During the course of doing this overseas report the Jets had 14 draft picks or players under contract playing in the KHL, SHL, Liiga, DEL, DEL2, Slovakian league and HockeyAllsvenskan.
With news that the NHL is scheduled to begin their season on January 13th with training camps set to open on January 3rd a number of Winnipeg’s prospects or players were cut loose from their European contracts to return to North America.
Finland – Kristian Vesalainen and Joona Luoto finished playing in Liiga to head for training camp. While Ville Heinola and Henri Nikkanen joined their Finnish teammates to head to Edmonton for the World Junior Tournament. Once it concludes the expectation is Heinola will go to Jets training camp and Nikkanen could go back to Liiga. Nikkanen was selected by the Winnipeg Ice in the Import draft six months ago but with the uncertainty facing the WHL it doesn’t seem likely that he would end up in the ‘Peg rather than returning to Liiga.
Sweden – David Gustafsson, who was dealing with a lower-body injury, got to fulfill a dream playing hockey in his hometown of Tingsryd.
Germany – The only North American Jets prospect to head overseas, Skyler McKenzie is back in Canada after playing six games for Freiburg EHC.
Russia – A day after this report was published last week we learned that Mikhail Berdin’s KHL rights had been traded to Sochi. A few days later we learned he had signed a two-year extension with the Jets. The expectation is he will return to Winnipeg for Jets training camp.
Players on loan:
1. Leon Gawanke
Eisbären Polar Bears (DEL): 1 GP 0 goals 0 assists. Played 24:36
Change since last week: The four games Gawanke played prior to Dec 18th with his hometown club were pre-season games (0 goals 1 assists. Averaged 17:49 TOI) according to a reader. It doesn’t yet appear that he has been recalled for Jets training camp.
Next game: December 22nd.
2. Arvid Holm
Farjestads BK Karlstad (SHL): 7-6-1, 2.51 GAA .923 save%
Change since last week: 0 GP no wins no losses. After winning both his games in the previous reporting period, he didn’t play in either game for his team over the last week.
Next game: December 26th.
Other Jets prospects in Europe:
1. Santeri Virtanen
SaiPa Lappeenranta (Liiga): 18 GP 2 goals 4 assist, averaging 16:31 of ice time per game.
Change since last week: 1 GP no goals no assists & his ice time is down 16 seconds. He’s the only Jets prospect still playing in Liiga.
Next game: December 27th.
2. Simon Lundmark
Linkopings HC (SHL): 17 GP 1 goal 3 assist, averaging 13:15 of ice time per game.
Change since last week: 1 GP 1 goal 0 assists, average ice time down 3 seconds. His team was rolling last week as the Jets 2nd rounder from 2019 scored his first ever goal in the Swedish Hockey League.
Next game: December 26th.
Injured:
1. Marko Dano
Trencin Dukla (Slovak League): 2 GP 2 goals 1 assist.
Status: As I reported Dano had surgery and is out indefinitely.
2. Anton Johannesson
HV71 J20: Hasn’t played a game yet this season.
Status: None. Murat Ates of The Athletic Winnipeg reported that the Jets 2020 5th rounder is recovering from surgery on his foot.
In my chat with his countryman David Gustafsson he gave me his coles notes on the Jets 2020 5th rounder.
3. Daniel Torgersson
Frölunda HC J20 (J20 Nationell): 10 GP 4 goals 5 assists.
Frölunda HC (SHL): 2 GP 0 goals 0 assists, averaging 3:22 of ice time per game.
Status: None. In that same report from Murat wrote this about the the Jets 2nd rounder from 2020 “Initial reports suggested a four to five month recovery but I’m also told it’s possible he misses the full SHL season.”.
In my chat with his countryman David Gustafsson he gave me his coles notes on the Jets 2020 2nd rounder.
