Monthly Report For Capitals Prospects In The CHL – March, 2025: Goals Galore at End of Regular Season and CHL Playoffs Begin


Photo: Windsor Spitfires

The Canadian Junior Hockey Leagues (CHL) played through most of March, wrapping up their regular seasons. The playoffs started at the end of the month for those who qualified.
Here is the monthly summary of how each of the Washington Capitals’ prospects playing in the CHL fared for the month. [Note: This summary focuses more on the regular season and only briefly discusses the first round of the playoffs since most of the playoffs took place after March.]

The Capitals currently have six prospects playing in CHL: the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJML): defenseman Cam Allen, left-wing Andrew Cristall, left-wing Eriks Mateiko, right-wing Terik Parascak, right-wing Ilya Protas and center Patrick Thomas. The one Capitals prospect playing in the USHL in the United States, Miroslav Satan, will also be included in this summary.

CAM ALLEN (D) – 20 – DRAFTED 2023 (Fifth Round, #136 Overall)
Teams: London Knights – League: Ontario Hockey League (OHL)

On February 27, a London judge sentenced Defenseman Cam Allen to a two-year driving ban, two years of probation, and a $4200 fine for his single vehicle crash in early February. In addition, the OHL imposed a 15-game suspension, which included games he already missed. He also needed to take part in a substance abuse program and perform community service.

Allen returned to action on March 16, when the Knights lost to the Windsor Spitfires 8-5. Allen assisted on a goal scored at 10:13 of the second period, which put the Knights up 3-1.

On March 21, in a 6-2 win against the Spitfires, their last home game for the regular season, Allen assisted on the game-winning goal at 12:57 of the second period, which put the Knights ahead 3-2.

On March 23, in a 6-4 loss to the Erie Otters, their last game of the regular season, he had the primary assist on a goal scored at 9:37 of the third period which, at the time, tied the score 4-4.

For March, since returning from suspension, he played in four games, scored no goals but recorded three assists. He has generally been assigned to the second defense pairing.

For the regular season, Allen played in 49 games where he scored 11 goals and recorded 34 assists. His Plus/Minus was +15 and he had 68 penalty minutes.

The London Knights finished the regular season with a record of 55-11-2-9, which was first place in the Midwest Division and the best record overall in both the Western Conference and the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). They will be the top seed in the playoffs. They started their first round OHL series against Owen Sound Attack and swept them in four straight games. Allen scored a goal and recorded an assist in the series clinching game on April 3 which the Knights won 8-4.

ANDREW CRISTALL (LW) – 20 – DRAFTED 2023 (Second Round, 40th Overall)
Team: Spokane Chiefs – League: Western Hockey League (WHL)

Photo: Spokane Chiefs

Cristall recorded two assists and was voted Third Star of the game in a 6-3 loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds on March 1. He had the primary assist on a goal scored at 11:54 of the second period, which narrowed the Chiefs’ deficit to 3-2.  His other assist was the secondary assist on a goal scored at 16:23 that same period, which tied the score at 3-3.

On March 7, Cristall scored two goals and recorded three assists in a 9-2 win over the Victoria Royals and was selected as the Second Star of the Game. He scored his first goal at 10:34 of the first period, putting the Chiefs up 2-0.

He recorded two assists in the first period as the team ran up a 5-0 lead going into the first intermission. He added another assist in the third period, making the score 6-1. He scored his second goal of the game at 17:07 of the third period.

On March 12, in a 3-2 loss vs the Everett Silvertips, Cristall scored one goal and assisted on another. He assisted on the game-opening goal at 6:02 of the first period. He scored at 11:59 of the third period, making the score 3-2, as the Silvertips had scored three unanswered goals.

In a 5-1 win over the Tri-City Americans on March 15, Cristall scored a goal and also recorded an assist. He scored his goal at 11:06 of the first period.

On March 16,in a 2-1 loss to the Everett Silvertips, Cristall scored at 1:13 of a second-period power play to tie the game at 1-1.

On March 21 in a 7-6 shootout loss against Seattle Silvertips, Cristall scored a goal and recorded two assists. His goal was a go-ahead goal scored at 15:43 of the second period, putting Spokane ahead, 4-3.

His second assist came on a goal at 11:43 of the third period, putting the Chiefs up 6-4, a lead they could not hold onto.

