From left, Ty Gallagher, Jake Schmaltz, Joey Abate, Colin Felix and Riley Duran celebrate Duran’s goal on Sunday. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)
The Providence Bruins spent a very productive few days in Ontario.
First stop was Toronto, where the P-Bruins dominated the Marlies, 5-1, on Wednesday night. Then they moved on to Belleville, and beat the Senators twice, 6-3 and 6-4, on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
As of Monday, Providence held down first place in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference with an are-you-kidding-me record of 16-3 and 32 points.
Here’s the good, bad and ugly.
GOOD
— Fabian Lysell had his best week of the season. He scored twice on Wednesday, was credited with two assists on Saturday and finished the weekend with a goal and an assist on Sunday. His second goal in Toronto was the goal of the year for the P-Bruins as he dangled his way to the net before beating the goalie. Turnovers and poor decisions with the puck are still sprinkled throughout Lysell’s game, but they are somewhat easier to overlook when he’s producing offensively the way he has lately. Lysell has 9-9-18 in 16 games. He’s tied with Patrick Brown for the team lead in goals.
— Patrick Brown continued his strong play with a goal and two helpers on Wednesday and a goal on Friday, which was the 100th of his career in the AHL. He leads the team in scoring with 9-12-21 in 19 games.
— Jake Schmaltz scored an empty netter on Saturday, then was a standout on Sunday with 1-3-4. The line of Schmaltz between Riley Duran and Joey Abate was outstanding on Sunday, generating energy and a strong forecheck as well as contributing on the scoresheet.
— Riley Duran and Victor Soderstrom scored their first goals of the season on Sunday in Belleville.
— Matt Poitras finally got some puck luck. He cashed in a rebound for a goal and added two helpers on Saturday and scored an empty-netter on Sunday.
— Jacob Perreault scored twice and added an assist on Saturday.
— Dans Locmelis had a goal and an assist on both Wednesday and Friday. His wrister for Providence’s fifth goal on Friday blew up the water bottle on the Belleville net.
— Georgii Merkulov had his best game of the season in Toronto with a nifty finish for a goal and two pretty assists.
— Frederic Brunet made a nifty backhand pass through seam that resulted in a goal on Saturday and then buried his third goal of the year on Sunday.
— New addition Christian Wolanin chipped in with four assists in Toronto and added two more in the next game in Belleville.
— The power play went five for nine in the three games. It is now ranked fifth in the AHL at 26.3 percent.
— Providence is undefeated on the road at 8-0.
BAD
— The penalty kill allowed three goals on five shorthanded situations in Belleville.
— All’s well that ends well, but Providence allowed Belleville to climb back into both games by giving up goals in the third period.
After faking out Lehigh Valley goalie Aleksei Kolosov, Providence’s Jacob Perreault gets ready to slide the puck into the net for a goal on Friday night. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)
With a depleted lineup, the Providence Bruins split their two home games against quality opponents over the weekend.
On Friday, they beat the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 3-2. On Saturday, they lost to the Wilkes-Barre/Penguins, 1-0.
“I didn’t like how we came out of our zone at all. Our goalie was outstanding. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get to the net for him,” said coach Ryan Mougenel after Saturday’s game.
“We’ve got guys that bring it every night. We just need other guys to jump onboard. It can’t always be the (Patrick Browns) and (Billy Sweezeys) of the world. We need some of our depth guys to step up. It’s opportunity for them.
“We’re 15-16 games in, you’ve got to build your brand, your identity, daily. I’m still trying to understand what a couple of our guys are. They’ve just got to figure that part of it out. We’re here to help them get to that identity a little quicker,” he said.
Heading on the road for the better part of the next few weeks could move that process along.
“Still trying to get to know a lot of the guys. We’ve done a good job this year of being a close group. There’s been a lot of new faces here in the last little bit. Messaging is clear, direct: ‘This is what we need from you.’ It’s up to them whether to listen or not listen.”
Here’s the good, bad and ugly.
