The Bruins reportedly claimed a forward off waivers that fans might be familiar with.
Boston on Saturday claimed Oliver Wahlstrom, according to SportsNet’s Elliotte Friedman and The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta.
If that name sounds familiar to you, then you might remember when Wahlstrom scored an amazing lacrosse-style goal and a wild twisting goal when he was nine years old. His highlight moment in a 1-on-1 challenge at TD Garden made him a viral sensation and a local star.
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The Portland, Maine native went on to play for Boston College and was drafted by the New York Islanders in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The 24-year-old played six seasons with the Isles where he scored 36 goals and recorded 35 assists for 71 points.
Wahlstrom was placed on waivers this week and gets a chance at a full-circle moment to play for the team he grew up watching.
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The Bruins’ reported transaction came after Elias Lindholm exited the loss to the Seattle Kraken with an upper-body injury.
The Bruins need scoring and they don’t have much cap space. So when a cost-effective opportunity presented itself on Saturday, they took it.
The Bruins, ranked 29th in offense (2.48 goals per game), claimed one-time 11th-overall pick Oliver Wahlstrom off waivers from the New York Islanders. The 24-year-old right wing’s cap hit for this year is $1 million. That leaves the Bruins with $121,000 in current cap space, according to puckpedia.com. Wahlstrom is scheduled to be a restricted free agent this summer.
Whether Wahlstrom is the answer to the Bruins’ prayers is another question. A one-and-done at Boston College after being chosen by the Islanders in the 2018 draft, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Wahlstrom has not been able to produce at the NHL level as the Islanders had hoped. His most productive season was in 2021-22, when he had 13 goals and 11 assists. He has 36 goals and 35 assists in 220 NHL games. He played 35 games in 2022-23 before he tore his ACL, an injury that ended his season. He was limited to 32 games last season. He has two goals and two assists in 27 games this year.
The Maine native’s early claim to fame came when he was a young participant in the NESN’s Mini One-on-One competition and he scored a spin-o-rama lacrosse-style goal in the breakaway competition.
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The Bruins knew they’d be in search of right wing help at some point during this season when they allowed Jake DeBrusk to walk. DeBrusk, who signed a seven-year deal worth an annual cap hit of $5.5 million with the Bruins’ Saturday opponent Vancouver Canucks, is on a heater after a slow start. He had 11 goals in his previous 10 games going into Saturday, including the game-winner against the Bruins last month.
TRADE: The Ducks traded Cam Fowler to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, abruptly ending the veteran defenseman’s 15-season tenure in Anaheim.
The Blues sent a second-round pick in 2027 and minor-league defenseman Jeremie Biakabutuka to Anaheim for a fourth-round pick in 2027 and Fowler, the top-scoring defenseman in Ducks franchise history.
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Oliver Bjorkstrand scores twice for Kraken in 5-1 win over Boston Bruins
The Mayo Clinic has some tips for safely shoveling snow.
Looking to have fun in the glimmering snow of a picturesque New England town this winter? Consider heading up to the northern border of Maine.
USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards just released its winter fun awards, and one Maine destination ranked among the best in the country for its snowfall.
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The annual awards highlight the best in travel, food and lifestyle, and winners are chosen by a public voting poll after being nominated by industry experts. In the 2024 best of winter fun awards, ranking winter activities across the United States in a variety of categories, Caribou ranked second in best destination for snow.
Snow in Caribou, ME
With an average of over 100 inches of snow per year, the town of Caribou is not only one of the snowiest towns in Maine, but also the whole country. The town near the Canadian border is known for its cold temperatures, picturesque setting and winter activities – especially winter sports.
Here’s what USA Today said about Caribou: “New England is rife with historic settlements that are particularly picturesque after a fresh snowfall, and Caribou, Maine, is no exception. During the colder months, this northern city — which receives an annual average of 118 inches of snowfall — springs to life with snowshoeing, skiing, ice-skating, and a wealth of other winter sports for visitors to enjoy.”
Where to ski: These New Hampshire ski resorts and bars rank among best in country, per USA Today
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What other destinations made the list?
