NFL
The Detroit Prospect Tournament saw some surprisingly fun action, far from just a formality before training camp. A few young stars really showcased some real talent in front of scouts from across the league. We saw some players for the first time. You wouldn’t even know they had never played against the AHL, let alone some NHL talent.
I will discuss takeaways from each game, and along the way I will point out who impressed me most. Each team will get an MVP, but plenty of players from each team leaped out at me.
Penguins vs. Blue Jackets
Pittsburgh largely controlled the game. They were fast, physical, and passed very crisply. As a result, won in a shootout 2-1 on the back of a couple of Tomas Galvas and Pierce Mbuyi goals. The Blue Jackets were slow out of the gate. They were unable to establish possession or keep pressure on the offensive side of the ice. As the game went on, you could feel Columbus applying more and more pressure, and the Pens started to buckle a bit. Columbus tied the game in the 3rd frame, forcing overtime and eventually a shootout loss. For Columbus, I was impressed with Charlie Elick and Jordan Dumais. However, the lone goal came from a great effort by Luca Pinelli. He got an assist and set up a subsequent snipe from Jack Williams.
For Pittsburgh, I was very excited to see the Ruck twins in action for the first time. They played with each other on every single line, giving us a glimpse into the versatility of this pair. They honestly looked fantastic, creating chances and skating effortlessly. Liam particularly stood out. Any time there was a puck battle, it seemed like Markus would wind up with the puck and Liam would end up exactly where he needed to be. This must be the twin telepathy. The chemistry is, unsurprisingly, undeniable. They played on the second line, quarterbacked by 20-year-old Tomas Galvas.
Pittsburgh Player of the Game: Tomas Galvas
Galvas showcased some really advanced skating ability yesterday. His efforts didn’t pay off in regulation goals. However, he created plenty of chances and played great defense. In the waning seconds of the game, Galvas saved the day by clearing a loose puck in front of a wide-open net, sending the game to overtime and eventually scoring the game-winning goal in the shootout—a very impressive game from him.
Columbus Player of the Game: Evan Gardner
The Columbus goalie prospect was largely the reason that Columbus had a chance. The Blue Jackets were outshot 47-19 at the end of regulation, and Gardner made 46/47 saves, a .979 save percentage on the day. He was unshakable. There is no shame in losing in the shootout on goals from Mbuyi and Galvas, both of which have very nice shots.
Dallas Stars vs Detroit Red Wings
Another great game from a pure entertainment standpoint, the Stars saw their 3-1 lead evaporate before their eyes and ultimately also lost in a shootout after 16 rounds. The Wings were absolutely stymied for the majority of the game by the 6’4″ German goaltender Arno “Berlin Wall” Tiefensee. Arno made some great saves and used his size to his advantage, but ultimately the Stars’ defensemen couldn’t keep the Red Wings at bay. Of all the prospects for both teams, I was most excited to see how the 2025 13th overall pick, Carter Bear, would showcase his skill.
The Red Wings scored with under 6 minutes left in the 3rd on a goal from Noah Dower Nilsson, and with the goalie pulled, free-agent invite Theo Rochette would tie the game late in the 3rd with 1:14 left to play. In the opening frame, Detroit looked like they were going to really control the offensive pace of play. They outshot Dallas 17-4 in the first frame, but in the final 2 frames, they were outshot 25-23.
Detroit Player of the Game: Carter Bear
Bear recorded one assist, but he really stood out as the most mature player on the ice. He registered a team-leading 10 SOG and was the driving force behind many chances for the Red Wings. This was a great opportunity for Bear, as he was rehabbing an injury during last year’s training camp and was really able to showcase his skill.
Dallas Player of the Game: Arno Tiefensee
This should come as no surprise; Arno made some very nice saves and was unbeatable at even strength. All 3 of his goals against came from when Detroit had the man advantage. He used his size to seal up the posts and defended well from the short side, which Detroit heavily targeted early on. He showed great poise after being shelled in the first period; I am curious to see how he performs in a back-to-back.
Today’s Games
Today, the Dallas Stars play the Blue Jackets at 2:30 pm CST, and Detroit faces Pittsburgh later at 7:00 pm CST. My impression is that Pittsburgh looks very good and could run the table in this tournament. The forward combination of Liam and Markus Ruck coupled with Tomas Galvas looked like the best forward group of the entire day, and I am anxious to see if they run that line back or try to mix it up with some of their other talented forwards like Mbuyi and Zonnon. As for Dallas and Columbus, I expect a pretty physical, heavy game, especially if we see Dallas roll out another 11-7 roster. Dallas sniper prospect Cameron Schmidt was scratched yesterday, but we can expect to see him at some point in the tournament, per Stars Head Coach Toby Petersen.
The tournament will wrap up on Tuesday evening with a finale of the Blue Jackets and Red Wings. Tomorrow will be a rest day, and no games will be played.
