The Week That Was – CHL alumni filling out scoresheet as NHL season begins
Each week, CHL.ca goes coast to coast to highlight the top stories from around the league.
Smith’s sensational debut
Ty Smith made quite the early impression.
Skating in his first-ever NHL game with the New Jersey Devils, the budding blue-liner made the most of his NHL debut, earning more than 17 minutes of ice time and also finding the back of the net with a late third-period marker that took a fortunate bounce by Tuukka Rask and sent the game to extra time in an eventual 3-2 final versus the Boston Bruins.
While Smith admits it wasn’t one for the highlight reel, they all count in the end.
https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1349907413814620161?s=20
“As soon as (Tennyson) got it, I started calling for (the puck),” Smith told reporters postgame. “I kind of felt their guy coming a little bit and then made a bit of a move and tried to put it on net and get it through. I have no idea how it went in. I think it went off of a couple of their guys and I kind of got lucky.
“There was excitement (coming into the game). I just wanted to get the first shift underway. The first shift I was in my zone for a while but then after that I felt settled in. Once the first shift ended, I got back on the bench, took a deep breath, and then just played.”
Selected 17th overall by the Devils in the 2018 NHL Draft, Smith has spent the past four full seasons with the Spokane Chiefs, marked by CHL Defenceman of the Year recognition in 2018-19 following a phenomenal campaign in which he collected 69 points counting seven goals and 62 assists through 57 games.
The Lloydminster, Alta., native then found another gear last season highlighted by a February contest in which he set the Chiefs’ all-time mark for points in a game by a blue-liner after recording three goals and five assists in a 9-2 victory versus Seattle, breaking the record of seven points he had set previously.
Juolevi gets his shot
The time has arrived for Olli Juolevi.
Five years removed from his first-round selection by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2016 NHL Draft, the London Knights graduate made his NHL debut last week, suiting up versus the rival Edmonton Oilers.
It’s been a long road for Juolevi, whose draft year is decorated with other top picks and CHL alumni like Pierre-Luc Dubois, former Knights teammate Matthew Tkachuk, and fellow blue-liner Mikhail Sergachev. But the wait has been worth it.
“The confidence level is high,” Juolevi told Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province. “The first couple of days of camp were really good. I would say I’m nervous because, of course, it’s a big opportunity and I believed in my skills the whole time. I’m really happy right now.”
After appearing in one #NHL playoff game last summer, former @LondonKnights #MemorialCup champion Olli Juolevi (@OlliJuolevi) has made his #NHL regular season debut with the #Canucks at the age of 22. #OHLAlumni was fifth overall pick of 2016 #NHLDraft. pic.twitter.com/pIxzMkgGf5
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) January 14, 2021
Skating on the Canucks’ third defensive pairing alongside Kelowna Rockets alumnus Tyler Myers, Juolevi has averaged just over 10 minutes of ice time per game through four appearances while displaying the strong defensive skill set he showcased over his two seasons with the Knights from 2015-17.
Following a two-year stint in London, which was marked by a Memorial Cup championship in 2016, Juolevi returned to his native Finland for the 2017-18 campaign then completed two seasons with the AHL’s Utica Comets, the Canucks’ top minor-league affiliate. That invaluable experience, plus the chance to get into one game with the Canucks during last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, undoubtedly helped him ready for his regular-season debut.
“With the defensive game at the NHL level, you’re going to play against top-level guys every night,” Juolevi added. “Just to be able to play against them, I’m feeling really good about my chances right now to show that I can do my best.”
Garland paying dividends
Conor Garland oozes creativity.
With three points in as many games to start 2020-21, the Moncton Wildcats graduate continues to show signs of being a draft day gem for the Arizona Coyotes. Skating in his third season with the Desert Dogs, and following a year in which he led the club with 22 goals, the undersized winger has continued to flash his offensive potential all while earning top-line minutes.
“It was a long layoff and exciting to get back,” Garland told Andrew Bell of Sports 360 AZ following his two-point season debut. “The best thing about hockey is the chance to compete. Scrimmages are one thing but the chance to compete against another guy and finish hits and just play, it’s a lot of fun. You got to enjoy it.”
Goal #1 for Garland. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/FNE5rf6Odm
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) January 15, 2021
Skating in part of four seasons with the Wildcats from 2012-16, Garland’s time in New Brunswick was highlighted by his final two campaigns in which he combined for an incredible 257 points in 129 games, totals that helped him earn recognition as the CHL’s top scorer in both seasons, in addition to the Michel Briere Trophy in 2014-15 as the QMJHL’s most valuable player.
The success of Garland’s third season finally put him on the map, with the Coyotes calling his name with the 123rd selection in the 2015 NHL Draft. Following one more season in Moncton, Garland then spent part of three seasons with the Coyotes’ minor-league affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, before earning his full-time call-up to the big club.