While the NHL and American Hockey League Playoffs are still a couple of weeks away, the dream of hoisting a championship trophy is alive and well in the junior ranks. However, because many leagues changed from the regular season to the playoffs, there have been a lot of gaps in players’ schedules. So, rather than picking a prospect of the week this week, let’s take a look at which players are extending their season and chasing a trophy.
CHL
Carter Yakemchuk is the Senators’ only prospect in the Western Hockey League (WHL), but he has a good chance to go on a deep run with the Calgary Hitmen, who finished just one win shy of first place in the Eastern Conference. They were pitted against the plucky Saskatoon Blades in the first round, and after two games, the Hitmen have taken a commanding 2-0 lead and outscored their opponents 9-3. However, Ottawa’s top prospect hasn’t been part of any of that offence, going pointless in his two appearances. He hasn’t been as focused on scoring this season, leaving that to the likes of Benjamin Kindel and deadline acquisition Sawyer Mynio, but he will be a big part of any success Calgary has in the playoffs.
Over in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), the Senators have five prospects in the playoffs. Tomas Hamara was a big producer with the Brantford Bulldogs this season, who finished first in the Eastern Conference. That gave them the favourable matchup against the North Bay Battalion, and just like the Hitmen and Blades, the Bulldogs have cruised to a 2-0 series lead with a combined score of 9-3. However, Hamara has been much more involved than Yakemchuk, putting up two assists in the first two games.
Although they slowed after their blazing-hot start, the Kitchener Rangers finished with the second-highest point total in the OHL thanks to high-scoring Lucas Ellinas and veteran defender Matthew Andonovski. They also have a 2-0 series lead over the Flint Firebirds, and both Senators’ prospects have chipped in an assist each. While Ellinas has struggled with injuries over the second half of the season, he’ll need to get back to his 20-goal pace if the Rangers want to go on a deep playoff run.
Once again, the London Knights are a powerhouse. After leading the league with 112 points, they scored 12 goals in the first two games against the Owen Sound Attack while allowing just four. Yet Blake Montgomery wasn’t part of any of those, instead registering just one assist in the opening match. While it’s not yet concerning, his lack of production follows his late-season regression; in his last 21 games, he scored just four goals and 12 points after putting up 19 goals and 38 points in his first 30 games. His size and toolkit are well-suited for playoff hockey, and it’s likely a matter of time before everything clicks into place.
NCAA
After starting with four prospects competing in the NCAA’s Frozen Four tournament last week, none remain after the first two rounds. Of those four, Hoyt Stanley had the most success, putting up an assist and helping Cornell upset Michigan State in the opening round. He and Cornell nearly repeated the feat against Boston University, taking them to overtime before Boston’s Quinn Hutson scored the game winner to move on to the Frozen Four and end Stanley’s Cinderella run.
CORNELL UPSETS NO. 2 MICHIGAN ST. WITH 10 SECONDS LEFT ????
— ESPN (@espn) March 28, 2025
They'll play Boston University in the second round ???? pic.twitter.com/A198m1U0eg
University of Massachusetts’ Nicholas Van Tassell and Cam O’Neill were also part of a surprising upset in the first round, beating the University of Minnesota in overtime. Still, they were also sent home in the second round, falling to Western Michigan University 2-1. The final player, Theo Wallberg, hasn’t played since March 9 and was inactive for Ohio State’s first-round loss.
BCHL
Vladimir Nikitin has been quite the story this season. After returning to the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) after a season in Kazakhstan, he’s only lost two games in 13 starts. While he’s no Austin Elliott, he’s emerged as another potential dark horse in the Senators’ goaltending pipeline.
Related: Senators Prospect of the Week – Vladimir Nikitin
Last week, he finished the regular season with another impressive performance, turning away 37 of 38 shots to earn the game’s first star against the Cowichan Valley Capitals, who the Nanaimo Clippers will face in the first round of the playoffs on April 4. It’s unclear if Nikitin will get the nod to start the series, but even if he isn’t in net for the first game, the team’s starter will be on a short leash given the Kazakh’s success.
USHL
The United States Hockey League’s (USHL) playoffs begin April 12, and while the Lincoln Stars currently hold first place, Javon Moore and Filip Nordberg are in hot pursuit with the Sioux Falls Stampede. On March 27, both Senators’ prospects put up points, with Moore scoring a goal and Nordberg adding two assists en route to a 3-2 win over the Omaha Lancers. It was Moore’s first game back since last weekend, and his presence was sorely missed. Unfortunately, they dropped the following game to the Waterloo Black Hawks. With four games remaining, the Stampede sit three points back of Lincoln, giving them a great chance to secure the Anderson Cup as the top team in the USHL.
SHL
Although not a junior league, the Senators had two prospects playing in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) this season. Lassi Thomson, who went unsigned last summer but still has his rights owned by Ottawa, was fantastic for the Malmö Redhawks, scoring three goals and four points in eight games while playing on the first line. The Redhawks beat Rögle BK in the Eighth finals, but lost to Brynäs IF in the quarterfinals. While it’s difficult to say whether he’ll return to the Senators, it’s great to see Thomson thriving in Sweden as an offensive defenceman.
Oliver Johansson had a very different playoff experience with Timrå IK. He was placed on the fourth line as his team took on Frölunda HC, where he scored zero points in six games before Timrå was eliminated from the playoff race. While he’s struggled to find his place in Sweden’s top league, he wasn’t given much of an opportunity, getting less than a minute of ice time in four games.
With the playoff excitement ramping up, tune in next week to see which player stood above the rest.
