Senators Prospects March Review

It's almost hard to imagine that we enjoyed a couple weeks of hockey last month before things came to a grinding halt. Since then, many leagues have terminated play for the rest of the season. Others have been put on pause, their eventual playoff plans still undecided.

For the first time in 102 years, teams from the OHL, WHL, and QMJHL will not compete for the Memorial Cup this spring. The news was especially tough for a few prospects whose teams were in contention to reach the final four.
Johnny Grudenscored his 30th goal of the season on March 3rd, one of 4 points he recorded in 3 games last month. His London Knights were sitting in first place in the OHL's Western Conference when games were cancelled.

Over in the QMJHL, Kevin Mandolese had his 7-game win streak snapped on March 11th despite making a season-high 44 saves. Mandolese was arguably the best goalie in the CHL in 2020, and his Cape Breton Eagles were poised to make a deep playoff run.

Maxence Guénette helped Val d'Or secure a playoff spot by posting 4 assists in 4 games, reaching the 40 point mark for the first time in his QMJHL career. Ottawa's 7th round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft showed consistent improvement throughout the season.
Out West, Mads Søgaard won both of his starts in March, surrendering just a single goal in each contest. Over his final 10 games of the season, Søgaard posted an impressive .937 SV%. Medicine Hat was second in the WHL's Eastern Conference when play was halted.
Watch: Youtube Video
Meanwhile, most NCAA playoff tournaments were cancelled before they even began. Angus Crookshank finished his sophomore year with a 3-game goal streak. Crookshank consistently found the back of the net all season long, leading the UNH Wildcats with 16 goals.

Although he didn't factor in on the scoresheet for Bentley, Jakov Novak was a physical presence in their first round playoff win over Canisius College. His strong season was rewarded with a nomination to the Atlantic Hockey (NCAA) All-Conference First Team.

After clinching the Penrose Cup at the end of February, the University of North Dakota still had a couple regular season games remaining in March. With an assist in their final contest,Shane Pinto capped off an amazing freshman campaign. He was recognized with a nomination to the
2019-20 NCHC All-Rookie Team
before being named NCHC Rookie of the Year.
Watch: Youtube Video
Pinto's teammateJacob Bernard-Docker didn't slow down either after UND secured the Cup. JBD twice and added an assist in their final game of the regular season, a 5-0 win at Omaha.

Luke Loheit capped off his freshman season with the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs by scoring twice in their final 3 games. It's always nice to see a player get rewarded offensively after spending most of the season in a checking role.

Finally, news broke from a couple SHL teams that Senators prospects who played in Sweden would not be returning next year. Look for Olle Alsing and Viktor Lodin to make their way to North America for the 2020-2021 season.

Keep an eye out for the final Farm Report of the season next month and be sure to reach out if there's something you'd like to see covered in that year-end recap. Follow Henry as

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