Saturday delivered chaos for New York Rangers prospects. Three players on the top four NCAA teams saw their clubs fall in conference tournaments. Meanwhile, one OHL prospect set a franchise record, and another earned second-star honors with a three-assist night.
Battaglia Earns Second Star; Aspinall Sets Franchise Record
Jacob Battaglia earned second-star honors with three assists as Flint beat rival Saginaw 5–1 in OHL play. He struck early, setting up Darels Uljanskis at 1:39 of the first period for a 1–0 lead.
Later in the period, Battaglia added a secondary assist on Uljanskis’ second goal at 16:17. The even-strength goal stood as the game-winner.
In the second period, Nathan Aspinall took over. He fed Jimmy Lombardi at 53 seconds to make it 3–0. The assist was Aspinall’s 58th of the season, setting a new Firebirds record.
Battaglia capped his night in the third period with an assist on Kevin He’s empty-net goal at 19:01. His three points pushed him to 26–21–47 on the season. It was his third three-point game this year and his first with Flint.
Aspinall improved to 32–58–90, still the top total among Rangers prospects and the OHL scoring leaders. With the win, Flint opened a three‑point lead over Windsor in the West Division with three games left.
The Firebirds also set a franchise record with their 43rd win.
NCHC Tournament
Eighth-ranked Minnesota Duluth upset E.J. Emery and second-ranked North Dakota 5–1 in the NCHC semifinals. Emery was scoreless as the tournament’s top seed fell.
In the other semifinal, sixth-ranked Denver edged Ty Henricks and fourth-seeded Western Michigan 2–1 in overtime. Henricks was also scoreless as the Broncos lost to the host Pioneers.
Now both teams must wait for the NCAA field to be announced on March 22. They will not play again until at least March 26 when the national tournament begins.
Western Michigan’s loss likely costs them a No. 1 regional seed. North Dakota should also drop, but their No. 2 NPI ranking may protect them.
Big Ten Tournament
Malcom Spence was scoreless as top-ranked Michigan eliminated No. 10 Penn State 5–2 in the Big Ten semifinals. Michigan advances to face Ohio State in next Saturday’s final.
In the other semifinal, Sean Barnhill and third-ranked Michigan State were upset by Ohio State. Barnhill was scoreless as the Spartans’ two-year run as Big Ten tournament champions ended.
Michigan State must now wait for the NCAA bracket on March 22. They will not play again until at least March 26, though they should remain a No. 1 seed.
Passmore and Gonchar Scoreless in OHL Matchup
Evan Passmore was scoreless as his Barrie Colts beat Artem Gonchar’s Sudbury Wolves 5–2. Gonchar was also held without a point as the two 2025 draft prospects faced each other.
It was an interesting matchup. Gonchar, a lefty, leans heavily on offense. Passmore, a righty, is defense-first. Maybe they form a pairing someday.
Did Not Play
Rasmus Larsson remained out of the Robert Morris lineup as the Colonials faced Sacred Heart in the Atlantic Hockey semifinals. He has now missed seven straight games, but his teammates continue to battle.
Just as they did last week, the Colonials forced a decisive game three with a 5–2 win on Saturday. They get a sudden-death game on Sunday to try to earn a trip to the Atlantic Hockey finals.
