Week 25 of the LA Kings Prospect Tracker brings playoff hockey across every league. In the CHL, Carter George and the Soo took a 2-0 series lead over Henry Brzustewicz and London, while Vojtech Cihar scored three goals as Kelowna went up 2-0 on Kamloops. Jimmy Lombardi had six points as Flint moved to the brink of a sweep. Meanwhile, in the NCAA Tournament, Denver knocked off Hampton Slukynsky and Western Michigan to advance to the Frozen Four.
Housekeeping note: Once a prospect’s season has concluded and their final report has been filed, they will no longer be featured in this year’s Prospect Tracker and will instead be listed here. Players no longer featured: Ryan Conmy (Boston College), Caeden Herrington (Vermont), Will Sharpe (Vancouver Giants), and Jack Sparkes (Clarkson).
The following reports cover games played through the end of day Monday, March 30th.
Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Henry Brzustewicz, London Knights, RH Defenseman (31st overall in 2025)
2025-26 Stats: 19 goals, 36 assists, minus-16, 63 PIM in 61 games played
London dropped both of their opening playoff games to the Soo, but Brzustewicz was a shot-generating machine. He fired nine of London’s 24 shots in the 4-1 loss in Game 1, then added seven more in a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 2 — where he also picked up a power-play secondary assist on the first goal. In total, he accounted for 27% of his team’s shots across the two games, keeping fellow Kings prospect Carter George plenty busy. The Knights now return home for Games 3 and 4, looking to bounce back down 2-0 in the series.
Jan Chovan, Sudbury Wolves, Center/Right Wing (184th overall in 2025)
2025-26 Stats: 29 goals, 27 assists, minus-29, 14 PIM in 60 games played
Chovan scored a power-play goal across Sudbury’s two losses to top-ranked Brantford this week — a 6-2 defeat Friday and a 4-2 loss Sunday. The goal itself was a departure from his usual net-front work, as he received a pass at the point, walked down to the high slot, and fired it top shelf glove side. He also won 51% of his faceoffs across the two games. Sudbury now find themselves down 2-0 in the series against the OHL’s best team, and will need Chovan at his best if they have any hopes of mounting a comeback.
Carter George, Soo Greyhounds, Goalie (57th overall in 2024)
2025-26 Stats: 2.68 GAA, .908 SV%, 4 SO, 1 goal, 2 assists, 27 wins in 48 games played
George came into this playoff series having won just once in 18 career games against London — that lone win coming on the night he scored his famous goalie goal earlier this season. Two games in, he has two more. The Soo netminder allowed just one goal in Game 1 and two in Game 2, posting a combined 1.26 GAA and .948 save percentage across the two wins. Now 3-3 against London this season, it appears George has turned the tide in what was once a very one-sided matchup. With the Soo up 2-0 in the series and George playing at this level, they look as primed as any team in the OHL to make a Memorial Cup run — as long as they can keep their foot on the gas.
Jimmy Lombardi, Flint Firebirds, Center (125th overall in 2025)
2025-26 Stats: 38 goals, 38 assists, plus-31, 71 PIM in 67 games played
Flint has utterly dominated Owen Sound in their playoff series, scoring a combined 29 goals across three wins. Lombardi was right in the thick of it, recording a three-point night in Game 1, before adding a goal in Game 2, and another goal and an assist in Game 3. The only blemish was a rough showing in the faceoff circle — where he has won just 15 of 45 draws — but with Flint on the verge of a sweep, it’s a minor footnote in an otherwise excellent week.
Jared Woolley, Kitchener Rangers, LH Defenseman (164th overall in 2024)
2025-26 Stats: 12 goals, 24 assists, plus-33, 81 PIM in 68 games played
Woolley had a quiet weekend on the scoresheet outside of a five-for-fighting and two shots on goal across Kitchener’s two victories. But his best games often look invisible from the outside, and this was one of them. As a number-one, all-situations defenseman, the only scoreline that matters is the final one — and Kitchener’s reads: two playoff wins. The Rangers are en route to a first-round sweep of Saginaw, and Woolley is a main reason why.
Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vojtech Cihar, Kelowna Rockets, Forward (59th overall in 2025)
2025-26 WHL Stats: 15 goals, 20 assists, plus-22, 18 PIM in 33 games played
Cihar had quite the birthday weekend, opening the scoring in both of Kelowna’s victories over Kamloops. The now 19-year-old tallied three goals (including an empty netter) and an assist across the two wins, while generating seven shots on goal. Kelowna takes a 2-0 series lead into the week, with Cihar proving to be the difference maker the Rockets hoped he would be when they acquired him.
COLLEGE HOCKEY (NCAA)
Kristian Epperson, Univ. of Denver, Left Wing (88th overall in 2025)
2025-26 Stats: 11 goals, 8 assists, plus-8, 14 PIM in 38 games played
After scoring the game-winning goal in double overtime to secure the NCHC championship, Epperson went pointless in Denver’s 5-0 first-round win over Cornell. He did, however, make his presence felt early in the rematch against Western Michigan. Just two minutes into the first period, he entered the zone — delaying long enough for his teammates to get ahead of him — and sauced a pass that deflected off one teammate’s stick, then another’s skate before bouncing past Hampton Slukynsky. A secondary assist on a wild play, but it helped tilt the ice in Denver’s favor early as the Pioneers rolled to a 6-2 win. With Denver now headed to the Frozen Four to face top-ranked Michigan, you get the sense that Epperson is just getting started — and opposing teams should be afraid of what he might conjure up next.
Brendan McMorrow, Univ. of Denver, Left Wing (196th overall in 2025)
2025-26 Stats: 3 goals, 7 assists, plus-10, 6 PIM in 25 games played
McMorrow had a quiet opener against Cornell — only one shot on goal — but more than made up for it in the victory over Western Michigan. The high-motor winger had a goal and an assist, including his first goal since December 6 — a perfectly positioned tap-in outside the blue paint. He also drew a penalty, created a takeaway opportunity off the forecheck, and took a hard hit late but returned to finish the game. It was his most impactful performance since returning from his broken finger, and it seems he’s gotten back to form just in time for Denver to head to Las Vegas next week.
James Reeder, Univ. of Denver, Right Wing (198th overall in 2024)
2025-26 Stats: 10 goals, 23 assists, plus-18, 4 PIM in 41 games played
Reeder picked up two points across Denver’s tournament wins — an assist on the empty netter against Cornell and the primary helper on the game-winner against Western Michigan. On the latter, he corralled the puck on the neutral-zone forecheck, entered the zone, had it stick-checked away but kept it onside, then delivered a tape-to-tape pass for a one-timer that beat Slukynsky. It was his fifth assist this season on a goal against fellow Kings prospect Slukynsky. Reeder now has points in 10 of his last 12 games and will look to carry that momentum into the Frozen Four against top-ranked Michigan.
Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan Univ., Goalie (118th overall in 2023)
2025-26 Stats: 2.30 GAA, .915 SV%, 4 SO, 2 assists, 27 wins in 39 games played
After a stellar round one outing — 23 saves and only one goal allowed in a 3-1 win over Minnesota State — Slukynsky had a rough afternoon against Denver in round two, allowing five goals on 31 shots. For most of them, there was nothing he could do, especially on the opening goal, which came off an extremely improbable double deflection. Despite the tournament exit, it was a remarkably successful season for the netminder from Warroad, Minnesota — he started every game for Western Michigan and led the nation in wins with 27. Now he moves on to the next chapter of his career: as Mayor’s Manor reported earlier this week, Slukynsky is expected to sign his entry-level contract and join the Ontario Reign for the remainder of the season.
EUROPEAN LEAGUES
Petteri Rimpinen, Liiga-Kiekko-Espoo, Goalie (152nd overall in 2025)
2025-26 Stats: 2.30 GAA, .911 SV%, 5 SO, 14 wins in 38 games played
Rimpinen’s season has come to an end, falling to Assat in Game 5. He kept the series alive with a strong Game 4 — allowing just one goal on 26 shots — but Kiekko-Espoo’s defense collapsed in Game 5, surrendering four goals on just 16 shots. Despite the tough finish, there is plenty to be proud of from his season. He started every game for Finland at the World Junior Championship, was voted best goaltender at the tournament, and now owns two of the top five spots in WJC history for most ice time by a goaltender in a single tournament — a remarkable track record for a fifth-round pick still early in his development.
Lead photo of Lombardi by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images
Follow @mayorsmanor
Continue reading...