Minnesota Wild Prospects Update: Bertschy’s Amazing Goal, Lang Heating Up
Here’s the weekly check-in with Minnesota Wild prospects. While you’re at it, head over to Hockey’s Future for an article on how the Wild have been patient with their prospects who are playing in Canadian junior leagues right now (OHL, WHL, QMJHL). It’s a good read and a nice bright spot for Wild fans who are worried about prospect depth thinning out after last season’s surge of prospects hitting the NHL level (Kuemper, Haula, Granlund, Niederreiter, et al) and the team opting not to re-sign a number of prospects (Tyler Cuma, Daniel Gunnarsson).
Alexandre Belanger
Belanger has struggled with consistency this season with Rouyn-Noranda, but has managed to maintain his grip on the starting job for the Huskies. He got the nod in both games over the weekend and did a lot to keep the job in his hands.
Rouyn-Noranda was outshot 31 to 28 against Saint John on Friday, but Belanger held strong and lead the team to a 5-1 win. Saturday’s game against Blainville-Boisbriand saw Rouyn-Noranda getting outshot again, but Belanger stopped 27 of 29 in 3-2 win.
That impressive weekend got him named one the QMJHL’s three stars of the week.
Christoph Bertschy
Bertschy has been having a solid season playing for SC-Bern in Switzerland. Through 31 games he has 11 goals and 12 assists. That’s worth noting this week because over the last week he scored this between-the-legs beauty:
Tanner Faith
Faith remains out with an upper body injury.
Pavel Jenys
If you follow the OHL even loosely it may blow your mind to discover that the Sudbury Wolves won both their games this week. So, let’s see how many points did one of the team’s best players and a great Wild prospect score? Well, he didn’t play. He’s not playing for Sudbury right now because he’s off at the Czech national junior camp in preparation for the World Junior Championships. Good news? You’re going to have a couple Wild prospects in the tournament this year. Last year it was just Mathew Dumba playing for team Canada. This year you are likely to have both Jenys and Alex Tuch playing in the tournament.
Dylan Labbé
Labbé’s great season continue this week with the defenseman getting a goal and an assist in two games as Shawinigan beat both Blainville-Boisbriand and Sherbrooke.
I’ve raved a bit about Labbé’s skill and versatility — not to mention the great season he’s been having — but this isn’t the only space where he’s been getting some good ink. Give a read to an interesting post on Labbé over at Hockey Wilderness.
Chase Lang
Lang, who is quickly becoming one of the team’s most exciting prospects at the junior level, continued his strong play of late as he and his Calgary Hitmen won both of their games over the weekend.
Lang tallied a goal, an assist, and five shots in a 5-3 win over the Kamloops Blazers on Saturday. Then he posted a goal, an assist, and four shots the next night in a 4-1 win over the Kelowna Rockets.
Lang currently has 31 points (15-16-31) in 28 games with a plus-9 rating. He’s third on the Hitmen in points behind Connor Rankin and Adam Tambellini. He’s right where you’re hoping to see him as regards scoring, just above a point per game.
Alex Tuch
Tuch, who will soon be off to camp for the U.S. team in anticipation of the World Junior Championships, posted two assists and three shots in a 5-1 Boston College win over Michigan. His teammate and fellow Wild prospect Adam Gilmour had an assist in the game.
Hunter Warner
Warner missed all four games the Prince Albert Raiders played this week with a shoulder injury.