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Once again, it’s time for our weekly recap of what’s been happening in the AHL with LA’s prospects.
The following reports are from games played through end of day Sunday, February 4th.
ONTARIO REIGN (AHL)
Due to the Ontario Reign featuring a large volume of LA Kings prospects this season, each tracker will feature a select number of them on a rotating basis – largely culled from key performances for the prior week.
Game 1: Ontario lose 6-3 to rival Colorado
Game 2: Reign still can’t get around the Eagles, lose 5-2
Game 3: Wranglers take down the Reign 3-1
Samuel Helenius, LIIGA-JYP, Center (59th overall in 2021)
2023-2024 Stats: 8 goals, 4 assists, plus-1, 42 PIM in 42 games played
After taking a pass from fellow Finn Kim Nousiainen at the blue line, Helenius streaked in from the right side and squeezed a shot past the goaltender to tie the game against the Eagles in the first of the two meetings. His New Year’s scoring spike puts him in a three-way tie for fourth in goals on the Reign.
Tyler Madden, Center (Acquired via trade with VAN)
2023-2024 Stats: 8 goals, 7 assists, minus-7, 8 PIM in 44 games played
Madden had a primary assist in the first game against the Eagles. Engaged in a board battle near the right circle, Madden applied a firm cross-check to knock a defender off him and used the newly created space to feed Taylor Ward’s one-timer from the slot with a clean backhander.
Akil Thomas, Center (51st overall in 2018)
2023-2024 Stats: 15 goals, 17 assists, even plus/minus, 32 PIM in 44 games played
The Real Deal racked up another two assists this week. Picking up a secondary helper against the Eagles, Thomas drove zone possession and cycled the puck, eventually feeding the point for a one-timer that was deflected for a goal. He added a primary assist against the Wranglers by banking the puck off the boards and into center ice for Taylor Ward to drive the net with.
OHL (Junior Hockey)
Kaleb Lawrence, London Knights, Right Wing (215th overall in 2022)
2023-2024 Stats
London Knights: 2 goals, 3 assists, Plus-2, 15 PIM in 11 games played
Ottawa 67’s: 10 goals, 8 assists, plus-1, 2 PIM in 30 games played
Lining up as the Knights third line center, Lawrence helped his team win all four of its games this week. He had four high-danger shots and won 62% of his faceoffs.
Matthew Mania, Sudbury Wolves, Defenseman (150th overall in 2023)
2023-2024 Stats: 3 goals, 14 assists, plus-7, 16 PIM in 27 games played
In a 4-3 victory over the IceDogs, Mania lobbed a puck from well within his end of the ice and into the neutral zone for a primary assist. He played two more games this week, having an even plus/minus with two SOG. The blueliner started on the top pairing but was demoted to the third pairing for the week’s final outing.
QMJHL (Junior Hockey)
Angus Booth, Baie-Comeau Drakkar, LH Defensemen (116th overall in 2022)
2023-2024 Stats
Baie-Comeau Drakkar: 0 goals, 2 assists, plus-11, 15 PIM in 12 games played
Shawinigan Cataractes: 2 goals, 13 assists, plus-6, 26 PIM in 31 games played
Returning from his suspension, Booth had three SOG, five hits, and was a plus-1 in the three outings Drakkar had this week. He mostly played third-pairing minutes but was elevated to the top pair in a 6-1 win.
WHL (Junior Hockey)
Koehn Ziemmer, Prince George Cougars, Right Wing (78th overall in 2023)
2023-2024 Stats: 11 goals, 20 assists, plus-7, 11 PIM in 20 games played
Ziemmer remains out with an ankle injury suffered in late November. His return date is TBD.
Jakub Dvorak, Swift Current Broncos, LH Defenseman (54th overall in 2023)
2023-2024 Stats
WHL-Swift Current: 0 goals, 5 assists, plus-11, 2 PIM in 10 games played
Czechia-Bili Tygri Liberec: 2 goals, 1 assist, plus-5, 20 PIM in 19 games played
Czechia U20-Bili Tygri Liberec: 1 goal, 1 assist, plus-4, 2 PIM in 3 games played
Dvorak is starting to find his footing in North America, helping the Broncos earn back-to-back shutouts while anchoring the top defensive pairing. They lost their final game in overtime, 5-4 to the Wheat Kings. In this week’s matches, the huge Czech had three assists, eight high-danger shots, and was an impressive plus-9.
USHL
Hampton Slukynsky, Fargo Force, Goalie (118th overall in 2023)
2023-2024 Stats: 1.76 GAA, .919 SV%, 3 SO, 17 wins, and 1 assist in 20 games played
Slukynsky continues to rack up the wins. This week, he made 20 saves on 22 shots to help the Force trample the Stampede 7-2.
BCHL
Jack Sparkes, Chilliwack Chiefs, RH Defenseman (180th overall in 2022)
2022-2023 Stats
BCHL-Chilliwack: 1 goal, 4 assists, and 56 penalty minutes in 17 games played
USHL-Muskegon: 1 goal, 2 assists, plus-4, 23 PIM in 14 games played
The Chiefs won both of their games this week. Sparkes did not contribute with any significant stats.
COLLEGE HOCKEY (NCAA)
Ryan Conmy, Univ. of New Hampshire, Right Wing (182nd overall in 2023)
2023-2024 Stats: 12 goals, 12 assists, plus-9, 8 PIM in 22 games played
Conmy did not suit up for the ‘Cats this week, as he has a lower-body injury that is not expected to keep him out long. He leads his team in points this season.
