ELMONT, N.Y. -- With all of the Penguins' prospects in Europe and college done for the season, the only prospects still active outside of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton or Wheeling are the kids in junior.
All six of the Penguins' prospects in junior hockey are on teams that have clinched playoff spots.
The Penguins' lone OHL prospect, undrafted forward Jordan Frasca, and the Kingston Frontenacs currently sit No. 3 in the OHL's Eastern Conference and No. 2 in the East Division. The Hamilton Bulldogs have already locked up the East Division title.
Undrafted goaltender Taylor Gauthier and defenseman Ryan McCleary, the Penguins' seventh-round pick in 2021, are on a Portland Winterhawks team that is No. 3 in the WHL's Western Conference and No. 2 in the U.S. Division. They've secured home ice in the first round already.
The Penguins' other WHL prospect 2020 fourth-round pick forward Lukas Svejkovsky, is on a Seattle Thunderbirds team that sits No. 4 in the WHL's Western Conference and No. 3 in the U.S. Division. The Everett Silvertips have already clinched the division title. The Thunderbirds have locked up home ice for the first round, and it's set that they will face the Kelowna Rockets to start.
Defenseman Isaac Belliveau, the Penguins' 2021 fifth-round pick, is on a Gatineau Olympiques team that sits No. 2 in the QMJHL's Western Conference and at the top of the West Division.
The Penguins' other QMJHL prospect, forward Raivis Ansons, the Penguins' 2020 fifth-round pick, is on a Saint John Sea Dogs team that sits No. 3 in the QMJHL's Eastern Conference and No. 2 in the Maritimes Division. The Memorial Cup is comprised of the winners of each of the three leagues -- the OHL, WHL, and QMJHL -- as well as the host city. With Saint John hosting the tournament this year, Ansons and the Sea Dogs have already punched their ticket to the Memorial Cup.
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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
Age: 20
Team: Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
Season totals: 48 games, 14 goals, 36 assists
Ansons scored a goal and an assist in three games.
The goal was this tip in on a power play:
Tristan Broz
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-0/179
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, second round
Age: 19
Team: University of Minnesota (NCAA)
Season totals: 36 games, 6 goals, 5 assists
Minnesota was eliminated by Minnesota State in the Frozen Four round of the NCAA playoffs. Broz was scoreless in the game.
Judd Caulfield
Position: Right wing
Size: 6-3/207
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, fifth round
Age: 20
Team: University of North Dakota (NCAA)
Season totals: 39 games, 11 goals, 9 assists
North Dakota's season ended on March 24.
Jordan Frasca
Position: Center
Size: 6-2/184
Shoots: Left
Drafted: Undrafted
Age: 20
Team: Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
Season totals: 61 games, 42 goals, 45 assists
Frasca recorded three assists in two games.
Liam Gorman
Position: Center
Size: 6-3/199
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2018, sixth round
Age: 21
Team: Princeton University (NCAA)
Season totals: 28 games, 3 goals, 3 assists
Princeton's season ended on March 5.
Lukas Svejkovsky
Position: Center/right wing
Size: 5-9/170
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2020, fourth round
Age: 20
Team: Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Season totals: 57 games, 35 goals, 41 assists
Svejkovsky scored three goals in two games.
The celebration on this one was great:
This one extended his point streak to seven games:
Kirill Tankov
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-2/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 19
Team: SKA-Neva (VHL)
Season totals: 38 games, 10 goals, 11 assists (regular season), 17 games, 1 goal, 4 assists (playoffs)
SKA-Neva was eliminated in Game 6 of the semifinal round of the VHL playoffs. Tankov was scoreless in the final two games of the series.
Chase Yoder
Position: Center
Size: 5-11/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2020, sixth round
Age: 19
Team: Providence College (NCAA)
Season totals: 38 games, 5 goals, 6 assists
Providence's season ended on March 12.
DEFENSEMEN
Santeri Airola
Size: 5-9/163
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, seventh round
Age: 21
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.
Niclas Almari
Size: 6-1/180
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2016, fifth round
Age: 23
Team: Lukko (Liiga)
Season totals: 11 games, 1 goal, 1 assist (AHL), 6 games, 4 assists (ECHL), 15 games, 2 assist (Liiga), 7 games (Liiga playoffs)
Lukko's season ended on April 3.
Isaac Belliveau
Size: 6-2/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Age: 19
Team: Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Season totals: 58 games, 7 goals, 22 assists
Belliveau played three games and recorded two assists.
Daniel Laatsch
Size: 6-5/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 20
Team: University of Wisconsin (NCAA)
Season totals: 28 games, 1 goal, 2 assists
Wisconsin's season ended on March 6.
Ryan McCleary
Size: 6-2/180
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 18
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season totals: 61 games, 6 goals, 24 assists
McCleary recorded three assists in two games.
Clayton Phillips
Size: 6-0/195
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2017, third round
Age: 22
Team: Penn State University (NCAA)
Season totals: 32 games, 5 goals, 7 assists
Penn State's season ended on March 12. Phillips signed an AHL amateur tryout with Wilkes-Barre. More on that here.
GOALTENDERS
Joel Blomqvist
Size: 6-1/183
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, second round
Age: 20
Team: Karpat (Liiga), Hermes (Mestis)
Season totals: 20 games, 1.32 GAA, .940 SV% (Liiga), 7 games, 1.10 GAA, .950 SV% (Liiga playoffs), 4 games, 2.26 GAA, .882 SV% (Mestis)
Blomqvist started in Game 6 and made 14 saves on 15 shots to force a Game 7. He started in Game 7 the following night, and stopped 42 of 44 shots in an overtime loss, ending Karpat's season.
Blomqvist finished the playoffs with an incredible .950 save percentage and 1.10 goals-against average in seven appearances,
Taylor Gauthier
Size: 6-2/208
Catches: Right
Drafted: Undrafted
Age: 21
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season totals: 41 games, 2.25 GAA, .931 SV%
Gauthier played in two games this week, earning wins on back-to-back nights. He made 21 saves on 23 shots in a win in Vancouver on Friday, then stopped 31 of 35 in an overtime win in Kamloops on Saturday.