Here is the full list of USA Today’s top 10 snowy destinations for winter fun:
Kids take a few extra runs Friday at Spruce Mountain Ski Area after a Maine Cabin Masters renovation reveal in Jay. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
JAY — Spruce Mountain Ski Area directors on Friday afternoon held a reveal to showcase changes made by “Maine Cabin Masters,” a company and reality TV show.
About 100 community members and town officials waited more than half an hour to walk up to the renovated lodge to tour the inside.
The lodge now features an updated sign welcoming skiers. The inside is brighter with new windows and the smell of new wood greets those entering. The ski trails are illuminated with vibrant lighting. A large granite stone is in back of the lodge.
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Attendees were cautioned several times that photos or videos could not be taken or shared on social media before the episode airs. Ron Jacques, president of the ski area, said the show will air the end of February or beginning of March. A date is not known yet, he noted.
In November 2023, the ski area was undergoing a generational transition, Jacques said. More volunteers and donations were needed to maintain the ski slope, which is owned by the towns of Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls.
It was announced in August that Maine Cabin Masters had agreed to help the ski area with needed renovations. The work began in September and when asked about an update on the project then, officials with the company indicated they preferred not to and wanted to wait until the reveal.
The “Maine Cabin Masters” film crew takes footage of the public Friday as they enter the Spruce Mountain Ski Area lodge for the renovation reveal in Jay. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
“This is an exciting day,” Sarah Delaney of Livermore said while walking up the roadway. “It is big news.”
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“It’s pretty special,” Justin Shink, a board member from Livermore, said inside the lodge. “Having grown up skiing here, seeing the transformation, the work keeping the ski slope open for generations is awesome. My kids ski here.”
“It is beautiful, what they have done,” Terry Bergeron, a Jay selectman noted. “It is much different, much better.”
Gary Desjardins of Livermore, who is on the OTIS Federal Credit Union board that donated $10,000 toward the project, said, “I am representing the credit union. It means a lot to me, a lot to the community. OTIS needed to contribute. It’s all about the kids. They use this place. It is quite wonderful.”
“What is neat is all the old pictures of skiers,” Jim Manter of Livermore noted. “The new view with the granite stone on the back side is a nice touch of nostalgia. It touches with the history of the founders of the ski mountain, the ski slope. I last skied here in 1974. It is quite a change.”
Emma DiPompo of Jay is manager of the ski area. “I am so excited to work in a place like this,” she said. “I would have worked here anyway but it is so cool, so different. So much has been done. So many people donated. So much got done in a short amount of time. It’s like 40 years of renovations in a summer.”
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“It’s really nice,” said Hannah Burhoe of Jay, who is the lift operator. “The lift will be easier to operate.”
Jeanne Chretien admires the renovated Spruce Mountain Ski Area lodge Friday during the Maine Cabin Masters reveal in Jay. Chretien says she learned how to ski there. “We were here every Wednesday night in high school, skiing under the lights.” Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
Jeanne Chretien of Turner, who grew up in Livermore Falls, said, “I learned to ski at Spruce Mountain Ski Area.”
“I taught my kids to ski here. My great-nieces and nephews ski here now. I skied here every year in high school. I am in my 50s now. I have many great memories. I knew all the original people involved. Jimmy Morrill was in my class,” she said.
Chretien said during high school she was at the slope when it was open — every Wednesday night and on the weekends. “If you skied, this is where you were,” she explained. “There were a lot of great ski teams. I watched it grow from the bunny tow to the upper slopes. We called the lodge the hut.”
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“It is beautiful,” Chretien said. “I am so happy for the younger generation to have all the amenities that they have put in. I was fortunate to grow up in a small town like this. It is so nice to come back and see people I have known all my life.”
“Maine Cabin Masters” airs Monday nights at 9 p.m. on the Magnolia Network. More information may be found on their Facebook page.
Children of members of the board of directors of the Spruce Mountain Ski Area grab a table Friday in the lodge at the Maine Cabin Masters renovation reveal in Jay. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
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