In the team’s final regular season game, a 4-3 win over Tri-City Americans on March 22, Cristall had two assists. His first assist was on the team’s first goal at 2:56 in the second period.

His second assist occurred on a goal scored at 5:35 of the third period that increased the lead to 2-1.

Cristall’s totals for March were six goals and 12 assists for 18 points in the eight games he played.

For the regular season, he played in 57 games, scored 48 goals and recorded 84 assists for 132 points overall. He was +59. He led the WHL in overall points and finished second in both goals and second in assists. Cristall was named to the WHL Western Conference All Star Team.

The Chiefs finished in second place in the British Columbia Division of the Western Conference with a record of 41-21-4-2 for 88 points. Despite having a better record than the U.S. Division leader, they are seeded third in the Western Conference Playoffs since they did not win their division. Spokane faced the Vancouver Giants in the first round.

The Chiefs opened the series with a 4-1 victory on March 28 that featured two goals from Cristall and a 7-5 victory on March 30, the latter where Cristall earned a five-minute major penalty for crosschecking and was suspended for the game of April 2, a 3-2 loss. Cristall returned to the lineup on April 3 and had a hat trick in a 6-2 win. Spokane won the fifth game of the series on April 5 by a 9-4 score to advance to the second round of the playoffs and featured two goals by Cristall. He had seven goals and five assists for the playoffs.

ERIKS MATEIKO (LW) – 19 – DRAFTED 2024 (Third Round, 90th Overall)
Team: St John Sea Dogs/Rimouski Oceanic – League: QMJHL

In a 3-2 loss to the Moncton Wildcats on March 5, Mateiko scored a goal at 18:53 of the third period, which decreased the deficit to 3-2.

He had two assists during a 5-1 win over the Charlottetown Islanders on March 9. His first assist came on a goal at 8:32 during the second period, increasing their lead to 3-1.

He earned his second assist on a power play goal at 13:56 during the third period, which increased their lead to 5-1.

On March 12, he opened the scoring in a 5-4 win over Sherbrooke Phoenix. His goal came on a power play at 11:00 during the first period that put Rimouski up 1-0.

He did not play in the games on March 15 and 16, during a period where Rimouski was short-handed and was forced to recall players from a lower-level hockey league as replacements.

On March 21, he scored the fifth goal for Rimouski in a 5-1 win against the Quebec Remparts. His goal came at 14:05 during the third period, which made the score 5-1.

March 22 was another 5-1 win for the Rimouski Oceanic over the Quebec Remparts. In this game, Mateiko scored a goal at 0:12 into the second period, making the score 3-1. He also recorded an assist on an empty net goal scored at 16:59 during the third period.

Mateiko played in six games during March, scoring four goals and recording three assists. For the regular season, he scored 26 goals and recorded 15 assists for 41 points overall. He was +17 in Plus/Minus.

Rimouski Oceanic finished with a regular season record of 46-14-2-2, which was first place in the East Division and second overall in the West Conference. They began their first-round series against the Charlottetown Islanders on March 28 and swept them in four games. Mateiko contributed a goal and an assist during the series, scoring his goal in the second game, a 10-0 win on March 29.

TERIK PARASCAK (LW) – 18 – DRAFTED 2024 (First Round, 17th Overall)
Team: Prince George Cougars – League: Western Hockey League (WHL)

Photo: Prince George Cougars

Parascak scored a goal and recorded an assist in a 4-2 win over Kamloops Blazers on March 1. With the Cougars down 2-0, Parascak scored a goal at 12:15 of the second period to decrease the deficit to 2-1.

He also assisted on the empty net goal at 19:58, which iced the game 4-2.

Parascak recorded two assists during a 4-3 win over Wenatchee Wild on March 5.

His first assist was the primary assist on a goal scored at 4:23 during the second period, which decreased their deficit to 2-1.

His second assist was the secondary assist on a power play goal scored at 18:24 during the second period, which decreased their deficit to 3-2.

On March 7, during a 4-3 win over Wenatchee Wild, Parascak scored a goal and recorded an assist, prompting his selection as Second Star of the Game.

Parascak scored a goal from the slot at 3:41 during the first period, allowing the Cougars to take a 1-0 lead.

He made the perfect feed to a teammate on a power play goal scored at 18:05 during the second period that gave the Cougars a 3-1 lead.

