Penguins Prospect Watch: Goaltender Joel Blomqvist gets first shutout with Hermes
While the NHL and many leagues in North America are in the the midst of their offseasons because of the coronavirus pandemic, several leagues in Europe and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League have already opened play for the 2020-21 season.
Eighteen of the Penguins’ prospects or minor leaguers are currently playing, primarily in Europe. Here is a weekly look at their progress:
• In Finland’s second-tier Mestis league, goaltender Joel Blomqvist made 29 saves for Hermes in a 4-0 shutout of RoKi on Saturday.
It was the first shutout of Blomqvist’s professional career. Blomqvist, 18, was a second-round pick (No. 52 overall) in this year’s draft who has yet to sign with the Penguins.
• Also with Hermes, defenseman Antti Palojarvi scored his first goal of the season in a 4-2 home loss to IPK on Friday.
Palojarvi, 21, was a sixth-round pick (No. 186 overall) in 2017 who has yet to sign with the Penguins.
• Forward Valtteri Puustinen scored both goals for HPK in a 5-2 home loss to Jukurit on Wednesday in Finland’s top-tier Liiga.
Puustinen, 21, was a seventh-round pick (No. 203 overall) in 2019 who has yet to sign with the Penguins.
• Also with HPK, goaltender Emil Larmi made 12 saves on 16 shots in a 5-2 road loss to HIFK on Saturday.
The undrafted Larmi, 24, is entering the second-year of a two-year entry-level contract with the Penguins.
• With KooKoo of the Liiga, forward Kasper Bjorkqvist went scoreless in a 4-1 home loss to TPS on Wednesday and a 3-1 road loss to SaiPa on Saturday.
After recording nine points (five goals, four assists) in his first 11 games of the season, Bjorkqvist has failed to record a point in his last six games. The 23-year-old Bjorkqvist, a second-round pick (No. 61 overall) in 2016, is entering the second year of a two-year entry-level contract with the Penguins.
• Elsewhere in the Liiga, Ilves defenseman Santeri Airola is listed as “day-to-day” due to an undisclosed ailment according to a release from his team.
The 20-year-old Airola was a seventh-round draft pick (No. 211 overall) who has yet to sign with the Penguins.
• Also in the Liiga, Pelicans defenseman Niclas Almari is expected to be sidelined for three more weeks due to an undisclosed injury according to a release from his team. He has not played since Oct. 6.
The 22-year-old Almari, a fifth-round pick (No. 151) in 2016, is entering the second year of a three-year entry-level contract.
• Forward Nathan Legare had two goals and an assist for Baie-Comeau Drakkar in a 6-3 road win against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Friday in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Legare also recorded an assist in a 4-0 road win against Rouyn-Noranda on Sunday.
A third-round pick (No. 74 overall) in 2019, Legare, 19, is signed to a three-year entry-level contract (which has yet to begin) with the Penguins.
• In Sweden’s second-tier HockeyAllsvensken league, goaltender Calle Clang made 32 saves on 34 shots for Kristianstads IK in a 4-2 road win against Almtuna IS on Wednesday. That was Kristianstads IK’s first game in 17 days after having three games postponed due to coronavirus concerns.
On Saturday, Clang made 24 saves on 25 shots as Kristianstads IK dropped a 3-0 home loss to HC Vita Hasten on Saturday.
Clang, 18, was a third-round pick (No. 77 overall) in this year’s draft and has yet to sign with the Penguins.
• Elsewhere in the HockeyAllsvensken, defenseman Jesper Lindgren recorded three assists for MODO in a 7-2 home win against Vasby IK on Wednesday.
Lindgren, 23, is entering the final year of a three-year entry-level contract. The Penguins acquired him in a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs in August.
• Defenseman Clayton Phillips scored his first goal of the season on a power play for Penn State in a 7-3 road loss to Wisconsin on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old Phillips was a third-round pick (No. 93 overall) in 2017 and has yet to sign with the team.
• In the Czech Republic’s ELH, forward Radim Zohorna had a goal and two assists, helping BK Mlada Boleslav establish a single-game franchise record for goals in an 11-4 home win against HC Energie Karlovy Vary on Tuesday.
Zohorna followed that up on Friday with a goal off a power move from behind the net in a 3-0 road win against HC Olomouc.
On Sunday, Zohorna scored again with a deflection helping BK Mlada Boleslav defeat HC Dynamo Pardubice at home, 3-2.
The undrafted Zohorna, 24, is signed to a one-year entry-level contract with the Penguins.
• Forward Raivis Ansons recorded two assists for HK Zemgale in a 7-1 home win against HK Prizma/IHS on Saturday in the Latvian Hockey Higher League. His second assist was a primary helper which came on a goal-mouth scramble leading to a goal by forward Frenks Razgals.
A fifth-round pick (No. 149 overall) in this year’s draft, Ansons has yet to sign with the Penguins.
• In the multi-country Alps Hockey League, forward Jan Drozg recorded an assist for HK Olimpija Ljubljana in a 4-0 home win against Ritten on Thursday. Drzog had the primary assist on a goal by forward Ziga Pance.
Drozg, 21, was the Penguins’ fifth-round pick (No. 152 overall) in 2017 and is entering the second year of a three-year entry-level contract.
• Defenseman Cam Lee recorded an assist for HC Slovan Bratislava in a 6-2 home win against MHk 32 Liptovsky Mikulas on Sunday in the Slovak Extraliga. His assist was a primary helper off a deflected shot by forward Peter Kundrik.
The 23-year-old Lee was an undrafted free agent signing in March who is entering the first year of a two-year entry-level contract with the Penguins.
• Forward Drew O’Connor and Manglerud Star in in Norway’s Eliteserien have not played since Nov. 19 due to coronavirus concerns. That team is not scheduled to play again until Thursday.
The 22-year-old O’Connor was an undrafted free agent signing in March and is entering the first year of a two-year entry-level contract with the Penguins.
• Forward Pontus Aberg scored a game-tying goal with 58 seconds remaining regulation and added an assist for Traktor Chelyabinsk in a 4-3 overtime road win against Avtomobilist Ekaterinburg on Thursday in Russia’s KHL.
The 27-year-old Aberg is an unsigned restricted free agent whose rights the Penguins acquired from the Maple Leafs in an August trade.
Statistics
Forwards and defensemen
Goaltenders
*-Current team
(All figures are through Sunday.)
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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