GOOD
— No one in the AHL has goaltending that matches Providence’s. Simon Zajicek’s .942 save percentage is No. 1 in the league. Mike DiPietro is third with .938. DiPietro deserved a better fate on Saturday. He made a number of 10-bell saves in the 1-0 loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
— With a13-3 record, Providence finished the weekend in second place in the Atlantic Division and in the league with 26 points. They are one point behind Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, which has played two more games. They have the second-best points percentage in the AHL at .813.
— Billy Sweezey batted a puck out of the crease on Saturday, possibly saving a goal.
— Victor Soderstrom earned primary assists on Providence’s first two goals against Lehigh Valley.
— Christian Wolanin signed a PTO and played his first game for the P-Bruins on Saturday. A Calder Cup champion last season with Abbotsford and winner of the Eddie Shore Trophy as the AHL’s top defenseman in 2022-23, he is potentially an impact addition.
— Jacob Perreault, brought up from the Maine Mariners, showed off the hands that made him a first-round draft pick by the Anaheim Ducks with a highlight-reel breakaway goal on Friday.
— Dan Locmelis is tied for first in the league with two shorthanded goals.
— The P-Bruins are 10-0 when scoring first.
— Riley Duran doesn’t have a goal yet, but he’s been a standout on the penalty kill and the forecheck.
“He’s not getting rewarded on the scoresheet. If he’s going to go up and play, that’s how he’s going to have to play — go through bodies, go through hands. Disrupt,” said Mougenel.
“Use his feet, use his legs. Be light’s out on the PK. He’s bought into that. He’s a great example of when you have an identity, you’ve got to build on it.”
BAD
— NHL callups are a fact of life in the AHL, but losing Mike Callahan, Matej Blumel, Alex Steeves and Riley Tufte to Boston at the same time is piling on.
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s goal on Saturday was scored while the P-Bruins were on the power play.
— The P-Bruins allowed 32 shots against the Phantoms and 35 against the Penguins.
— Who wants to spend American Thanksgiving on the road? Providence won’t have any choice as they’ll be in Canada for the next four games in Toronto, Belleville (2) and Laval.
— Eleven of Providence’s next 13 games are on the road. They are 5-0 on the road so far, so maybe this doesn’t belong in the bad category.
UGLY
— Injured: Fabian Lysell, Ty Gallagher, Max Wanner
The puck slides over the goal line in overtime after Fabian Lysell banked it off Hartford’s Connor Mackey (14). (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)
The Providence Bruins continued their strong start last week, winning two out of three home games.
They beat the Hartford Wolf Pack in overtime, 3-2, on Wednesday and edged the Utica Comets, 3-2, in extra time on Saturday. On Sunday, the P-Bruins were beaten, 2-0, by an excellent Laval Rocket squad.
“They work extremely hard. We knew that was their identity,” coach Ryan Mougenel said after Sunday’s game.
“We didn’t have enough guys playing at their best. It’s going to happen from time to time, but I think it’s real important that when it’s not going, you’ve got to figure out a way to create.
“For us there’s a recipe for it. It’s playing north, it’s playing straight-line hockey, it’s letting our legs do the talking. I think a lot of us didn’t have our legs today,” he said.
Here’s the good, bad and ugly.
GOOD
— Providence finished the weekend in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 12-2 record and 24 points They are one point behind the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who have played two more games than the P-Bruins. Providence’s .857 points percentage is second in the AHL.
— Dans Locmelis was a standout against Utica, potting a shorthanded goal in the first period and winning the game in overtime. He had a good game against Laval, too, though he was held without a point.
— Fabian Lysell banked the puck in off a Hartford defender for the winner against the Wolf Pack and dished to Locmelis for the GWG against Utica.
— Simon Zajicek’s .943 save percentage is first in the AHL. Michael DiPietro’s .932 is third.
— Night in, night out, Patrick Brown continues to be the team’s best player. He had a power-play goal and an assist against Hartford and he assisted on Riley Tufte’s goal against Utica.
— Joey Abate scored his first goal of the season against Hartford.
— Wednesday’s OT win wouldn’t have happened if Michael DiPietro hadn’t stopped Brennan Othmann on a clean breakaway shortly before Fabian Lysell’s GWG.
BAD
— The P-Bruins have had only 42 power-play opportunities. That is 29th in the league.
— Providence let a two-goal lead slip away against Utica. And they allowed Hartford to tie the game with 2:20 left in the third period.
