Vancouver Canucks prospect Josh Bloom just etched his name into history. He has become the first-ever player to score a Memorial Cup-winning goal for the Saginaw Spirit. On Sunday night, Bloom’s Spirit took on their hated rivals the London Knights in the Memorial Cup Championship. The Spirit got out to an early 3-0 lead, but the Knights fought back and tied the game in the third period and gained all of the momentum back.
With the Saginaw fanbase on edge, and the game seemingly destined for overtime, Bloom had other ideas. The Knights tried to clear the zone but Ottawa Senators prospect Jorian Donovan held the puck in at the blue line. He threw the puck on the net and it somehow squeaked by Knights goalie Michael Simpson and Bloom was able to shove the puck past him to win the game and championship for Saginaw. He told reporters it was “the biggest goal of his hockey career.” With this being his final year in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), he could not have had a more fitting end to his time in Saginaw.
This Was a Long Road for Bloom
Bloom started his career in Saginaw back in 2019 when the club selected him in the second round, 30th overall, out of the Toronto Nationals GTHL program. He was set to embark on a new journey in a different country. When he began his rookie season, he struggled to put points on the board. The Oakville native only scored six goals and eight assists for 14 points in 54 games that were cut short due to the emergence of COVID-19. In his draft year, he did not play a single game because of the pandemic, which hurt him immensely. He was ultimately selected late in the third round by the Buffalo Sabres.
Once the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) resumed play in 2021-22, Bloom took off on a last-place Spirit team as he scored 30 goals and 31 assists totaling 61 points and an entry-level contract from the Sabres. In what most people assumed would be his final year in junior, he was named captain of the Spirit in 2022-23 where he scored 16 points in 19 games before being traded to the North Bay Battalion. Shortly after being traded to North Bay, the Sabres made a deal with the Canucks sending him to Vancouver in exchange for Riley Stillman. He played the rest of his season in North Bay where the club went all the way to the Western Conference Final only to lose to the Knights.
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At this transition period in his career, Bloom spent his off-season training getting prepared for a new chapter in his career. He was prepared to play in Abbotsford for Vancouver’s American Hockey League (AHL) team. He made the team out of camp but was having trouble discovering what his role was. After 14 games, he only had one assist, so Abbotsford staff sent him to the ECHL. After much discussion, he decided to go back to the OHL and return to his roots in Saginaw. With Saginaw hosting the Memorial Cup, it was a perfect fit for all parties involved. He played the rest of his season there and scored 40 points in 34 regular season games and added 11 points in 17 playoff games. He was then able to wrap up his incredible career in Saginaw with a Memorial Cup-winning goal that will go down as currently the biggest goal in franchise history. Extremely poetic for a player who has given his heart and soul to this franchise.
What’s Next for Bloom?
This past game was Bloom’s final game in junior hockey as he has aged out just like the rest of the 2003-born players. He will have to prepare once again for Abbotsford’s training camp knowing that a spot on the team is not guaranteed and he will need to work hard for a position in the AHL. This season did not go well for him at the pro level, but he had an extra year of junior to fall back on. Next season is not the same, there is no level to fall back on. He will need to work extra hard to get his game to the AHL level and solidify a spot in Abbotsford. After a bit of a frustrating start to the season that ended on the highest of highs, I believe he will get his game to that point.
Bloom was the heart and soul of the Spirit; he bled blue, white, and red. Now after celebrating with his team, he needs to get to training so that he can one day put on that Vancouver jersey and bleed Canucks blue.
