Monthly Report For Capitals Prospects In The Canadian Junior Hockey Leagues — November, 2024: Cristall Keeps Scoring, Mateiko, Parascak, Protas Keep Getting Points and Allen Joins in The Fun

Photo: Prince George Cougars

The Canadian major junior hockey leagues (CHL) continued play in November. Here is the monthly summary of how the Capitals’ prospects playing in the CHL fared for the month.

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). The prospects in those leagues are 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.

CHL (WHL/OHL/QMJHL)

CAM ALLEN (D) – 19 – DRAFTED 2023 (Fifth Round, #136 Overall)
Team: Guelph Storm – League: Ontario Hockey League (OHL)

Photo: Guelph Storm

Allen had a very productive month on the offensive front in November. He scored goals in five games: November 2, November 8, November 10, November 15, and November 21. He recorded two assists in two of those games, November 8 and November 21.

On November 2, he scored a goal at 8:47 in a 6-3 loss to the Kingston Frontinacs. His goal was the team’s third goal, making the score 5-3.

November 8 was a three-point game for Allen, with a goal and two assists, in a 7-4 win over the Erie Otters. He scored his goal at 8:28 during the second period. He was voted Second Star of the Game.

He had a goal and an assist in their game on November 15 in a 8-5 win over the Niagara Ice Dogs.

November 21 was another three-point game for Allen, scoring one goal and recording two assists in a 4-3 loss to North Bay Battalion. He scored his goal off a long wrister from the point just 24 seconds into the second period, putting the Storm up 2-1.

On November 22, Allen was ejected from his team’s game in a 6-2 loss to the Sudbury Wolves, with a game misconduct and a major penalty due to fighting at puck drop.

In November, Allen played in 11 games where he scored five goals and recorded eight assists for more than one point per game.

His overall totals for the season, through November 30, were 23 games played, six goals, and 15 assists. He has made 81 shots on goal and has 21 penalty minutes. He is -7 in Plus/Minus. He leads the team in both points (21) and assists (15) and is tied for third place on the team in goals (6).

Allen’s performance during November prompted Team Canada to choose him for World Juniors Selection Camp.

The Guelph Storm are in last place in the Midwest Division of the Western Conference and have a 7-14-1-1 record.

ANDREW CRISTALL (LW) – 19 – DRAFTED 2023 (Second Round, 40th Overall)
Team: Kelowna Rockets – League: Western Hockey League (WHL)

Photo: Kelowna Rockets

Andrew Cristall had a very productive November, as he earned at least one point in all 12 games he has played and ended the month with a 15-game point-scoring streak. He only had two games in the month where he did not score a goal and in one of them recorded two assists.

On November 5, he had one goal and three assists in a 6-5 loss against the Spokane Chiefs. Cristall scored his goal at 5:30 of the third period, a goal that decreased their deficit to 4-3.

On November 8, when Kelowna played the Saskatoon Blades, he scored a shorthanded goal at 13:22 during the first period which tied the score at 1-1.

He assisted on Tig Iginla’s game-winner at 15:52 during the third period for a final score of 2-1 in favor of Kelowna.

On November 9, Cristall had a goal and an assist in a 6-5 loss to the Spokane Chiefs in overtime. At 2:36 into the third period, while the Rockets were on the power play, Cristall received a beautiful pass and shot the puck past a sprawling goaltender, decreasing the Rockets’ deficit to 4-2.

November 13 was a more successful comeback for Kelowna when they beat the Seattle Thunderbirds 5-3. In that game, Cristall scored a goal and three assists for five points overall and was selected as Second Star of the Game. Cristall’s goal came on the power play at 7:03 during the third period and tied the score at 3-3.

He also assisted on the game-winning goal which came nearly a minute and a half later and the team’s final goal.

On November 16, in a 5-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars, Cristall scored the game-winning goal at 18:58 of the third period, with only slightly more than a minute to go in regulation. He also assisted on the team’s first goal and was selected as Third Star of the Game. This game allowed the Rockets to split a two-game set with Prince George.

On November 22, in an 8-3 victory over the Vancouver Giants, Cristall scored a goal, and recorded four assists, earning him the First Star of the Game. His assist on the team’s second goal allowed the Rockets to tie the game at 2-2 and came at 1:19 during the second period.

Cristall’s goal came at 3:23 of the second period and put the team up 3-2 in a game they went on to win 8-3.

On November 24, Cristall scored two goals in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Everett Silvertips. He scored the first two goals in the game in the first period, with the first goal at 5:51 and the second goal at 10:59, which was a short-handed goal. Despite the loss, Cristall was still selected as the First Star of the Game.

On November 25, Cristall was named Tempo WHL Player of the Week, thanks to his three multi-point games.

Cristall closed the month by scoring a hat trick and contributing two assists on Nov 30 in a 9-1 win over the Regina Pats. His first goal occurred about halfway through the second period while his other two goals came during the third. His five points earned him the First Star of the Game.

In November, Cristall played in 12 games where he scored 13 goals, recorded 18 assists, and was +16. He had multipoint efforts in the month, including four games where he notched four or more points.