— Rookie Loke Johansson’s turnover led to a goal for Hartford on Wednesday night.
A good team is capable of winning even when it doesn’t play all that well.
The Providence Bruins demonstrated that over the weekend. Even after being outplayed at times, they came home from Cleveland with a pair of one-goal victories.
On Friday night, the P-Bruins made a pair of first-period goals stand up in a 2-1 win over the Monsters. On Saturday afternoon, they tied the game in the third period and then won in overtime, 3-2.
As of Monday morning, Providence had a 10-1 record and a .909 points percentage, second-best in the league. They are in first place in the Atlantic Division and in the Eastern Conference.
Here’s the good, bad and ugly.
GOOD
— Michael DiPietro stopped a career-high 42 shots in Friday’s win. He is 6-0 and his .929 save percentage is eighth in the AHL.
— Simon Zajicek improved to 4-1 after kicking out 28 of 30 shots in the victory on Saturday. His .943 save percentage is best in the AHL and his 1.60 goals-against average is second.
— Matt Poitras couldn’t have picked a better time to score his first goal of the season. He converted a picture-perfect pass from Georgii Merkulov from the edge of the blue paint on the power play in OT on Saturday.
— Providence had the puck for the entire 47 seconds of overtime on Saturday before Poitras scored.
— John Farinacci scored in both games in Cleveland, including the GWG on Friday. He has goals in three straight games. He picked the pocket of a Monsters player and fed Schmaltz for a goal on Saturday.
— Jake Schmaltz scored his first goal of the season – a shortie — and added an assist and was plus-two on Saturday.
— With the shots 16-4 in Cleveland’s favor in the first period on Friday, Dans Locmelis scored a shorthanded goal off a good setup from Patrick Brown at the end of a two-on-none rush.
— After being outshot 26-9 through two periods on Saturday, Providence outshot the Monsters 12-4 the rest of the way.
— Providence’s penalty kill was near the bottom of the league a couple of weeks ago, but has now moved up to 12th at 82.4 percent. They scored a shorthanded goal in both games in Cleveland.
— The season’s only a month old, but Joey Abate threw one of the best hits so far when he blew up Mikael Pyyhtia midway through the third period on Saturday.
— Billy Sweezey pounded out a win over Max McCue in a bout on Friday.
BAD
— There was no call on Roman Ahcan’s high hit that injured Victor Soderstrom on Friday.
— The P-Bruins were outshot 8-0 in the first eight minutes and 20-7 in the first half of Saturday’s game.
— Scheduling a 1 p.m. puck drop on Saturday following a 6 p.m. game on Friday isn’t conducive to good hockey.
UGLY
— Injured: Victor Soderstrom, Max Wanner, Ty Gallagher
Matthew Poitras drops the gloves with Charlotte’s Jack Devine on Sunday. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)
Nothing lasts forever. Especially winning streaks.
The Providence Bruins’ franchise-record seven-game winning streak to start the season bit the dust on Saturday night, but even so it was a good week for the team as they sandwiched wins against two of the Atlantic Division’s stronger teams around the one loss.
The week started on Wednesday night with a 3-1 road win against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Penguins, who were unbeaten at 7-0 going into the game. Providence’s win streak went down in flames on Saturday in a lackluster 2-0 home loss to the Hershey Bears. The P-Bruins bounced back on Sunday at the AMP with a 5-2 victory over the Charlotte Checkers.
“They’re a really good team. They’re really fast. Their forecheck is really heavy,” coach Ryan Mougenel said of Charlotte. “I thought the guys did a really good job of responding. I had to get on them a little bit in the first just because guys were trying hard and sometimes when you’re trying too hard you make some mistakes.”
Here’s the good, bad and ugly.
GOOD
— With a record of 8-1 and 16 of a possible 18 points, Providence’s points percentage is an AHL-best .889.
— Riley Tufte scored a goal on Wednesday, then added two more plus an assist on Sunday. As of Monday morning, he was tied for the lead in points in the AHL with 14 (7 goals, 7 assists) in 9 games. His plus-12 is first in the league. “When he goes to the net, he’s a presence,” said Mougenel.