Kenny Connors, UMass., Center (103rd overall in 2022)
2023-2024 Stats: 5 goals, 9 assists, even plus/minus, 10 PIM in 24 games played
The Minutemen returned from their long bye-week with a 3-2 victory over Merrimack and a 1-0 loss to Maine. Connors was a plus-1 and registered one SOG, while winning 51% of his faceoffs.
Jack Hughes, Boston Univ., Center (51st overall in 2022)
2023-2024 Stats: 6 goals, 5 assists, plus-3, 10 PIM in 23 games played
Following a 4-3 OT loss to Northeastern, Hughes had probably the best game of his college career with two goals and an assist in a 6-3 win over a Conmy-less New Hampshire. He scored the first of the contest with a sharp-angled tap-in after creating a three-on-one with a blocked shot. To make the game 2-0, Hughes pounced on a rebound, dropping to one knee to fire it home. Rounding out the week, he had five SOG and two blocked shots, and still remains on the top line with 2024 NHL Draft prospect Macklin Celebrini.
Jared Wright, Denver Univ., Forward (169th overall in 2022)
2023-2024 Stats: 8 goals, 5 assists, minus-2, 6 PIM in 28 games played
Aiding a 3-2 victory, Wright opened up the scoring in Denver’s double-header against Western Michigan, opting to pick the right corner of the net instead of passing on a two-on-one. Western Michigan thundered back with a 7-2 victory the next day. Wright had three SOG, one block, and was a minus-1 in those games.
Jared Wright with his 8thof the season.#GoPios pic.twitter.com/WaTWo4MaJy
— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) February 3, 2024
Braden Doyle, Northeastern Univ., LH Defenseman (157th overall in 2019)
2023-2024 Stats: 1 goal, 0 assists, minus-2, 0 PIM in 12 games played
Doyle did not play this week.
Ben Meehan, UMass-Lowell, LH Defenseman (140th overall in 2020)
2023-2024 Stats: 1 goal, 8 assists, minus-2, 31 PIM in 16 games played
Losing 2-1 to Boston College, the River Hawks suffered their fifth loss in a row. In an unfortunate 100th game as an NCAA athlete, Meehan was a minus-1 and was ejected with a game misconduct for a direct hit to the head of Capitals top prospect Ryan Leonard. He was later handed a one-game suspension for the infraction.
Big applause for Captain Ben Meehan, who will be making his 1⃣0⃣0⃣th career appearance in a River Hawk uniform tonight!
#UnitedInBlue | #HockeyEast pic.twitter.com/nr9WahQv5Y
— UMass Lowell Hockey (@RiverHawkHockey) February 2, 2024
EUROPEAN LEAGUES
Aatu Jämsen, Liiga-Pelicans, Right Wing (190th overall in 2020)
2023-2024 Stats: 12 goals, 9 assists, plus-8, 8 PIM in 26 games played
Kid Jämsen stole the show yet again, this time by darting through an open pocket in traffic behind the net while avoiding stick checks on his way to the crease. With an impressive use of his inside edges, he stretched the goaltender out as far as possible where he was denied. Failing to quit on the play, Jämsen found twine with the rebound, while essentially doing the splits. Across three games this week, he averaged 15:04 in TOI while having 13 SOG and a primary assist.
Aatu Jämseniltä upea haasto maalille ja upea viimeistely!
: @MTVUrheilu I #Liiga #PelicansFi pic.twitter.com/cqXvRZxAgJ
— Liiga (@smliiga) February 1, 2024
Kasper Simontaival, Liiga-KalPa, Center (66th overall in 2020)
2023-2024 Stats: 13 goals, 13 assists, plus-4, 14 PIM in 41 games played
Fighting for a change of fortune, KalPa curbed their five-game skid with three straight wins this week. Simontaival scored the game-winner with a powerplay snipe in the first of those, a 3-2 victory over JYP. In addition to his goal, he had ten SOG in those games while only skating a paltry 12:29 in TOI.
Otto Salin, Finland, RH Defenseman (148th overall in 2022)
2023-2024 Stats
Liiga-TPS Turku: 0 goals, 2 assists, even plus/minus, 0 PIM in 3 games played
Liiga-HIFK: 0 goals, 6 assists, plus-6, 2 PIM in 29 games played
Mestis- Kiekko-Vantaa: 1 goal, 0 assists, plus-1, 0 PIM in 1 game played
World Juniors U20: 0 goals, 1 assist, minus-2, 2 PIM in 7 games played
Following a disappointing 3-0 shutout to Tappara, Salin played a critical role in getting at least a point for his team in a 4-3 OT loss to JYP. With a little over two minutes remaining in regulation, he hammered in a one-timer that was deflected to even the game at three. Averaging 16:35 in TOI in those games, he had six SOG and was a minus-1.
Juho Markkanen, Finland, Goalie (112th overall in 2020)
2023-2024 Stats
Mestis-TUTO: 1.00 GAA, .962 GAA, 0 SO, and 1 win in 1 game played
Mestis-FPS: 4.20 GAA, .901 SV%, 0 SO, and 0 wins in 2 games played
Liiga-HPK: 3.72 GAA, .844 SV%, 0 SO, and 0 wins in 8 games played
Markkanen was sent down to play with FPS of the Mestis hockey league to help them halt a ten-game losing streak. His efforts fell short as the team dropped the match 3-0.
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