News staff and wire services
Plymouth’s Luke Osburn is one of 14 defensemen invited to participate in the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis from July 25-Aug. 2.
The 18-year-old Osburn is a 6-1, 185-pound blueliner who had 41 points in 55 games with the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League last year.
Drafted in the fourth round by the Buffalo Sabres in 2024, the former Compuware hockey graduate will attend the University of Wisconsin this year.
Other defensemen invited to the camp include: London Knights’ Henry Brzustewicz of Washington, Mich., as well as Detroit Red Wings draft pick John Whipple of the University of Minnesota.
The showcase, which also features players from Canada, Finland and Sweden, serves as an evaluation for players seeking to make their respective national teams for the 2026 world juniors in Saint Paul and Minneapolis from Dec. 26-Jan. 5.
Among the forwards invited are: Birmingham’s Will Horcoff of the University of Michigan, Michigan State’s Shane Vansaghi and Red Wings’ draft pick Max Plante of the University of Minnesota.
Stars hire former figure skater Pelletier
Former figure skating star David Pelletier is getting his first shot at being an NHL assistant coach.
The Dallas Stars announced Friday that Pelletier is joining new head coach Glen Gulutzan’s staff.
The 50-year-old from Sayabec, Que., had been a skating coach with the Edmonton Oilers for the last 11 years.
Pelletier joined the Oilers after a decorated figure skating career that included a gold medal in pairs with partner Jamie Salé at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
In what became one of the biggest stories of those Games, Pelletier and Salé finished behind Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze. But when a French judge admitted she’d been pressured by her federation to favour the Russians, it ignited a controversy. Pelletier and Salé were later elevated to the top of the podium alongside Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze.
Pelletier and Salé also won a world title and three Canadian championships over their career and shared the Lou Marsh Trophy (now Northern Star Award) as top Canadian athlete in 2001.
Pelletier joins Alain Nasreddine (assistant coach), Neil Graham (assistant coach), Jeff Reese (goaltending coach), Patrick Dolan (head video coach) and Chris Demczuk (assistant video coach) on Gulutzan’s staff.
Gulutzan, who spent the past seven seasons as an assistant with Edmonton, was named head coach of the Stars on July 1. He replaced Peter DeBoer, who was fired after the Stars lost to Edmonton in the Western Conference final for the second straight year.
Avs sign Manson to two-year extension
The Colorado Avalanche have signed defenceman Josh Manson to a two-year contract extension, it was announced Thursday.
Terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed.
The 33-year-old had one goal and 14 assists for 15 points in 48 games last season, his fourth with the Avs.
“Josh has been an important member of our blue line since joining the team during the 2022 stretch run,” said Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland in a news release. “He is a steady and tough defender who chips in on the offensive side at key times. He is also a veteran leader in our dressing room, and we are excited to have him under contract for another three seasons.”
Manson is heading into the final year of a four-year, $18 million contract he signed in July of 2022. His new deal will take him through the 2026-27 season.
The Hinsdale, Ill., native began his career with the Anaheim Ducks, playing eight seasons there before joining the Avs down the stretch of the 2021-22 season, where he helped them win the Stanley Cup.
Canucks ink goalie Medvedev
The Vancouver Canucks signed goaltender Aleksei Medvedev to a three-year, entry-level contract, the NHL club announced.
The 17-year-old from St. Petersburg, Russia, spent the 2024-25 season with the Ontario Hockey League and Memorial Cup champion London Knights.
He has a 22-8-2 record with a 2.79 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage, and three shutouts in 34 games.
He was named to the OHL First All-Rookie team, was awarded the Dave Pinkney Trophy for contributing to the Knights’ league-low team lowest goals-against average and took the Dinty Moore Trophy for having the best goals-against average among OHL rookies.
Medvedev was originally selected by the Canucks in the second round, 47th overall, in the 2025 NHL draft.
“Aleksei is an important addition to our organizational depth in goal and his signing is a great thing for our hockey club,” Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said in a release. “He showed us a lot at development camp and has a bright future if he continues to build on his skill set and fundamentals.
Jets sign defenseman Phillips
The Winnipeg Jets signed defenceman Isaak Phillips to a two-year, two-way contract, the NHL club announced Friday.
The deal has an average annual value in of US$812,500 at the NHL level.
The 23-year-old from Barrie, Ont., scored a goal in three games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season. He was traded to Winnipeg for defenceman Dmitry Kuzmin on Jan. 15.
He also had 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) and 74 penalty minutes in 67 American Hockey League games for the Manitoba Moose and the Rockford IceHogs in 2024-25.
Phillips, a fifth-round pick (141st overall) by Chicago in the 2020 NHL draft, played 56 games with the Blackhawks over the past four seasons posting 12 points (two goals, 10 assist) and 31 penalty minutes.
He has 87 points (26 goals, 61 assists) and 234 penalty minutes over 238 AHL games.
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