— Patrick Brown had two assists against the Penguins and a goal and an assist against the Checkers. He is in the top 10 in scoring with 5-7-12 in 9 games and is plus-10.
— Fabian Lysell scored a pretty goal on Sunday, using his speed to beat the defense and then finishing on the backhand. After hitting a bump against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Lysell responded with two good games in a row.
— Matt Poitras had his first fighting major as a pro on Sunday, taking on Jack Devine in a quick bout. Late in the game Lysell was ready to throw down with Riese Gaber. “Potsy, I’m shocked that it’s his first one because he seems to be in the middle of a lot of stuff,” said Mougenel. “It’s good to get it out of the way. It’s not something I want to see Potsy or Fabian doing on a regular basis but it shows passion and it shows that they care and sometimes you’ve got to stick up for yourself. I’m a big believer in that and it’s good to see.”
— Colin Felix had a fight on Saturday, two assists on Sunday and continues to defend well. If there’s a scrum, odds are he’s in the middle of it. “I like everything about Colin. I like the person. I like the kid. I like that he’s got tons of gratitude. He wants to be here. He’s bounced up and down. He’s had not the easiest path in pro hockey and he’s always kind of found a way. I root for kids like that,” said Mougenel.
— After going five games without a point, Alex Steeves recorded two assists on Sunday.
— John Farinacci scored his first goal of the year on Sunday.
— Simon Zajicek continued his strong start, kicking out 27 of 28 shots and keeping the score close against Hershey. He has a .945 save percentage and 1.51 goals-against average.
— Michael DiPietro stopped 25 of 26 on Wednesday and 21 of 23 on Sunday. He is 5-0 with a .914 save percentage and 2.40 goals-against average.
— The P-Bruins have been shorthanded only 26 times in 9 games. That’s 27th in the league.
— Providence is tied for the league lead in goals with 36.
BAD
— Fabian Lysell’s turnover led to the only goal by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday. That was Lysell’s last shift in the game, as he was benched for the final 25-plus minutes. “Sometimes you’ve got to get their attention,” said Mougenel. “That’s all that was, just a little bit of a reset, get his game back on track.”
— John Farinacci and Victor Soderstrom combined for a turnover that led to Charlotte’s second goal on Sunday.
— The power play went 0 for 6 in the three games.
— Not for the first time, referee Morgan MacPhee made some head-scratching calls – against both teams – on Saturday.
UGLY
— It was after 3 a.m. on Thursday when the team bus arrived back at the AMP from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Frederic Brunet, left, Alex Steeves, center, and Fabian Lysell celebrate Lysell’s game-winning goal on Friday night. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)
The good times continue to roll for the Providence Bruins.
They extended their franchise-record, season-opening undefeated streak to six with a pair of home wins over the weekend.
On Friday, the P-Bruins pulled out a 5-3 win over the Springfield Thunderbirds. On Sunday, they beat the Bridgeport Islanders for the third time this season, 4-1.
“There was a lot to like today,” coach Ryan Mougenel said after Sunday’s game. “When guys get put into the lineup like (Colin) Felix, who hadn’t played in two weeks and steps up, plays as hard as he did, there’s a lot to like in that.
“I like our competitiveness. It’s evident in practice. I think some of the guys are having success because of how hard they compete.”
Here’s the good, bad and ugly.
GOOD
— Riley Tufte had 1-3-4 and was plus-4 on Friday, then added a helper on Sunday. He is third in scoring in the AHL with 4-6-10 in six games. He has points in his last four games.
— Georgii Merkulov scored twice on Sunday. He’s fifth in the league in scoring with 4-5-9 in six games. He is now in second place on the all-time P-Bruins scoring list with 188 points.
— Patrick Brown scored two goals on Friday and had an assist on Sunday. He has 4-4-8 in six games, good for a tie for eighth in the AHL. He has points in five straight games.
— The power play is third in the league at 33.3 percent.
— After recording two assists on Friday, Brett Harrison scored his first of the year on Sunday.
— Matej Blumel earned two assists on Sunday. He is tied for eighth in the AHL with 2-6-8 in six games.
— Frederic Brunet and Riley Tufte are tied for the AHL lead with plus-nine.
