It's a slow time of year for the prospects. The QMJHL is on pause due to COVID-19. NCAA teams are slowly returning to action after holiday break, some playing exhibition games before their regular-season schedule gets underway again. The Penguins' only three healthy prospects in Europe -- Calle Clang, Joel Blomqvist, and Kirill Tankov -- should all be in the World Junior Championship this week, but are slowly returning to their clubs after the tournament was canceled on Wednesday due to COVID.
Here's how the Penguins' prospects in junior, college, and Europe did this week.
FORWARDS
Raivis Ansons
Position: Right wing/left wing
Size: 6-1/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Team: Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
Season totals: 19 games, 6 goals, 18 assists
The QMJHL is on pause until Jan. 7 due to COVID.
Tristan Broz
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-0/179
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, second round
Team: University of Minnesota (NCAA)
Season totals: 15 games, 2 assists
Minnesota returned from holiday break with two exhibition games, one against St. Thomas and another against the U.S. national team development program. Broz was scoreless vs. St. Thomas and recorded a secondary assist against the U.S. team.
Judd Caulfield
Position: Right wing
Size: 6-3/207
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, fifth round
Team: University of North Dakota (NCAA)
Season totals: 19 games, 3 goal, 5 assists
North Dakota returned from holiday break with an exhibition game against the U.S. national team development program and lost 2-0.
Liam Gorman
Position: Center
Size: 6-3/199
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2018, sixth round
Team: Princeton University (NCAA)
Season totals: 13 games, 1 goal, 2 assist
Princeton is still on holiday break.
Lukas Svejkovsky
Position: Center/right wing
Size: 5-9/170
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2020, fourth round
Team: Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Season totals: 24 games, 13 goals, 17 assists
Svejkovsky hasn't played since being acquired by the Thunderbirds last week. The only explanation given on the team's website is that he is "awaiting the okay to return to play."
Kirill Tankov
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-2/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: SKA-Neva (VHL)
Season totals: 25 games, 6 goals, 6 assists
Tankov was in the World Junior Championship this week before the tournament was canceled Wednesday. He recorded one assist in two games with Russia before the tournament got canceled. He hasn't yet returned to play for his Russian team.
Chase Yoder
Position: Center
Size: 5-11/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2020, sixth round
Team: Providence College (NCAA)
Season totals: 23 games, 4 goal, 4 assists
Yoder played two games with Providence this week in return from holiday break and scored one goal:
Great dish on the 2-on-1 by Koopman and Yoder buries it for his fourth strike of the season to make it 1-0!#GoFriars pic.twitter.com/CMBD4I8rL2
— PC Men's Hockey (@FriarsHockey) December 28, 2021
DEFENSEMEN
Santeri Airola
Size: 5-9/163
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, seventh round
Team: Ilves (Liiga), KOOVEE (Mestis)
Season totals: 2 games (Mestis)
Airola missed the start of the Liiga season with a lower-body injury. His team announced on Oct. 14 that Airola underwent surgery and is expected to be sidelined for 6-8 months.
Isaac Belliveau
Size: 6-2/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Team: Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Season totals: 29 games, 1 goal, 9 assists
The QMJHL is on pause until Jan. 7 due to COVID.
Daniel Laatsch
Size: 6-5/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: University of Wisconsin (NCAA)
Season totals: 20 games, 1 assist
Laatsch was scoreless in Wisconsin's first two games since returning from holiday break. Wisconsin's next two-game series against Ohio State was postponed due to COVID protocols affecting Wisconsin.
Ryan McCleary
Size: 6-2/180
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season totals: 26 games, 2 goal, 9 assists
McCleary scored a goal and a secondary assist in three games this week. Both points came in a 9-2 win over Tri-City.
Clayton Phillips
Size: 6-0/195
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2017, third round
Team: Penn State University (NCAA)
Season totals: 18 games, 4 goal, 5 assists
Penn State's two-game series against Maine was postpone due to positive tests within the Maine program. Penn State scheduled a game against Army instead, and Phillips was scoreless in the win.
GOALTENDERS
Joel Blomqvist
Size: 6-1/183
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, second round
Team: Karpat (Liiga), Hermes (Mestis)
Season totals: 8 games, 0.73 GAA, .964 SV% (Liiga), 3 games, 2.07 GAA, .902 SV% (Mestis)
Blomqvist was in the World Junior Championship this week until the tournament was canceled Wednesday. He did not play in a game, only serving as backup.
Calle Clang
Size: 6-2/176
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, third round
Team: Rogle (SHL)
Season totals: 8 games, 2.73 GAA, .892 SV%
Clang was in the World Junior Championship this week until the tournament was canceled. He didn't play a game, dressing as Sweden's backup. I spoke to him after the cancelation for this story here.