For the season. Cristall played in 18 games through November 30, scoring 18 goals and recording 29 assists for 47 points overall. He is also +27. Cristall leads Kelowna in goals, assists, and points with 47. He is second in the WHL in points to Gavin McKenna and second in assists to McKenna. He is tied for 7th place in goals with McKenna.

His performance earned him the WHL Player of the Month for November. He also was invited to Team Canada’s selection camp for the 2025 World Junior Hockey Championships in Ottawa.

The Rockets’ record at the end of November was 11-10-2-1 in 24 games.

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

Photo: St. John Sea Dogs/Michael Hawkins

Mateiko had another productive month scoring goals with the St. John Sea Dogs, with similar productivity he had in October. He serves as the team Captain and generally lines up as the first-line left winger, but occasionally has lined up as the first-line center.

On November 3, he scored two goals in a 4-3 overtime win against Val d’Or Foreurs. He scored his first goal at 8:20 of the second period by knocking in a rebound which staked the team to a 2-0 lead.

The team could not hold that lead, fell behind 3-2, and tied up the game at 3-3 which sent the game into overtime. Mateiko scored the game-winner when he fired a shot past the goaltender’s blocker at 4:04 into the overtime period. He was selected as First Star of the Game for his heroics.

On November 7, the Sea Dogs faced the Victoriaville Tigres, where he scored the game-tying goal at 5:20 of the third period. This goal tied the game at 2-2 in a game where they had fallen behind 2-0. The game went to overtime, with Victoriaville winning 3-2.

Mateiko scored the game’s first goal at 0:44 of the first period on November 9 in a 4-3 loss against Rimouski Oceanic.

The Sea Dogs’ game against the Moncton Wildcats on November 14 had much better results as they won 6-2. Mateiko scored two goals and was selected as the Third Star of the Game. His first goal came at 1:47 into the second period and knotted the score at 1-1. He fired a sharp-angled shot that went through the legs of the goaltender.

Mateiko added his second goal at 9:27, nearly eight minutes after his first goal, which put the Sea Dogs ahead, 2-1. This time, Mateiko tipped in the puck after a shot-pass.

On November 22 the Sea Dogs faced the Charlotte Islanders, where Mateiko scored a goal at 3:54 of the third period, which was the team’s second goal.

The next day, they faced Charlotte again and this time the team won 2-0 as Mateiko assisted on an empty net goal at 19:16 during the third period on the team’s second goal

Mateiko’s November ended on a sour note as he missed the team’s last game of the month with an injury. He was injured in the team’s game on November 29 and missed the third period.

During November, he scored seven goals and recorded two assists in 10 games. He also had 6 penalty minutes. For the season, Mateiko played in 23 games, scored 14 goals, and recorded 5 assists for 19 points overall. He leads his team in goals and is second in assists.

In games through November 30, the Sea Dogs played in 27 games and had a record of 14-13-0.

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

Photo: Prince George Cougars

Parascak accumulated points at more than a point-per-game pace during November but was more of a playmaker than a finisher. He is generally the right wing on Prince George’s top line.

On November 1, Parascak scored a goal and recorded two assists in a 6-3 win over the Kamloops Blazers. His goal came at 11:50 of the second period and was the team’s fourth goal, putting them up 4-0. It ultimately held up as the game-winning goal. Parascak fired home a one-timer for the score.

On November 4, Prince George lost 5-4 to the Saskatoon Blades in Overtime. In that game, Parascak scored a highlight-reel goal at 9:10 of the second period, putting Prince George ahead 3-1 at the time, a lead they could not hold.

Parascak extended his goal-scoring streak to four games when he scored a goal in a 7-1 win  over the Vancouver Giants. The goal was scored at 5:16 of the first period, was the team’s second goal, and was the eventual game-winner. He also assisted on the team’s first goal.

The goal-scoring streak ended after the game on November 9. He did not score a goal again until November 22. However, he had two games with multiple assists between November 2 and November 22, i.e. the games on November 15 and 16 that came against the Kelowna Rockets. The Cougars won the first of those two games 4-3 but lost the second game 5-4, despite three assists from Parascak. On November 15, he assisted on the game-winning goal which came at 8:28 of the second period and put the Cougars up 4-2.

On November 22, in a 5-3 win against the Kamloops Blazers, Parascak scored a goal and contributed two assists and was selected as the second star of the game. He scored his goal at 8:08 of the first period, which tied the game at 1-1.

He then assisted on the team’s second goal which came at 0:34 of the second period.

Parascak scored the game’s first goal in a 3-2 loss to the Red Deer Rebels on November 29. He scored at 11:49 of the first period. He shot from the right circle and wired a shot past the goaltender.

In the 10 games Parascak played during November, he scored five goals and recorded 11 assists for 16 points. He had only two pointless games for the month and had five multi-point games.

He currently leads the team in points with 35, is tied for second in goals with 13, is third in assists with 22.

At the end of November, the Cougars have compiled a record of 13-8-3-2 in 28 games.

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

Photo: Windsor Spitfires

Protas started November with a four-game goal-scoring drought, although he still recorded two assists during that time frame. He broke the drought on November 10 in a 4-1 win against the Peterborough Petes. He scored his goal at 14:51 during the third period which was the team’s third goal.