— The Providence roster is completely healthy. That might not seem like a big deal only 15 days into the season, but players sidelined because of injuries is usually such a day-to-day reality that it is notable when no one is hurt.
— Fabian Lysell displayed an impressive burst of speed late in Friday’s game, sailing in on a breakaway and scoring the game-winner. After scoring at a rate of 12 to 13 percent in his first three years, he’s scoring at a rate of 30.8 percent so far this season.
— Providence goaltending was solid in both games. Mike DiPietro stopped 20 of 23 shots against Springfield. Simon Zajicek kicked out 23 of 24 against Bridgeport. Zajicek’s save percentage is .939.
— Providence poured a season-high 19 shots on the Springfield net in the second period on Friday.
BAD
— Providence squandered a 3-0 lead against Springfield.
— On the AHL TV on Flo Hockey stream on Friday night, the Kiss Cam was occupied showing a couple locking lips in the stands and missed Patrick Brown’s goal in the second period. Come on, guys, be better.
UGLY
— The penalty kill is 29th in the AHL at 70.6 percent. Springfield’s power play went two for two on Friday.
The puck slides into the net behind Hartford goalie Talyn Boyko after Providence’s Billy Sweezey (6) bulled his way to the net. It was Sweezey’s first goal of the year. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)
The Providence Bruins have had some sluggish starts in recent years, but not this season.
They won both their games over the weekend, improving their record to 4-0.
The P-Bruins started with a 5-3 road victory over the Bridgeport Islanders on Friday night. At home on Saturday, they beat the Hartford Wolf Pack, 5-2.
“I think we had a great camp,” coach Ryan Mougenel said of the fast start. “Everybody had a hand in it, from the (Joey) Abates to some of the guys that are even in Maine. It just started off on the right foot. The compete level was evident from day one.
“We’ve been talking about how important the start is. This is probably the first year we got off to the start we really wanted, playing good winning hockey early on. The goaltending’s been awesome.”
In both weekend games, Providence was able to grab the lead and extend it.
“We talked about creating doubt tonight and how important that is. The way you create doubt is by sticking to our structure. Offensive players are going to find ways to create ice and create space for each other and that’s what our offensive guys did. They made a lot of pretty special plays. I liked that we understood the momentum swings.”
Here’s the good, bad and ugly.
GOOD
— The power play was on fire on Friday, clicking on three of six chances. It took Providence only five seconds to score on one of the power plays. After an offensive zone faceoff, all five Providence skaters touched the puck before Alex Steeves put it in the net. It went from Matt Poitras to Victor Soderstrom to Matej Blumel to Georgii Merkulov and then to Steeves. The PP has a 37.5 percent success rate, third-best in the AHL.
— Four of the top 10 scorers in the league are Bruins: Georgii Merkulov, Fabian Lysell, Alex Steeves and Matej Blumel.
— Riley Tufte scored twice and added an assist in Bridgeport, then chipped in with a goal and an assist against Hartford.
— Patrick Brown had a goal and an assist on Friday and two assists on Saturday.
— Georgii Merkulov recorded two assists against Bridgeport and a goal against Hartford. With 186 points, he is now tied for second all-time with Sergei Zholtok in points with the P-Bruins.
— Dans Locmelis, Jonathan Aspirot and Billy Sweezey scored their first goals of the season over the weekend.
— Blumel had two assists against the Islanders and one against the Wolf Pack.
— Mike DiPietro made 27 saves on 30 shots against Bridgeport. Simon Zajicek stopped 31 of 33 shots against Hartford.
— The P-Bruins are one of seven teams that has not lost a game.
BAD
— A turnover behind the net by Michael DiPietro handed Bridgeport a goal in the first period on Friday.
— The P-Bruins gave up two goals on the penalty kill against the Islanders. The PK is at 76.9 percent, which is 19th in the league.
Frederic Brunet is all smiles after his goal in Bridgeport (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins).
The Providence Bruins opened the 2025-26 season with a pair of wins, one on the road and one at home.
On Saturday night, they rallied from two goals down to beat the Bridgeport Islanders, 3-2, in Connecticut.
In the home opener on Sunday, the P-Bruins trailed, 3-2, before exploding for four straight goals on the way to a 6-3 victory in front of 9,093 fans.
