Minnesota Wild Prospects Update: CHL Playoffs

An update on how Minnesota Wild prospects are doing in the WHL and QMJHL playoffs in the CHL.

Alexandre Belanger, G, 2013 7th Round

Belanger and his Cape Breton Screaming Eagles are tied up 1-1 with the Quebec Remparts after two games of their first round series of the QMJHL playoffs.

Cape Breton took Game 1, winning 3-2. Belanger stopped 25 of 27 shots en route to taking home second star of the game honors and helping the Eagles grab the win despite being outshot 27-23.

Belanger put in an even more impressive performance in Game 2, stopping 36 of 38 shots, but the Eagles couldn’t solve Quebec goaltender Callum Booth (31 saves) and they ultimately lost the game 2-0. Booth is a top goaltending prospect for the 2015 draft, ranked #2 in Central Scouting’s list of top North American goaltenders. The 17-year-old netminder is 6-foot-3, 196 pounds, and started 41 games for Quebec this season with a .900 Sv%.

Game 3 takes place on Tuesday night.

Dylan Labbé, D, 2013 4th Round

Labbé’s Shawinigan Cataractes are tied up 1-1 in their opening round series against the Halifax Mooseheads, dropping the first game, but bouncing back at home in the second game with a 4-2 win.

Labbé grabbed an assist in the series opener, a 3-2 loss on the road. He pulled in three assists in the following game, giving him four assists in the President’s Cup Playoffs, which is second overall to Halifax’s Nikolaj Ehlers (2014 1st Round draft pick for the Jets) in the playoffs so far. Labbé has assisted on four of the team’s six goals through the first two games.

Game 3 will take place on Tuesday night.

Chase Lang, C, 2014 6th Round

Lang and the Calgary Hitmen are in one of the more exciting WHL playoff series, taking on the Kootenay Ice (who are without Wild prospect Tanner Faith). After two games, the series is tied 1-1.

The Hitmen took a 4-3 loss in Game 1, but bounced back and grabbed an OT win in Game 2, with Adam Tambellini (New York Rangers, 2013 3rd Round) scoring the game-winner 17 minutes into the extra frame.

Watch a video recap of Game 2 here.

Chase Lang is a plus-1 in the series and has not yet registered a point.

Game 3 will take place Tuesday night.

Injury Updates

Reid Duke is still not back in the lineup for the Brandon Wheat Kings, who currently have a 2-1 series lead on the Edmonton Oil Kings.

Tanner Faith isn’t expected to return in the playoffs for the Kootenay Ice.

Get an update on how the Wild’s prospects have fared in the NCAA tournament here.

Next: Kaapo Kahkonen Scores Goal, Announcer Goes Nuts

More from Gone Puck Wild

Home/Prospects