Prospects Of The Week
Harrison Brunicke Closes WHL Regular Season With Six-Point Week
Harrison Brunicke closed out the regular season for the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL with six points–all assists–in three games. The 2024 second round pick finished at a point-per-game pace with 24 points in 24 games, joining the Blazers after stints in the NHL and AHL and representing Canada at the 2026 World Junior Championship. The addition of Brunicke helped the Blazers finish fifth in the Western Conference, setting up a first round playoff series against the Kelowna Rockets. The Rockets won the regular season series 4-2 with two games going past regulation.
Will Horcoff Scores As Michigan Wins Big Ten Championship, Secures Top Seed In Frozen Four Tournament
Will Horcoff scored for the Michigan Wolverines in a 7-3 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes to help the Wolverines win the Big 10 Championship and secure the first overall seed in the Frozen Four Tournament. Horcoff ranks third on the Wolverines with 37 points and leads the team–and ranks third in the entire NCAA–with 24 goals in 37 games. The 2025 first round pick posted 10 points in 18 games as a freshman last season. Michigan takes on Bentley in the NCAA Northeast Regional on Friday and, with a win, advances to face fellow Penguins prospect Zam Plante and the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs or set up a rematch with Penn State with a spot in the Frozen Four on the line.
Vasily Ponomarev Scores In KHL Regular Season Finale, Omsk Clinches Division
Vasily Ponomarev scored in a 5-2 win for Avangard Omsk in the KHL regular season finale to help the team win the Chernyshev Division and finish second in the Eastern Conference. The 2020 second round pick acquired as part of the Jake Guentzel trade finished the regular season with 14 goals and 25 points in 55 games, signing in the KHL in the offseason after recording 41 points in 55 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season. Ponomarev and Omsk face HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk in the first round of the KHL playoffs starting next week. Omsk won the regular season season series 3-1.
Down On The Farm
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Drop One, Win Two Over Weekend Stretch
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins dropped a 5-1 decision to the Laval Rocket on Wednesday night. Gabe Klassen scored the lone Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goal. Sebastian Aho and Aidan McDonough recorded assists. Sergei Murashov surrendered four goals on 28 shots in the loss.
The Penguins beat the Belleville Senators in a shootout on Friday night in a 2-1 win. Aidan McDonough scored the lone Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goal. Sebastian Aho and Gabe Klassen recorded assists. McDonough, Klassen, and Avery Hayes all scored in the shootout to give the Penguins the extra point. Joel Blomqvist stopped 28 of 29 shots in regulation and overtime and one of two shootout attempts to get the win.
The Penguins jumped out to a 4-0 lead against the Toronto Marlies on Sunday and held on for a 4-3 win on Sunday. Rafael Harvey-Pinard scored twice. Hayes and McDonough scored the other Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goals and both finished with helpers. Rutger McGroarty, Alex Alexeyev, Finn Harding, and Joona Koppanen all finished with assists. Blomqvist made 17 stops in the win.
Wheeling Nailers Sweep Trois-Rivieres In Weekend Series
The Wheeling Nailers kicked off the weekend with a 4-3 shootout win over the Trois-Rivieres Lions on Friday night. Blake Bennett debuted with the Wheeling Nailers after being acquired by the organization last week and scored a hat trick. Brayden Edwards and Brent Johnson both recorded two assists. Max Graham and Ryan McAllister both finished with helpers. Logan Pietila scored the only goal in the shootout for either team. Taylor Gauthier made 38 saves in regulation and overtime and stopped four shootout attempts to get the win.
The Nailers survived a comeback attempt in a 3-2 overtime win on Saturday after taking a 2-0 lead in the second period. Edwards scored twice in regulation. Johnson scored the overtime winner and finished with two points. McAllister recorded two assists. Bennett finished with a helper. Gauthier managed a secondary assist from the crease and stopped 22 of 24 shots in regulation and overtime in the win.
The Nailers completed the weekend sweep of Trois-Rivieres with a 3-1 win on Sunday. Tanner Andrew, Raivis Ansons, and Pietila scored. Matthew Quercia, Connor Lockhart, McAllister, and Tristan Thompson all finished with assists. Maxim Pavlenko stopped 26 of 27 shots the win.