“The guys stuck to their identify,” coach Ryan Mougenel said after Sunday’s game. “There were definitely moments where we were bending. We didn’t necessarily break. That’s to be expected early on in the season, kind of building in those habits that protect you. We did a good job of it.”
Here’s the good, bad and ugly.
GOOD
— With a hat trick and a primary assist, Fabian Lysell played his best game ever in a Providence uniform on Sunday. All three of the goals were different. The first was on a breakaway; he went to the edge of the crease for the second; and the third came off the rush. He was plus-four for the day.
“It’s good to see Fabian watch a couple of pucks go in the net. For offensive guys it’s always good that they can see the puck go in and start building that confidence. It’s a big part of the game, obviously, feeling good and playing good,” said Mougenel.
“The big thing for us is we want guys’ games in a really good place when they go up. It’s not always necessarily the stat sheet. It’s the wall play, stick details. Those are the things that give you protection and longevity in the NHL and those are the habits we’re trying to build into a lot of our young players like Fabian. Sometimes it takes time.
“I liked that he shot the puck tonight. My favorite goal was the second goal. He went to the net and that’s what happens when you go to the net. He got rewarded.”
— Alex Steeves had a goal and three assists and was plus-four against Charlotte.
— Matt Poitras recorded four assists and was plus-four on Sunday.
— Georgii Merkulov was brilliant on Saturday with a goal and two helpers.
— Matej Blumel, doing what he does best, scored goals in both games.
— After a rough start, Simon Zajicek locked it down and stopped 23 shots in Saturday’s win. His best stop came with seven minutes left, a 10-bell save on Joey Larson that kept the score at 2-2. It was Zajicek’s first win in the American Hockey League.
— All three of Providence’s goals against the Islanders were of the highlight-reel variety
First, Merkulov showed off his quick, slick hands to score from close range. On the second goal, Merkulov started the play and then Victor Soderstrom made a perfect pass to Frederic Brunet, who buried it. In overtime, the puck went from Brunet to Merkulov to Blumel, who ripped home a one-timer for the win.
— They held Bridgeport to just one shot in the third period.
— Patrick Brown scored a goal and had seven shots on Sunday.
— Michael DiPietro stopped 34 shots against Charlotte.
— Good start for the power play, which went three of six on the weekend.
BAD
Providence allowed two goals in just under two minutes in the first period in Bridgeport. The D pairing of Jonathan Aspirot and Ty Gallagher was on for both goals.
— Hate to start the year dumping on a referee, but I have to call it like I see it: The holding penalty on Victor Soderstrom at the start of the second period in Bridgeport was not referee Chad Ingalls’ best moment.
— The P-Bruins allowed a goal with 32 seconds left in the first period.
UGLY
— Nothing ugly to report at this time. Check back next week.
Optimism leading into a Providence Bruins season is nothing new.
Most years that positive feeling proves to be justified.
The P-Bruins haven’t missed the playoffs since 2012, which was Bruce Cassidy’s first year as head coach. They have consistently delivered entertaining hockey with regular season wins outnumbering losses most years.
This season, however, the high hopes are higher than ever.
The P-Bruins head into their first weekend with the deepest roster, top to bottom, they’ve had in recent memory.
There’s a top goaltender, proven scorers and strong defense. All the ingredients for success are there.
You never know what you’re going to get in the six-and-a-half-month battle of attrition that is the AHL regular season, but Providence starts out with the makings of a very strong team.
From the net out, here’s how it looks.
GOALTENDING
The P-Bruins have gotten some of the best goaltending in the league in recent seasons.
Brandon Bussi is gone, but Michael DiPietro returns. He was the AHL’s goaltender of the year and a first-team All-Star last season.
The backup will be Simon Vajicek, a free agent signing from Czechia, who has looked good in the preseason, but is unproven on this side of the Atlantic.
“Goaltending has been a real strong suit and we’ve got Dipper back. I really like Simon. He’s got a tremendous upside,” said coach Ryan Mougenel.
DEFENSE
There’s a good mix of experience and youth on D.
