Colorado Avalanche prospect report: The NCAA finally starts this week!

Oh my gosh, there will finally be NCAA game action on the next prospect report. These last few weeks have been painful. I’m looking forward to actually include GIF’d highlights, because NCAA teams love doing that (and these four particular CHL teams do not).

Anyways, you’re not here to read about my complaints. On to what happened in the last week!

Canadian Hockey League

WHL

#44 - Bowen Byram (D)
Vancouver Giants (4-3-0)

Byram’s Giants split their two games this week, but Byram got on the scoresheet with his first goal of the season on Saturday. He now has a goal and six points in five games played.

Now, I didn’t actually get a chance to see Byram’s goal or watch his games (I only get radio broadcasts), but take this from a Brandon Wheat Kings reporter who did watch Byram this past weekend:

Vancouver, please start tweeting goal videos. Please. Also, Byram was named to the CHL’s Team of the Week:

The Giants sit second in their division, climbing up one spot from last week. Let’s hope they can keep it up!

#34 - Sasha Mutala (RW)
Tri-City Americans (3-3-0)

It was a relatively quiet weekend for Mutala after a lights-out start to his season. He was scratched from the Ams first game of the weekend, but recorded an assist in Saturday’s game. Despite the lone point, Mutala still sits 8th in WHL scoring and Tri-City slipped to third in their division.

#27 - Luka Burzan (C)
Brandon Wheat Kings (3-4-0)

Burzan had a strong weekend, putting up two points in three games played.

And it’s a shame shootout goals don’t count:

He also made time to visit his billet mom’s class:

Brandon sits fourth in the wildcard race, while Burzan’s point totals climbed in seven in seven games (three goals, four assists).

QMJHL

#16 - Alex Beaucage (RW)
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (5-2-1)

Rouyn-Noranda was finally knocked out of first in the QMJHL (and their own division) this week, losing twice in three games (one in the shootout). Beaucage still had a strong week offensively, though, putting up two points and showing off his ridiculous release in with a shootout goal:

NCAA

HOCKEY EAST

#18 - Alex Newhook (C)
Boston College Eagles (0-0-0)

FIRST GAME: FRIDAY OCTOBER 11TH

#4 - Drew Helleson (D)
Boston College Eagles (0-0-0)

FIRST GAME: FRIDAY OCTOBER 11TH

BIG TEN

It looks like Denis Smirnov’s Nittany Lions could be really good this season. Like, national championship contention good.

#26 - Cam Morrison (LW)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-0-0)

FIRST GAME: FRIDAY OCTOBER 11TH

#4 - Nick Leivermann (D)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-0-0)

FIRST GAME: FRIDAY OCTOBER 11TH

#2 - Nate Clurman (D)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-0-0)

FIRST GAME: FRIDAY OCTOBER 11TH

#58 - Sampo Ranta (RW)
Minnesota Golden Gophers (0-0-0)

FIRST GAME: FRIDAY OCTOBER 11TH

#25 - Denis Smirnov (RW)
Penn State Nittany Lions (0-0-0)

FIRST GAME: FRIDAY OCTOBER 11TH

NCHC

#40 - Tyler Weiss (LW)
Nebraska Omaha Mavericks (0-0-0)

FIRST GAME: FRIDAY OCTOBER 11TH

ECAC

#20 - Matthew Stienburg (RW)
Cornell Big Red (0-0-0)

FIRST GAME: FRIDAY NOVEMBER 1ST

Europe

KHL

#51 - Nikolai Kovalenko (RW)
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (5-8-0)

It’s been a rough start to the season for Lokomotiv, who saw their head coach get fired early on. They currently sit second-last in the Western Conference.

But look! Kovalenko scored a goal! And it was very pretty.

Kovalenko looks to be getting more regular stints in the lineup under his new head coach. That goal was his only point in three games played last week, but he’s now up to three points in 11 games with the big club.

#2 - Danila Zhuravlyov (D)
Ak Bars Kazan (11-2-0)

Bars is first in the Eastern Conference, and on a five game winning streak to boot. Unfortunately, Zhuravlyov didn’t record any points, and was actually scratched in two of the team’s three games this week. He still has four assists in 11 games, though.

Statistics from the WHL, QMJHL, and Flashscore.ca.