During a 4-3 win over the Everett Silvertips on March 8, Parascak left the game early after second-period collision and did not return. The person he collided with was assessed with a major penalty and ejected from the game. He was ultimately diagnosed with a concussion and missed the remainder of the regular season. In his absence, the Cougars clinched a playoff spot and the home-field advantage for the first round of the playoffs,

Parascak played in four games during March. He scored two goals and recorded four assists before being knocked out of action due to a concussion suffered during the game on March 8.

For the regular season, he played in 59 games, scoring 29 goals and recording 54 assists for 82 points overall. He was +16 in Plus/Minus.

The Cougars finished the regular season with a record of 41-21-4-2, which was second in the British Columbia Division of the Western Conference. They started their first round series against the Portland Winterhawks on Friday, March 28.

Parascak returned for the playoffs and was the overtime hero during their 7-6 come-from-behind victory in a game where they had fallen behind 5-2. He scored two goals and recorded an assist. His first goal came at 7:09 during the third period, decreasing their deficit to 5-4. The Cougars eventually forced overtime. Parascak scored at 6:40 into overtime to give the Cougars the win.

The Cougars then lost their next three games but staved off elimination by winning 7-2 on April 4. Parascak scored one of the Cougars’ goals. They won 4-1 on April 6 to force Game 7. However, the Cougars ultimately lost the series, losing Game 7 on April 7 by a 4-2 score, despite Parascak having a goal and an assist in Game 7. Parasak scored four goals and recorded six assists, leading his team in points for the playoffs.

ILYA PROTAS (LW) – 18 – DRAFTED 2024 (Third Round, 90th Overall)
Team: Windsor Spitfires – League: Ontario Hockey League (OHL)

Photo: Windsor Spitfires

During a 5-4 loss to the Ottawa 67’s on March 2, Protas scored the team’s fourth goal at 19:47 during the second period, decreasing the team’s deficit to 5-4. In that game, he and his teammate, Liam Green, both reached the 100-point milestone for the season. Protas was selected as the Third Star of the game.

March 6 was a 7-1 win over Kingston Frontenacs in which Protas scored two goals, recorded an assist, and was selected First Star of the Game. The Spitfires also clinched their division title. His first goal occurred at 11:12 during the first period and tied the score at 1-1. He assisted on the go-ahead goal at 4:56 during a second-period power play, making the score 2-1. His second goal of the game came on a power play at 9:22 during the second period and increased their lead to 3-1.

Protas contributed three assists during a 7-4 loss to Kitchener Rangers on March 7. This included an assist on a goal at 8:52 during the second period, which decreased the deficit to 2-1. He assisted on the game-tying goal at 3:25 during the third period, which tied the score at 3-3. He assisted on a goal at 16:08 during the third period to pull the Spitfires to a 5-4 deficit.

During a 7-5 win over Erie Otters on March 11, Protas had one goal and three assists and was selected the Second Star of the game. He had secondary assists on the team’s first two goals, which came on two separate first-period power plays. He recorded a third assist on the team’s fifth goal, which occurred at 18:40 during the first period. His goal occurred at 19:01 during the second period, which was the team’s sixth goal and was the game-winner.

On March 13, a 6-3 win over Sault St. Marie, Protas scored a goal and two assists and was selected as First Star of the Game. Protas scored his goal at 3:55 during the third period which increased the team’s lead to 5-2. He also assisted on a goal at 5:43 that made the score 2-0 and assisted on a goal at 14:02 during the second period, which was a go-ahead goal and made the score 5-2.

Protas scored three goals and recorded one assist on March 15 during a 6-5 shootout loss to Saginaw Spirit. Protas’ natural hat trick allowed him to reach the 50-goal milestone. His three goals all occurred during the second period. His first goal occurred at 9:55 during the second period and tied the score at 2-2. His second goal occurred at 12:22, while his third goal came at 18:11. The team now led 4-2 after those three goals, a lead which they could not hold. For good measure, Protas assisted on an early third-period goal that increased the team’s lead to 5-3.

Protas missed the team’s next game with an upper body injury but returned for the game on March 20 when the Spitfires shut out the Sarnia Sting 5-0, with Protas assisting on all five goals and getting selected as First Star of the Game. Four of those goals occurred during the second period, the first one at 4:39, the second at 7:48, the third, which was a short-handed goal at 14:29, and the fourth at 15:40 on a power play. His fifth and last assist was on a third-period power play goal scored at 10:32.