Mike Callahan, Billy Sweezey and Jonathan Aspirot are good, experienced defenders. Frederic Brunet is an up-and-coming two-way defenseman. Victor Soderstrom put up 37 points in 49 games and earned Defenseman of the Year honors in Sweden last year.
Loke Johansson is a first-year pro drafted in the sixth round in 2024.
Ty Gallagher, Jackson Edward, Max Wanner and Colin Felix will battle for ice time.
“I like our depth,” said Mougenel.
FORWARDS
The opening night lineup at forward is impressive.
“We have some offensive weapons, for sure. There’s guys that have had a lot of success at the American League level. I don’t know if in the past we’ve had gifted offensive players like we have up front,” said Mougenel.
At the top of the lineup, at least for the start of the season, are the two top goal-scorers in the AHL last season, Matej Blumel (39 goals) and Alex Steeves (36 goals). Blumel was a first-team All-Star; Steeves was a second teamer.
How it goes in Boston will likely determine if Blumel or Steeves will be around for the short term or the long term, but as long as they’re in Providence they should provide plenty of offensive punch.
Matthew Poitras put up 41 points in 40 AHL games last season. He’s determined to make his way back up to Boston sooner rather than later.
Georgii Merkulov, Providence’s top scorer the last three seasons, is back for a fourth year.
Patrick Brown had a strong camp in Boston. He’s a model captain.
“He does such a good job with all of our guys – teaching them how to be pros, how to act, how to train, how to live it every day,” said Mougenel.
First-rounder Fabian Lysell, in his fourth pro season, looks to rebound after a subpar year.
Riley Tufte, a consistent 20-goal scorer in the AHL, is back. Riley Duran and John Farinacci both got their first taste of the NHL last season. They are looking for more.
Dans Locmelis and Dalton Bancroft, both of whom finished last season with the P-Bruins after their college seasons were over, are expected to contribute offensively. Joey Abate will continue to provide energy and enthusiasm.
Other forwards in the mix are Brett Harrison, Jordan Schmaltz and Shawn Element.
INTANGIBLES
Providence has outstanding leadership, starting with Brown, Callahan and Sweezey.
“We’re very fortunate to have that around us. I don’t take that for granted,” Mougenel said.
Under Marco Sturm, Boston has made changes in their systems in the defensive zone and neutral zone. Providence will follow suit.
“We’re going to have a couple of tweaks in how we play. There’s going to be teaching moments in that for our D and for the coaches, too. We’re trying to paint a clear picture for our players,” said Mougenel.
“That’s going to be a little bit of a challenge but one that we welcome, too. We’ve played the same way for years. It was nice and refreshing to hear somebody else’s perspective on the game.”
MAINE MEN
Another potential change: It sounds like there could be more traffic this year between Providence and its ECHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners, who have a new coach in Rick Kowalsky.
“We’re going to use Maine as much as we can. They’re a big part of it. I don’t like young players sitting in the stands. I don’t think it does anything for anybody,” said Mougenel.
PREDICTION
With the current roster, there’s every reason to expect the P-Bruins to be in the hunt for first place in the Atlantic Division.
Jackson Edward (41) played 31 AHL games last season. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)
BUFFALO – With their second and last game of the Prospects Challenge scheduled for Sunday at noon against the New Jersey Devils, the Boston Bruins rookies got a morning practice in on Saturday.
Here are three notes from the day.
EDWARD STAYING POSITIVE
There were times last season when it looked like Jackson Edward was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
In fact, he was.
As Jackson embarked on his rookie year with the Providence Bruins, his mother, Jennifer, was recovering from a brain aneurysm and subsequent stroke suffered in March 2024.
Jackson took responsibility for Jennifer, a single mother of three, and the management of her affairs as well as helping his younger sister and brother.
It was a lot for anyone to cope with, and a massive burden for a young man trying to make his way in pro hockey.
Thankfully, Jennifer’s situation has improved and, as a result, Jackson is in a noticeably better frame of mind heading into his second season.
“She’s doing good. She’s at home now. She’s got the care she needs. Everything is going well, managing it and pushing forward as best I can,” he said after the team practiced on Saturday morning.
“You can imagine (last season) was pretty hard, for sure. But stuff happens and you’ve just got to push through it the best you can. Stay positive and keep moving along.”