On November 15, he scored the team’s third goal at 6:30 in the third period during a 9-3 loss to the Sudbury Wolves.

On November 17, he assisted on the game’s first goal at 4:20 during the second period against the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds. Unfortunately, the Spitfires did not score again as they lost to the Greyhounds 2-1 in Overtime.

On November 23, a game where Protas returned to his natural right-wing position, he scored one goal and recorded three assists in a 6-3 win over the Ottawa 67’s. Protas’ goal, which came on a rebound, put the Spitfires up 3-2 and occurred with just over two minutes left in the second period. Protas assisted on the game-winning goal, which came on a power play less than a minute after his own goal.

November 27 was a great game for Protas, a 7-2 win against the Saginaw Spirit. He scored the team’s second goal at 14:42 in the first period of a three-goal first period for the Spitfires. Protas’ second goal game on a power play at 2:25 during the second period, increasing the Spitfires’ lead to 5-0. He added an assist for good measure and was voted first star of the game.

Protas closed out the month of November on the last day of the month with a goal and three assists in a 6-3 win against Owen Sound. This goal came at 10:38 and put Windsor ahead 2-1.

For November, Protas played in 14 games, scoring 6 goals and recording 14 assists. For much of November, Protas was lined up as the first-line center but was returned to his natural position of right-wing on November 23 where he has been ever since. November was a near reverse of October for Protas in goals and assists. In October, he had nearly twice as many goals as assists. In November, it was the opposite. He experienced a four-game goal-scoring drought to start the month. Perhaps, it was caused by the position change to center where he had more defensive responsibilities. However, he showed playmaking ability and versatility as he had assists in 9 games throughout the month, getting multiple assists in three games.

In team statistics, Protas ranks second in goals with 16, second in assists with 20, and second in points with 36. He is tied for tenth place in the Ontario Hockey League in goals.

The Spitfires are in first place in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League, with a record of 19-6-2-0.

PATRICK THOMAS (C) – 20 – DRAFTED 2023 (Fourth Round, #104 Overall)

Team: Brantford Bulldogs    League: Ontario Hockey League (OHL)

Photo: Brantford Bulldogs

Thomas usually lines up as the first-line center for the Brantford Bulldogs. Since their game on November 22, Brantford has been short on players and has generally iced a lineup with 11 forwards and 6 defensemen.

On November 3 in a 5-2 loss to the Oshawa Generals, Thomas assisted on both goals for the Bulldogs. On November 6, he scored the only goal for Brantford in a 4-1 loss to the Guelph Storm, which came at 17:02 during the second period. His efforts earned him the Third Star of the Game.

November 10 was a better day for Brantford as they beat the Brampton Steelheads 6-3. Thomas scored a goal and recorded two assists. He scored the team’s second goal which came on a power play at 6:13 of the second period. A teammate had chipped a pass through his legs to Thomas at an open back door, giving the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead.

His first assist was a secondary assist on a late second-period power-play goal, coming at 19:12. His second assist came early in the third period, at 0:31. This goal put the Bulldogs up 4-2 and held up as the game-winning goal.

On November 13, Thomas scored at 2:53 during the second period against the Barrie Colts. It put Brantford up 2-1. Unfortunately, they could not hold onto the lead and lost 3-2 in overtime.

November 16 was another three-point game for Thomas in a 5-3 win over the Brampton Steelheads, as he scored a goal and recorded two assists. His goal came on the power play at 17:27 during the first period. It tied the score at 2-2.

Thomas assisted on two more goals, both coming in the second period, the team’s third and fourth goals. The latter goal was ultimately the game-winner. His efforts earned him the Third Star of the game.

The next day, November 17, was another good day for Thomas and the Bulldogs. Brantford beat the Niagara Ice Dogs as Thomas scored a goal and recorded two assists. He scored a power-play goal at 14:23 of the third period. This goal was the fifth goal for the Bulldogs and proved to be an insurance goal.

Thomas had two secondary assists in a 5-2 win over the Peterborough Petes on November 21. His last goal of the month came on November 29 in a 7-3 win over the Oshawa Generals, as he scored a short-handed goal at 14:00 in the second period. This goal put the Bulldogs up 4-1.

Thomas played in 14 games in November, scoring 6 goals and recording 14 assists for 20 points overall. In those 14 games, he had only one game where he had neither a goal nor an assist. His totals for the season through the end of November are 8 goals and 27 assists for 35 points overall. He had three games in November that were three-point games, both with a goal and two assists. He ranks second on the Bulldogs for goals, first in assists, and second in overall points. He ranks third in the OHL for assists.

Through November, Brantford had a 12-10-3-0 record.

MIROSLAV SATAN (C) – 18 – DRAFTED 2024 (Sixth Round, 212th Overall)

Team: Sioux Falls Stampede   League: United States Hockey League (USHL)

Satan played in nine games in November, with no goals or assists. He has played 17 games, scoring two goals and recording 1 assist. He has had 18 shots on goal for the season and 8 shots on goal during November.  He has typically been the center on the fourth line.

By Diane Doyle

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