as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms announced a one-year deal. Schaller, 30, had been an NHL regular for several years before last season, when his lack of production for the Vancouver Canucks finally caught up with him and he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings and subsequently demoted. Schaller has been an effective fourth liner in the past and will look to earn his way back to the NHL with a strong season in the minors. Mueller, 34, is likely beyond an NHL comeback at this point, having not played in the league since 2014-15, but the decorated AHLer is only a couple seasons away from cracking the league’s top 20 in all-time games played.
  • An intriguing prospect has signed on with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Pavel Gogolev, fresh off of a 96-point season in the OHL last year, has returned to Ontario to join the Marlies, according to the AHL’s transactions log. He had been playing with Vasby IK of Sweden’s Allsvenskan to begin the year, but the club confirms that his contract has been terminated. Gogolev, 20, was passed over yet again in the most recent NHL Draft despite finishing sixth overall in OHL scoring last season. Perhaps this was due to his advanced age relative to other draft-eligible prospects or the lack of development in his defensive ability, but there is no doubting that Gogolev has impressive offensive skill and has shown repeatedly that he is committed to North American hockey and pursuing an NHL career. He will take another step closer to that goal this season with AHL Toronto.
  • Blake Pietila is looking to stick around the North American game and has signed a PTO with the Hershey Bears, the team announced. The former New Jersey Devils prospect signed with the Anaheim Ducks for the 2019-20 season, but played exclusively in the AHL despite having set a new career high in NHL appearances the season prior. The hard-working forward is looking for another opportunity to show he can still be an NHL asset and hopes to not only crack the Hershey roster, but carve out a top role as well. Pietila has recorded 142 points in 266 career AHL games, proving himself to be an impact player in the minors.
  • Despite appearing in training camp for the San Jose Barracuda, Sharks prospect Vladislav Kotkov will wait another season to turn pro. The Sharks have reassigned Kotkov to the QMHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs for one final junior campaign, the team announced. The Sea Dogs are certainly happy about the decision; Kotkov was acquired this summer for a pair of draft picks which would have been squandered if he had never suited up for the team. The overage import forward is a big, powerful offensive presence who is sure to make a major impact for Saint John before inevitably doing so for the Barracuda and possibly the Sharks down the road as well.
  • Former NHL journeyman Andrew Ebbett made a career as a hired gun, playing for six different teams over eight seasons but still managing to suit up for 32 games each year on average. However, when his luck in North America ran out in 2015, he made the unlikely discovery of the first long-term home of his career with SC Bern of the Swiss NLA. Ebbett has spent the last five seasons with Bern, the past four of which as a captain and a top-five scoring forward. However, it is time for Ebbett to move on yet again. At 38, he is not ready to call it a career just yet, but has said goodbye to Bern and signed with EHC Munich of the German DEL. Having recently lost other names familiar to NHL fans in Derek Roy and Kalle Kossila, the Red Bulls were excited to land the veteran Ebbett as a replacement for the remainder of the year.

Minor Transactions: 01/29/21

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It’s two weeks into the NHL regular season, but things are still just ramping up in the minor leagues. The AHL is set to open next weekend and teams are starting to reinforce their rosters with some players that might have otherwise signed two-way NHL contracts. As those moves come in, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor transactions right here:

  • The Rochester Americans have signed Remi Elie and Nicholas Welsh to one-year, AHL contracts for the 2020-21 season. Elie, 25, has played in more than 100 NHL games including 72 in the 2017-18 season with the Dallas Stars. He’s has spent the majority of the last two seasons with Rochester, scoring 13 points in 34 games last season. Welsh, just 23, was last seen playing in Slovakia where he failed to register a point in six games. The former QMJHL standout spent two years at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
  • The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed Michael Joly and Dylan MacPherson to professional tryouts, while inking Brett Brochu to an amateur tryout. Brochu is probably the most interesting name of the bunch, given his historic success as the starter for the London Knights of the OHL last season. His 32 wins set the OHL record for most by a 16 or 17-year-old rookie, but Brochu still went undrafted thanks to his diminutive stature. While the OHL continues to wait out the current COVID situation in Ontario, Brochu will get a chance to test his skills against professionals.
  • Mason McTavish, one of the players NHL Central Scouting believes has a chance to be selected in the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, has officially been loaned to EHC Olten in Switzerland until further notice. The 17-year-old forward scored 29 goals and 42 points in just 57 games last season as a rookie for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL.
  • After playing in 20 games with Geneve Servette in Switzerland, Damien Riat is headed to the AHL to join the Hershey Bears. The Washinton Capitals prospect was a fourth-round pick in 2016 but hasn’t come to North America yet. In those 20 games, Riat had 18 points, his best performance so far in a professional career that actually spans back to the 2015-16 season.

Minor Transactions: 01/18/21

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The NHL season is underway and at the top level teams are keeping busy merely by swapping players between the active roster and taxi squad. However, with AHL training camps starting up, there has also been a flurry of activity from the lower levels. There also continue to be players making the move overseas, by both signing and loan. Keep up with all of the action right here:

  • In addition to confirming the previously reported signings of Ryan Fitzgerald, Tanner MacMaster, and Zane McIntyre, the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms have added another netminder, announcing the signing of Eamon McAdam. McAdam, 26, is a Pennsylvania native and a Penn State product, so he should feel right at home with the Philadelphia Flyers’ affiliate. McAdam had been playing with the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen to begin the season.
  • The Rochester Americans announced that they have inked defenseman Dylan Blujus to a one-year AHL contract. The former Tampa Bay Lightning prospect is a solid stay-at-home defender who has a +24 rating in 274 AHL games over six pro seasons.
  • The San Jose Barracuda have recalled a number of players from the ECHL’s Allen Americans for the start of training camp, including Sharks prospect Jacob McGrew. McGrew got an early start to his first pro season down in the ECHL after missing all but six games of his final WHL campaign due to injury. The Sharks already trusted McGrew’s ability enough to give him an entry-level contract and after a strong scoring start in Allen, they could let him fight for a top-six role with the Barracuda.
  • After five seasons in the AHL, former Edmonton Oilers prospect Joey LaLeggia is headed overseas. The 28-year-old has signed with he SHL’s Rogle BK for the remainder of the season, the team announced. LaLeggia, who was a standout on defense in the NCAA with the University of Denver, had shifted to forward in the pros. It remains to be seen how the versatile veteran will be used in Sweden.
  • Another name making the move to Europe is 2021 NHL Draft prospect Brett Harrison. The potential first-round pick this summer has yet to play this season and the OHL’s Oshawa Generals have thus agreed to loan him to KOOVEE of the Finnish minor league Metsis, his new club announced. The two-way center will look to improve his draft stock by playing against pros, possibly for the rest of the year.

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