Jamie Langenbrunner, assistant general manager for player personnel, said the team did what it could to help Edward through last season.
“Once we learned everything that was going on we were able to properly be there for him and give him that space to deal with those things,” he said.
“On-ice performance is important and it’s what we evaluate, but we also have to take into account sometimes what else is going on in (a player’s) life.”
Edward was drafted in the seventh round from London of the OHL in 2022. After playing 31 games with Providence and seven with Maine in 2024-25, Edward will look to step up his game this season.
“Playing simple, simple touches, stick work, technical little stuff. Soon as I get that down, then it’s about building my game, stacking on top of that and putting in reps,” he said.
Finding consistency will be key, says Langenbrunner.
“Can he be a reliable guy in your lineup every night – competitive, good defender, move pucks efficiently. He’s going to be in a fight for playing time in camp.”
Playing defense is a challenge for young pros, Providence coach Ryan Mougenel says.
“You got away with some things in junior. You can’t get away with them in pro. The things Jackson needs to work on is valuing different parts of it. He’s a physical D and we say it all the time: Things change in that there are limited opportunities to put licks on guys. You don’t want to take that out of guys’ games, but to have success at the American League and NHL level, it’s about recognizing those opportunities when and where you can be physical.
“That’s what Jackson is figuring out. He’s put on some size, he’s put on some weight, he looks good. We’re expecting big things from him this year. Year One as a pro is always a huge learning curve and Year Two is where you put the rubber to the road.”
SIMPSON ‘WANTS TO BE A DAWG’
Cooper Simpson knows his way around the offensive zone. That much was clear in Friday’s Prospects Challenge opener against the Penguins.
After playing high school hockey in Minnesota last season, the 18-year-old third-round pick didn’t look the least bit out of place with the puck on his stick.
“It’s a cool experience, first off. I’m a young player, everyone is bigger, faster, stronger. You’ve just got to think the game fast. You get the puck, you don’t have space. You’ve just got to be involved in the game and figure it out,” Simpson said.
“I feel like the first period I settled in, tried to figure out what works and doesn’t work. Every guy is big so you’ve got to play physical, as well.”
Minnesota native Langenbrunner, who watched Simpson in high school, likes his vision and playmaking ability. “It’s good to see him looking pretty comfortable out there,” he said.
“I think there’s more layers to his game than maybe you would have thought. He plays with a little more grit than you would probably notice in high school, which makes sense when you play probably 35 minutes a night.”
Simpson will play for Youngstown in the USHL this year before enrolling at North Dakota.
Youngstown coach Ryan Ward is happy to have him.
“I expect Cooper to be one of the top players in the league,” he said. “Special mind, special talent. Wants to be a dawg.”
BIG D ON THE WAY
At 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds, sixth-round pick Loke Johansson plays a physical game.
The 19-year-old defenseman is expected to graduate from Moncton of the QMJHL to Providence this season.
“He’s going to be in a little bit of a similar situation to what Jackson (Edward) was last year, coming in into a lineup where he’s going to have to fight for games, especially early on, depending on health and all those things, but I think that’s also a good thing for those guys,” said Langenbrunner.
“They can get tons of practice time, they can get their work in. They don’t have to play every night to build in that consistency to their game. For him, adjusting to what’s it’s like to play three in three or three in five at the pace you’re going to have to be playing at in the American League, compared to junior, where you can take off shifts and you’re OK.
“In the American League, it usually ends up in your net when you’re taking off shifts as a young guy. That’s the way life works. He’s just got to learn that. First-year pro, good opportunity for him.”
Mougenel said the Bruins know what they have.
“He’s a player that we drafted and we know exactly what he is. Usually when you draft a player, you’re like, he could be this, he could be that. I think we know exactly what he’s going to be. He’s a big physical guy, has a real thirst to be physical.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Ryan Mougenel on defensemen
“We really want our D making plays and being more than a one option D. We talk a lot about the different types of defensemen. There’s guys that are one option D that play a long time in the NHL, say, like a Derek Forbort. There’s two option Ds and three option Ds. We want to keep developing. We don’t want to put our D in a box. We want guys to keep growing their game.”
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