Canucks prospect Josh Bloom won his team the Memorial Cup, but can he win an NHL spot? (2024)

The magnitude of the moment will always remain with Josh Bloom.

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The Vancouver Canucks prospect winger etched his name in Memorial Cup history by scoring the winning goal with 21.7 seconds remaining Sunday to lift the host Saginaw Spirit to a 4-3 victory over the London Knights in the championship final.

For Bloom, it was a fitting final chapter in his junior book of work.

It was also the final thrill ride on a rollercoaster season in which he played in the AHL (Abbotsford), ECHL (Kalamazoo) and OHL (Saginaw) to grow his game at the pro and junior levels. Now the challenge for the Oakville, Ont, native, who turns 21 on Saturday, is to get back to work, build off his heroics and not rest on any laurels.

However, for now, everything is fresh and fantastic.

“I’m so happy to score that goal. We’re champions and it’s a special feeling,” Bloom said Wednesday from Saginaw, Mich., where the Cup celebrations linger. “I saw the goalie having a little bit of trouble with the shot that got through and my first thought is that it was behind him.

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“Then I saw it sitting on a platter for me and I would have dove to get that puck in if I had to. It was between the goalie and a player and I whacked it and found its way under the goalie’s arm and I knew it was going in.”

Bloom is not quite of age to consume alcohol in Michigan, but it’s safe to say there were suds in the raucous room.

“I’m not going to confirm or deny,” laughed Bloom, who had six points (2-4) in five tournament games. “My birthday is around the corner and we’re looking to do something pretty cool with the Cup when I get back home.”

Bloom started and ended his junior career in Saginaw and now the focus is to make an impact next season in Abbotsford. He had just one assist in 14 AHL games, and was scratched seven times, in an eye-opening transition to pro in 2023-24. He was lauded for his wall work, but needs to build a more complete game.

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Going back to junior allowed Bloom to play, put up 40 points (17-23) in 34 games and add another 11 (4-7) in 17 playoff games. Now he has to gain the trust of new Abbotsford head coach Manny Malhotra.

“I got to understand what it takes to play at that level and going back to junior was big for my development,” added Bloom. “In the AHL, I learned little mistakes end up in the back of your net quickly. I had a lot of work to do with the defensive zone and understanding assignments.

“I’m looking forward to a fresh start in Abbotsford. Jeremy Colliton (former bench boss) was really honest with me and that’s what you want. And the Sedins were unbelievable and Danny in particular in being a left winger.

“The biggest thing I took from him is the way he leveraged his body. I didn’t realize how incredible he was at it. He helped me work the walls and understand when to make a play.”

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Bloom’s brief ECHL experience was to get minutes and his legs under him again before returning to junior, where he played big minutes in big games, including the Memorial Cup run.

“I feel like I’ve got my game to another level and I’m excited to show what I can do,” stressed Bloom.

He was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in a February on 2023 swap for defenceman Riley Stillman. The Canucks were enamoured by his ability to play at pace, be hard to play against, play up and down the lineup, kill penalties, find the net and carry the culture as a junior captain.

In 2022-23, Bloom was first dealt from Saginaw to the North Bay Battalion and finished that OHL season with 71 points (32-39) — and added a dozen points (5-7) in 20 postseason games — it proved the 6-foot-2, 190-pound forward could show up when it really matters.

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There’s also incentive for Bloom to have a solid AHL season. The Canucks are always willing to reward those who do the work and deserve an NHL look. Through injury and opportunity, rookie goalie Arturs Silovs took his game to an incredible level.

Nils Hoglander benefitted from 45 games in the AHL last season and hit a career-high 24 goals and 51 points with the Canucks this campaign. Vasily Podkolzin played 19 regular season and two playoff games, while Linus Karlsson and Arshdeep Bains made NHL debuts and logged four and eight games respectively.

“For me, there’s optimism when you look at Hoglander’s season,” summed up Bloom. “It shows that when you put in the work, and trust the people around you, it all goes the right way.”

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bkuzma@postmedia.com

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