Pair of Vancouver Canucks Prospects Off To Blazing Start in the Minors

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Cooper Godin
November 4, 2024 (5:03 PM)

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A pair of Vancouver Canucks are off to a hot start in the ECHL with the Kalamazoo Wings in their first full season of professional hockey.

The 2024-25 season is nearly a month old in professional leagues here in North America and it's been a pretty good start for both of Vancouver's affiliates. The Abbotsford Canucks currently sit third in the AHL's Pacific Division, while the ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings are sixth in the Western Conference with four wins in five games.

Kalamazoo has a pair of Vancouver Canucks prospect to thank for their start to the season as they've both been performing very well since the season began.

Ty Young & Josh Bloom leading the way for the Kalamazoo Wings

A big reason for the start Kalamazoo has had this season is thanks to goaltender Ty Young and Josh Bloom, and if the two are able to continue this strong play throughout the year, the Wings will have a pretty good shot at winning their first-ever Kelly Cup.

Making the jump from junior hockey right to the professional ranks as a 20-year-old is never an easy thing to do, especially as a goaltender, but Ty Young has handled it with ease.

In two games so far this season, the Canucks' 2022 fifth-round pick has a record of 1-1-0 with a 1.01 goals against average, a save percentage of .976, stopping 74 of 76 shots he's faced. While Jonathan Lemieux is having an incredible start to the season of his own, Young could force his way into the starting role sooner rather than later.

As for Josh Bloom, he's currently on a five-game point streak where he has five points (three goals, two assists) and is a plus-five. Despite this being his first full season of professional hockey, Bloom has experience in the pro ranks from last season, appearing in 14 games for AHL Abbotsford and eight for Kalamazoo before returning to the OHL and winning the Memorial Cup with the Saginaw Spirit.

Among the goals Bloom has scored for Kalamazoo so far this season includes a short-handed marker while the Indy Fuel had a 5-on-3. Bloom came in all alone and went five-hole on Fuel netminder Peyton Jones. Kalamazoo would go on to win the game 2-0.

If both Josh Bloom and Ty Young are able to continue their strong play, there's certainly a possibility they could get a look in the American Hockey League with Abbotsford.