Bloom thrilled to be back in Saginaw to chase OHL championship and Memorial Cup

Josh Bloom is back in Saginaw and he couldn’t be happier.

And while a lot has changed during his 15-month absence, the transition back into a Spirit uniform was seamless.

“There was definitely excitement [and] some nerves,” Bloom said. “Obviously you want to be playing the highest level possible and playing pro but unfortunately given the circumstances that’s not a possibility this year so we felt like my development would be best back in junior. So, getting to come back to a team like Saginaw, with a new group, some of the same core that we had when I played here, and adding pieces along the way, I don’t think there’s a better group in the Ontario League let alone the CHL.

“I’m really excited to go through the next couple of months with this group.”

Since his first stint in Saginaw, Bloom has played for three teams and saw his NHL rights traded. Initially shipped to North Bay in November 2022, Bloom helped the Battalion reach the Eastern Conference Finals where they fell in Game 7 to eventual champions Peterborough.

Bloom’s NHL rights were acquired by Vancouver from Buffalo at the 2023 NHL trade deadline and his 2023-24 campaign began with their club AHL in Abbotsford. He played 14 games and recorded an assist before he was reassigned by the Canucks to the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings. He had a pair of assists in eight games before Vancouver reassigned him to the OHL where he signed with Saginaw to come full circle.

“I’m getting comfortable playing big minutes again,” the 20-year-old said. “I feel like being back in Saginaw is pretty special. Not many guys get the opportunity to play for their team hosting a Memorial Cup. It’s a huge step for me to get a second chance and a second crack at it so I couldn’t be more excited.”

Josh Bloom gets his first of the season! 🚨

The #Canucks prospect goes upstairs on the backhand to put the @SpiritHockey in front 🎥@NHLNetwork | @Canucks pic.twitter.com/qgWVFj6aDR

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) January 20, 2024

In 11 games with the Spirit, the Oakville, ON., has two goals and nine points where he’s played top six minutes primarily alongside Owen Beck (MTL) and Michael Misa. He’s also spent time with Alex Christopoulos and Hunter Haight (MIN).

“Dave Drinkill has done an unbelievable job getting guys in the right spots, trading for some big pieces,” Bloom said. “Then you look at the job [head coach] Chris Lazary has done and the giant steps Michael and Zayne [Parekh] have made in their games … I love our group and I think we can do some pretty special things here.”

The start to Bloom’s professional career didn’t go perfectly but the experience he collected remains vital. Outside of Beck’s one NHL game and a pair of AHL contests for Jorian Donovan (OTT), Bloom is the only member of the team with meaningful professional experience.

“Pro has done a lot of good for me,” he said. “There’s still a lot of room for me to grow and improve and get more comfortable but [with] that being said, getting to experience pro games, work with pro guys and work with the development staff, like the Sedin’s, has done wonders for my game.

“[I’m] getting more comfortable along the wall, moving my feet, puck protection, that sort of stuff has really grown in my game and now I’ve got to keep working on it in my day-to-day and not get away from it.”

As hosts of the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow, there’s ‘a ton of noise’ around the team to use Bloom’s own words. And rightly so.

But there’s goals the Spirit hope to achieve before they play for the CHL’s most prestigious prize.

Saginaw is still without an OHL championship. In 2018-19, they lost in Game 7 of the Western Conference Championship Series. A year later, Bloom was a member of the 2019-20 team that was 41-16-5 before Covid-19 cancelled the remainder of the season. They never got a shot in 2020-21 with the season postponed.

“The most special part is doing it for the guys that came before us,” Bloom said. “This year, being guaranteed to play in a Memorial Cup but also wanting to win an OHL championship, it really comes down to the culture the guys before us made and us reliving that and doing it for them.

“But [the Memorial Cup] being in the States, I don’t think you could pick a better spot. I know there’s a ton of buzz around the city and people coming in for the games. It’s going to be a really exciting time here in Sag.”

More pressing, however, is the ability to play for a division title and conference championship. The Spirit are three times winners of the Bumbacco Trophy (2011, 2019, 2020) as West Division champions and enter tonight’s CHL Game of the Week against their divisional rivals, the Soo Greyhounds, level on points but on a seven-game winning streak. Saginaw’s 32 wins are tied for the most in the OHL this year.

“Our leadership group and coaching staff have done a really good job at keeping everybody’s eyes on the first target which is the OHL championship and an even closer goal of winning the division and the conference. I think everyone’s mindset is on that; I don’t think anyone is thinking about the Memorial Cup or even playoffs for that matter.”

Wednesday’s CHL Game of the Week contest between Saginaw and Sault Ste. Marie is available to watch for FREE on CHLTV and TSN+ at 7:05pm ET.