The puck has dropped for junior hockey in North America and Canucks prospects have been dialed in early
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How do you want them apples?
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Vancouver Canucks 2023 third-rounder Hunter Brzustewicz tallied 4 assists for the Kitchener Rangers on Saturday in an 8-0 win dismantling of the Flint Firebirds.
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The 18-year-old right-shot defenceman additionally went a plus-3 with one shot on purpose and was named the second star of the sport.
Brzustewicz, whose recreation touts poise, good puck motion and the flexibility to leap up and browse the play, is skating because the Rangers’ 1RD and is working the primary unit energy play.
The product of the renown U.S. Nationwide Crew Improvement Program had two spectacular assists within the win, threading an ideal cross-crease go to Mitchell Martin for a tap-in early within the third interval, then hitting Trent Swick in stride to separate the defence and rating on an influence play breakaway later within the body.
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Canucks Report
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The Rangers opened the OHL common season on Friday with a 4-3 win over a robust Saginaw Spirit aspect. Brzustewicz went a plus-1 with two photographs on purpose within the win.
Brzustewicz was projected as a second-round decide after a robust season with the Rangers final marketing campaign. He positioned seventh amongst defenders with 57 factors and sixth with 51 assists.
The Rangers have 4 NHL draft picks on their roster this season, together with Carson Rehkopf (Seattle), Matthew Andonovski (Ottawa), Tomas Hamara (Ottawa) and Brzustewicz.
Kirill Kudryavtsev
This man goes to be an issue this season for his OHL opposition.
The Brantford Bulldogs can attest to that after Saturday.
Canucks prospect Kirill Kudryavtsev had an help, a plus-3 score, three photographs on web and scored an enormous purpose for his Soo Greyhouds in opposition to the Bulldogs, sparking a 7-5 comeback win and leaving the Brantford coach scratching his head submit recreation.
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Kudryavtsev, a left-shot D-man taking part in the appropriate aspect on the highest pairing, scored the essential 5-4 purpose early within the third interval to get his crew again into the sport.
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“After we scored early within the third interval that obtained them on their heels,” stated winger Jake Beck.
Bulldogs head coach Jay McKee additionally spoke to the importance of Kudryavtsev’s purpose.
“Their D-man was huge open and that purpose gave them life,” he stated. “That was a shot we in all probability wanted a save on.”
Kudryavtsev, 19, was named the sport’s third star for his effort.
The 6-foot, 201-pound defender kicked off his season on Friday, notching two assists, a plus-2 score and three extra photographs on web in an 11-4 win over Flint.
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Kudryavtsev has been an offensive drive for the Greyhounds for over two seasons now, tallying 89 factors (13G, 76A) in 135 video games. He can break the puck out of his zone cleanly and his puck expertise make it exhausting to drive turnovers from him.
Nevertheless it’s the advance in his defensive recreation that shone via final season and at Canucks growth camp this previous summer season. Kudryavtsev performs with an edge, tracks the play nicely and has an energetic stick.
He’s initially from Yaroslavl however moved to Ontario when he was 17 forward of his 2022 draft yr, during which the Canucks took him manner again within the seventh spherical.
The Canucks signed the Russian defender to a three-year entry-level contract in March.
Vilmer Alriksson
Now that’s what the Canucks need to see.
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Vilmer Alriksson, all 6-foot-6 and 214 kilos of him, went exhausting to the web and was rewarded together with his first OHL purpose on Saturday in a 4-2 win over the Windsor Spitfires.
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Alriksson, 18, had two photographs on purpose and a minus-1 score within the recreation.
The enormous left-shot winger is skating on the Storm’s second line, and had a plus-1 score and one shot on purpose in a 4-2 win over the highly effective Owen Sounds assault on Friday — Alriksson’s first common season recreation in North America after participant junior hockey in Sweden final season.
The Enebyberg product was extra of a finesse-type participant final season, with the Canucks preaching endurance with a participant they’d prefer to mould into an influence ahead who performs a two-way recreation.
Elsewhere: Boston College is about to begin their NCAA season on Saturday, however are anticipated to be with out Canucks 2023 first-rounder Tom Willander for the primary two video games, since he performed professionally in Sweden already. And goaltending prospect Ty Younger, who signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Canucks final week, began in two video games for the Prince George Cougars this previous weekend, successful each. The large 19-year-old has a 2.51 goals-against-average and .891 save share.
— with recordsdata from Ben Kuzma and Patrick Johnston
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