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Adam Jiricek, Justin Carbonneau Turning Pro, Set To Join Springfield Immediately
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- Adam Jiricek, Justin Carbonneau Turning Pro, Set To Join Springfield Immediately
Adam Jiricek and Justin Carbonneau are turning to the pro ranks.
A first-round pick (No. 16) in the 2024 NHL Draft and 2025 first-round pick (No. 19) by the St. Louis Blues , each already signed to three-year, entry-level contracts for the defenseman and forward, respectively, will be joining Springfield of the American Hockey League for the remainder of the Thunderbirds' season.
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Springfield is currently in the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs and took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-5 series against regular-season champion Providence, winning 3-2 in overtime of Game 3 on Tuesday.
Jiricek's junior season -- and career -- ended on Monday when Brantford fell 5-0 to Barrie in Game 7 of the Ontario Hockey League's Eastern Conference Final, a series in which the Bulldogs led 3-1, and Carbonneau's junior season and career came to a close on Tuesday for Blainville-Boisbriand, also in Game 7 in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League semifinal, falling 6-2 to Moncton.
It was a brilliant -- and healthy -- season for the 6-foot-3, 185-pound D-man, who had 59 points (19 goals, 40 assists) in 50 regular-season games and 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 15 playoff games for the Bulldogs, who had the best record in the OHL this season with 106 points (48-10-8-2).
Jiricek, 19, also had five goals and an assist in seven games in helping lead Czechia to a silver medal at this past year's World Junior Championship.
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The season comes on the heels of an injury-plagued season that limited him to 27 regular-season games last season, his first in Brantford (12 points; four goals, eight assists) and a goal and an assist in nine playoff games; he had five assists at the WJC last season in seven games before an injured knee sidelined Jiricek.
Carbonneau, 19, also had a fantastic season for the Armada, his fourth campaign in the QMJHL, finishing with 80 points (51 goals, 29 assists) in 60 regular-season games and another 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) in 16 playoff games. He finished his junior career with 248 points (133 goals, 115 assists) in 222 regular-season games and another 31 points (15 goals, 16 assists) in 33 postseason games.
The past two first-round picks join defenseman Colin Ralph (second round, 2024), who signed a three-year entry-level contract on April 3 that starts next season after completing his first and only season at Michigan State after playing at St. Cloud State as a freshman.
It is unclear at the moment if Jiricek and/or Carbonneau will play for the Thunderbirds, who have a chance to post a huge upset of the AHL's regular-season champion Bruins, on Thursday, but Ralph jumped right into action for Springfield and has fit in seamlessly, but this would be a bigger jump for each of the 19-year-olds.
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Does Springfield coach Steve Ott throw the kids right into the fire pit? We'll soon find out. The bet here would be yes.
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