Seven New York Rangers prospects saw game action last week across the CHL and USHL, and Danai Shaiikov made sure he stood above the rest.
The Gatineau goalie was named to the first QMJHL Flo Hockey Team of the Week after a sharp opening weekend, and he earned Prospect of the Week honors here as well. New York’s 2026 third-round pick won both of his starts, posted a 1.50 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage, and looked every bit as composed as he did in his start against Philadelphia Flyers prospects in the Rookie Series two weekends ago.
Shaiikov’s first outing came Saturday against Rouyn-Noranda, and it wasn’t perfect right away. He gave up a late power-play goal on only seven first-period shots, then settled in nicely by stopping all seven shots he saw in the second while Gatineau moved ahead 2-1. His strongest work came in the third, when he turned aside 19 of 20 shots to close out the win and earn the game’s third star.
Sunday was cleaner. Shaiikov stopped 18 of 19 shots in a 5-1 win over Shawinigan, allowing only a power-play goal. It was exactly the kind of calm, efficient start you want from a young goalie who already handled a massive workload last season, appearing in 50 games and tying for third most games played by a goalie in the QMJHL.
Zeb Lindgren also got off to a notable start in the WHL with Red Deer. The 2025 fifth-round pick made his North American debut Friday in a 3-2 overtime loss to Calgary, picked up a secondary assist, and was in the starting lineup wearing an “A” as an alternate captain - a rare assignment for a European player in his first WHL game. He tied for the game high with five shots on goal.
Lindgren backed that up Saturday in a 3-1 loss to Edmonton, when he again tied for the team high with five shots and finished second star. The defenseman showed well in his own zone, breaking up rushes and closing gaps without looking out of place on the smaller ice. Red Deer’s staff praised his two-way game and leadership, and he supported that evaluation.
The Rangers’ lone goal scorer among the prospects came in the OHL, where Darian Anderson struck in Flint’s 5-4 win over Saginaw. Anderson scored on a first-period power play after boxing out his defender, collecting a rebound in front and putting Flint ahead for the first time. He finished with one goal on two shots.
Andre Mondoux had a steadier, quieter weekend in Kingston. The 6-foot-5 defender wore an “A” and played two games without recording a point, but he did chip in one shot and a plus-1 rating in Thursday’s 6-3 win over Peterborough, then matched that line Saturday in a 3-2 overtime victory over Ottawa. Mondoux had 18 points last season, including six goals and 12 assists, and there’s still some offensive upside in his game.
Spencer Bowes had a more uneven season debut for Ottawa against Kingston. He picked up a secondary assist, but discipline became the bigger story.
Bowes was handed 12 penalty minutes, including an unsportsmanlike misconduct late in the first period and another unsportsmanlike minor in the third. He also finished minus-2 with two shots on goal and went 5-for-8 on face-offs.
Barrie’s Evan Passmore had a quiet statistical week as the Colts dropped their first two games. He had one shot and got into the first fight of the prospect season in Friday’s 2-1 loss to North Bay.
Saturday brought a tougher result, a 6-0 loss to Sudbury, where Passmore finished with one shot, a minus-2 rating and a roughing minor. The stay-at-home defenseman was named captain of the Colts last week.
In the USHL, Felix Färhammar made his North American debut at the Fall Classic for Muskegon. The 2025 seventh-round pick was scoreless in Wednesday’s 4-1 loss to Des Moines, finishing with one shot and a minus-2 rating.
He bounced back Thursday with his first USHL point, setting up the overtime winner in a 3-2 victory over Waterloo. Färhammar worked the puck at the blue line and fed Zaac Charbonneau for the one-timer, finishing with a primary assist, two shots and a minus-1 rating.
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