He missed the team’s last game as he and other key players were getting rested for the playoffs.

Protas played in seven games during March, where he scored 8 goals and recorded 15 assists. For the regular season, Protas played in 61 games, where he scored 50 goals and recorded 74 assists for 124 points overall. He was +58 in Plus/Minus. Protas finished second in the OHL for goals, third in assists, and third in overall points.

On April 3, the results of the OHL Polls were released. Protas was ranked second for Smartest Player, first for Best Playmaker, and second for Best Shootout Skater in the Western Conference.

The Windsor Spitfires finished in first place in the West Division of the Western Conference where they posted a record of 45-17-4-2. They were the second seed of the Western Conference and played the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds for the first round of the playoffs.

Windsor won the first game of the playoffs on March 27 against Sault St. Marie Greyhounds 7-2. Protas recorded four assists and was selected as the Second Star of the Game. Windsor won again on March 29, this time 7-1. Protas recorded three assists in that game as the Spitfires took a 2-0 series lead. The Spitfires lost Game 3 3-2 in overtime on March 31. They came back to win Game 4 with a 4-1 score on April 2, a game featuring two Protas goals. On April 4, they won 4-8 to clinch the series to advance, and Protas contributed a goal and three assists.

PATRICK THOMAS (C) – 20 – DRAFTED 2023 (Fourth Round, #104 Overall)
Team: Brantford Bulldogs    League: Ontario Hockey League (OHL)

Photo: Brantford Bulldogs

On March 1, Thomas scored two goals and assisted in the game-winning goal during a 4-3 overtime victory against the Peterborough Petes. Thomas’s first goal came at 16:12 during the first period during a power play, giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.

He scored again, deflecting the puck past the goaltender, on another power play, this time at 18:10 during the second period, putting the Bulldogs up by 3-1. The game eventually went into overtime. During overtime, Thomas sent a pass to a teammate, which eventually resulted in the winning goal. Thomas was selected as the First Star of the Game.

Thomas gave an interview after the game.

During a 4-2 win over Flint Firebirds on March 7, Thomas assisted on the game-tying goal at 11:29 during the third period, tying the game at 2-2. This assist allowed him to tie the Bulldogs’ franchise record for most points.

On March 8, during an 11-3 win over Saginaw Spirit, Thomas recorded three assists, which allowed him to set the franchise record for most points. His first assist, which allowed him to set the record, was a secondary assist on the team’s third goal that came at 12:52 during the first period and staked the Bulldogs to a 3-1 lead. His other two assists occurred on second-period goals.

During a 5-1 win over the Sudbury Wolves on March 14, Thomas scored the game-winning goal at 0:28 in the second period, giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.

The Bulldogs clinched first place in the Eastern Division during a 4-0 win against Kingston Frontenacs on March 21. Thomas assisted on the Bulldogs’ fourth goal at 10:17 during the second period.

Thomas played seven games during March, scoring three goals and recording six assists. For the regular season, he played 66 games, scored 27 goals, and recorded 77 assists for 104 points overall. He was +16 in Plus/Minus. Thomas finished first in assists for the Ontario Hockey League.

The Brantford Bulldogs compiled a regular season record of 44-19-5-0, which led the East Division of the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League and was the best overall in the Eastern Conference. Their first-round opponent was the North Bay Battalion.

The Bulldogs won Game 1 on March 28 by a 6-3 score where Thomas was the second star of the game with a goal and an assist. They won Game 2 on March 30, this time 3-0. They took a commanding lead in the series with a 4-3 overtime win on April 1.  On April 3, North Bay beat the Bulldogs 6-3  to stave off elimination. But two days later, on April 5, the Bulldogs beat North Bay 5-1, eliminating the Battalion and advancing to the second round.

In this series, Thomas scored one goal and recorded six assists.

MIROSLAV SATAN (C) – 18 – DRAFTED 2024 (Sixth Round, 212th Overall)
Team: Sioux Falls Stampede/Omaha Lancers   League: United States Hockey League (USHL)

Satan played in 10 games for the Omaha Lancers during February and did not score any goals or record any assists.

Through March, he has played 40 games this season, scoring two goals and recording 1 assist, with all points recorded for the Sioux Falls Stampede before he was traded. He has had 35 shots on goal for the season.  He has typically been the center on the fourth line.

By Diane Doyle

 





Source link

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR