When Penguins forward prospect Lukas Svejkovsky was traded from the Medicine Hat Tigers to the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL on Dec. 27, he had to wait quite awhile before he was able to make his Thunderbirds debut.
Svejkovsky, the Penguins' fourth-round pick in 2020, tested positive for COVID immediately following the trade and was sidelined for nearly a month as he recovered.
He played his first game with Seattle on Jan. 21, still not feeling quite 100%. In his first six games following the trade, he didn't score any goals, but recorded six assists.
This week, Svejkovsky said he was finally back to feeling like himself.
“I feel really good," he told the Thunderbirds' team website. "I feel back to normal now. It was definitely a tough couple of weeks trying to get back into game shape."
It showed on the ice.
Seattle played a set of back-to-back games at home on Friday and Saturday, and Svejkovsky recorded a combined three goals and three assists in the games.
Seattle hosted the Prince George Cougars on Friday, and Svejkovsky scored the first and third goals in the Thunderbirds' 7-2 victory, an effort that earned him No. 1 star honors. His first goal was this beautiful top-shelf backhand shot:
He showed off his great hands (and a great backwards somersault) on the second goal:
Svejkovsky recorded nine shots on goal in the win, one shot shy of his single-game high this season.
Svejkovsky had a four-point night in Saturday's 7-2 win over the Vancouver Giants, again earning the No. 1 star of the night.
His first point Saturday was the primary assist on Seattle's second goal of the game, after a teammate picked up the rebound from his initial shot:
He scored a goal of his own in the second period to give Seattle a 4-0 lead:
Svejkovsky picked up another primary assist later that period on a power play goal. He took the initial shot, then a scrum ensued in front of Vancouver's net:
He had the lone assist on the Thunderbirds' seventh goal, picking up a loose puck behind Vancouver's net then setting up a teammate's one-timer:
“Every game I’m just feeling better, starting to get more chemistry with my linemates," he said after Saturday's win. "All the credit goes to them. They played great tonight.”
Svejkovsky now has three goals and nine assists in his eight games with the Thunderbirds, and a total of 42 points (16 goals, 26 assists) in his 32 games this season between both Seattle and Medicine Hat.
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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
Team: Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
Season totals: 21 games, 7 goals, 19 assists
The QMJHL resumed play this week after being on pause since mid-December. Ansons played his first two games with his new team, the Saint John Sea Dogs, after being traded during the break. He recorded a goal and an assist in two games.
He drove to the net and poked at a loose puck for his goal:
Tristan Broz
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-0/179
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, second round
Team: University of Minnesota (NCAA)
Season totals: 24 games, 3 goal, 2 assists
Broz played in two games, skating on the left wing of the second line. He scored his third NCAA goal, and it was a beauty:
Judd Caulfield
Position: Right wing
Size: 6-3/207
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, fifth round
Team: University of North Dakota (NCAA)
Season totals: 27 games, 6 goal, 5 assists
Caulfield scored two goals in two games on the right wing of North Dakota's second line.
His first goal was this redirect in front:
Caulfield's second goal this week was this one-timer from the slot on a power play:
Liam Gorman
Position: Center
Size: 6-3/199
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2018, sixth round
Team: Princeton University (NCAA)
Season totals: 20 games, 2 goal, 2 assist
Gorman was scoreless in two games on the left wing of Princeton's second line.
His girlfriend Sarah Fillier is a forward making her Olympic debut with Canada in Beijing. She leads Canada in goals through three games with five.
Lukas Svejkovsky
Position: Center/right wing
Size: 5-9/170
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2020, fourth round
Team: Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Season totals: 32 games, 16 goals, 26 assists
Svejkovsky scored three goals and three assists in two games.
Kirill Tankov
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-2/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: SKA-Neva (VHL)
Season totals: 34 games, 9 goals, 9 assists
Tankov recorded an assist in his only game this week.
Chase Yoder
Position: Center
Size: 5-11/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2020, sixth round
Team: Providence College (NCAA)
Season totals: 31 games, 4 goal, 5 assists
Yoder was scoreless in two games centering Providence's third line.
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: 31 games, 1 goal, 10 assists
The QMJHL resumed play for the first time since mid-December. Belliveau picked up an assist in his two games this week, playing on the left side of Gatineau's second defense pairing.
Daniel Laatsch
Size: 6-5/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: University of Wisconsin (NCAA)
Season totals: 25 games, 2 assists
Laatsch was injured last week and remained sidelined this week.
Ryan McCleary
Size: 6-2/180
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season totals: 38 games, 4 goals, 13 assists
McCleary recorded one assist in two games on the left side of Portland's second defense pairing.
Clayton Phillips
Size: 6-0/195
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2017, third round
Team: Penn State University (NCAA)
Season totals: 28 games, 5 goal, 7 assists
Phillips was scoreless in two games.
Phillips is one of three Penn State players nominated for the Hobey Baker Award, awarded annually to the top player in college hockey. Voting is here and runs through March 6.
GOALTENDERS
Note: Mack Guzda, the free agent OHL goaltender who I wrote about last week after it was reported that the Penguins had shown interest, signed a three-year entry-level contract with Florida on Monday.
Joel Blomqvist
Size: 6-1/183
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, second round
Team: Karpat (Liiga), Hermes (Mestis)
Season totals: 11 games, 1.05 GAA, .952 SV% (Liiga), 4 games, 2.26 GAA, .882 SV% (Mestis)
Blomqvist didn't play this week.
Calle Clang
Size: 6-2/176
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, third round
Team: Rogle (SHL)
Season totals: 10 games, 2.46 GAA, .905 SV%
Clang played in one game this week, making 24 saves on 26 shots in a win over Djurgarden.
