Alumn-ICE Report: April 15, 2024
Brendan Harris
Photo Credit: Garrett James
A proud first-year member of the Western Hockey League, the Wenatchee Wild are continuing a celebrated WHL legacy that dates back to Edmonton, Alberta in 1996, continuing in Cranbrook, British Columbia and Winnipeg, Manitoba. These are the ICE alumni, who are now also members of the #WildFamily, making news in American pro hockey this week:
NHL
SAM REINHART (2010-15) – Is within days of finishing second on the NHL’s goal-scoring list for the season after potting two more goals in a pair of wins for the Florida Panthers – his wrist shot with 54 seconds left in the second period helped to push the Panthers to a 4-0 shutout win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, before delivering the overtime winner with 1:02 left in the extra session Saturday in a 3-2 overtime victory at home against the Buffalo Sabres. With 55 goals, he sits two goals ahead of Edmonton’s Zach Hyman for second place in the NHL, whose regular season ends Thursday.
ZACH BENSON (2020-23) – Opened Thursday’s 4-2 Buffalo Sabres win over the Washington Capitals with a goal, on a tip-in with a minute to go in the first period. Earning the secondary assist on Benson’s goal was PEYTON KREBS (2017-21), who also had an assist on Rasmus Dahlin’s go-ahead goal halfway through the first period of last Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Dallas Stars.
BRAYDEN McNABB (2006-11) – Did not register a point this past week, but his appearance in Sunday’s 4-3 overtime win against the Colorado Avalanche was his 500th in a Vegas Golden Knights uniform.
AHL
ZACK OSTAPCHUK (2022-23) – Scored the opening goal Friday in the Belleville Senators’ 6-3 win at the Rochester Americans. Ostapchuk was recalled on an emergency basis Monday by the National Hockey League’s Ottawa Senators ahead of a matchup against the New York Rangers.
DAWSON BARTEAUX (2019-20) – Tallied assists in both Manitoba Moose games against the Iowa Wild this past weekend, including two helpers in a 7-4 win Saturday that eliminated Iowa from Calder Cup playoff contention. He added an assist in Sunday’s 4-3 loss to Iowa, helping to jumpstart a bid for a four-goal comeback.
MIKEY MILNE (2018-22) – Built a four-game point streak for the Iowa Wild behind two second-period assists last Tuesday in a 4-3 loss to the Rockford IceHogs, before scoring a second-period goal to break up a shutout bid Saturday in a 7-4 loss at the Manitoba Moose.
JACK FINLEY (2021-22) – Picked up an assist on a game-tying goal with 4:50 left in a 2-1 shootout loss Friday for the Syracuse Crunch against the Toronto Marlies.
HUDSON ELYNUIK (2012-18) – Has extended his point streak to five games for the Chicago Wolves, starting with an assist and a go-ahead goal Friday in a 5-4 shootout loss at the Milwaukee Admirals. His assist Saturday provided one of the few Chicago highlights in a 3-1 loss against the Grand Rapids Griffins Saturday, but he tacked on a goal and an assist Sunday as part of a 7-2 win over the Griffins.
ADAM CRACKNELL (2002-06) – Opened the third period with a secondary assist in the Henderson Silver Knights’ 6-5 loss Wednesday against the San Jose Barracuda.
MICHAL TEPLY (2019-20) – Highlighted his 200th AHL game – all with the Rockford IceHogs – by scoring the game-tying goal with 1:55 left in last Wednesday’s 4-3 win at the Iowa Wild. LUKE PHILP (2011-16) earned the secondary assist on Teply’s tying tally. Three nights later, he opened the scoring by sniping a shot past Sebastian Cossa just two minutes into a 2-0 win at the Grand Rapids Griffins.
BRETT SUTTER (2003-06) – Notched an assist Thursday in the Calgary Wranglers’ 3-1 loss to the Abbotsford Canucks.
ECHL
EVAN FRIESEN (2021-present) – Made his professional debut Saturday in the Utah Grizzlies’ 2-0 season-ending loss at the Idaho Steelheads, after signing an Amateur Tryout (ATO) contract with Utah earlier in the week.
OWEN PEDERSON (2018-23) – Scored a power play goal 56 seconds into the Maine Mariners’ 5-4 overtime loss Friday against the Adirondack Thunder – Pederson’s goal was one of four go-ahead markers for Maine in the game.
BRETT DAVIS (2016-19) – Opened the scoring Thursday, and later added an assist on the game-winner, as the Rapid City Rush defeated the Wichita Thunder by a 6-2 mark.
JON MARTIN (2011-16) – Returned to the score sheet for the first time in two-and-a-half weeks on Saturday, by scoring the game-winning goal for the Indy Fuel with 38 seconds left in overtime in a 3-2 win over the Kalamazoo Wings. CAM HAUSINGER (2017-19) also found his way onto the score sheet that night, marking an assist earlier in the game. Saturday’s game was the final regular-season home game for the Fuel before their move to suburban Fishers for the 2024-25 season.
NOLAN ORZECK (2017-22) – Had an assist on the Allen Americans’ go-ahead goal Saturday in a 6-3 win over the Tulsa Oilers.
BOBBY RUSSELL (2016-18) – Finished his regular season with three assists on the final weekend of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits season – he picked up two assists on Tanner Eberle goals Friday in a 7-3 win over the Atlanta Gladiators, and helped open the scoring Sunday in a 5-1 win against the Savannah Ghost Pirates.
Also on Wenatchee’s alumni list are the standouts from its Junior A era (2008-2023) – these players laid the foundation for the WHL’s future success in the Wenatchee Valley. These are Wenatchee’s Junior A alumni who are making news in American pro hockey this week:
DEVIN COOLEY (2016-17) – Backstopped the San Jose Sharks to a 3-1 win Thursday at the Seattle Kraken behind a professional career-high 49 saves, earning his second NHL victory.
NIC DOWD (2008-09) – Notched his first goal in more than two weeks for the Washington Capitals on Saturday, snapping home a tip-in with 3:14 remaining to finish a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
LUKAS SVEJKOVSKY (2018-19) – Scored his first goal in a month for the Wilkes Barre-Scranton Penguins last Sunday, tallying on the power play to close out a 5-1 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
BRENDAN HARRIS (2013-17) – Scored points in four of his last five regular-season games this year for the Jacksonville IceMen, starting with a goal Wednesday with four seconds left in a 5-2 loss at the Florida Everblades. He had two assists, including one on the overtime winner, in Friday’s 4-3 victory over the Savannah Ghost Pirates before closing out the regular season with a goal and two assists in a 7-4 loss Sunday against the Atlanta Gladiators. His 66 points this season set a new Jacksonville single-season scoring record. BRANDON PURICELLI (2015-16) also landed on the score sheet with an assist, his first point in five games with the IceMen.
KYLE MAYHEW (2016-17) – Was named to the ECHL’s 2nd All-Star team, and finished his scoring for the season by posting an assist Friday in the Utah Grizzlies’ 4-3 overtime win at the Idaho Steelheads.
GEHRETT SARGIS (2009-10) – Closed a half-season stretch in the ECHL with points in back-to-back Norfolk Admirals games against the Reading Royals last weekend – he had the secondary assist on a Norfolk goal with 5:14 left in last Friday’s 5-1 win, before posting the game-tying goal the next night with 2:17 left and assisting on the overtime winner in a 3-2 victory.
MARKO REIFENBERGER (2018-19) – Scored his last point of the regular season last Saturday with the last South Carolina Stingrays goal in a 5-3 win over the Jacksonville IceMen.