Another Columbus Blue Jackets development camp is in the books and another Stinger Cup has been hoisted at the OhioHealth Ice Haus.
Jack Williams had a hat trick for Team Cross in their 6-0 win over Team Donskov, a scrimmage amongst the 32 players that concluded the four-day development camp.
Tom Richter got the scoring started for Team Cross with a first period goal and Pano Fimis scored late in the 15-minute opening frame to make it 2-0.
Williams had two goals in the second period, which was played 4-on-4 and a running clock of 12 minutes. He then picked up his hat trick goal early in the 10-minute third period before Fimis netted his second to wrap up the scoring in front of a standing room only crowd at the Blue Jackets' practice rink.
Skating 4-on-4 for the second and @GoNUmhockeys own Jack Williams rips one to start the period off. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/mC0d9cWH3u
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) July 5, 2025
After making his NHL debut in the 2024-25 season finale, Williams is now in the second and final year of his entry level contract. He'll be a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the season and has a chance, though likely an outside one, at cracking Columbus' opening night roster.
"I've just been so hungry this offseason and was itching to get back to training pretty immediately," said Williams. "It just gives me a lot of confidence knowing that I can play at that level."
Williams says that he's going to take about a week off to rest up and then will spend six weeks in Montreal to continue training. He expects it to be a strenuous six weeks.
"It's just getting bigger and faster and stronger every single day and coming in just trying to win a job."
A few other thoughts and observations from development camp:
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On Cayden Lindstrom: This was Lindstrom's first time on the ice in development camp, but he attended last year as an off-ice observer outside of a day one skate. He didn't score in the scrimmage, but he certainly looked the part throughout the entire camp: big, strong, and tons of skill. There was a moment at Friday's practice in which he perfectly deflected a puck while in front of the net that drew a reaction from the Independence Day crowd. Sometimes that happens and it feels like a happy accident, but it looked like it was in slow motion for Lindstrom, a potential sign of his reaction time and vision. Just stay healthy at Michigan State this fall.
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On Pano Fimis: His two-goal effort in the Stinger Cup is just a continuation of what Fimis has done over the last two seasons with the Erie Otters of the OHL. He's played in 136 games with the Otters since the start of the 2023-24 season and has 57 goals and 105 assists in that time — and he also had nine goals and eight assists in nine Erie playoff games this season. The 5'11", 183lb center has committed to Notre Dame for this fall. Keep an eye on how the undrafted 21-year-old does with the Irish.
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On Jackson Smith: The 14th overall pick in June's NHL Draft, what stood out seeing Smith on the ice in person is just how smooth of a skater he is. There are plenty of smooth skaters, sure, but not many are 6'4", 200lb, 18-year-old defensemen. After he was drafted, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell said that some of the scouts rated his skating as a 10, adding that "that happens very rarely." As an added bonus: Smith was rarely seen without a smile on and off the ice this week. It's easy to see his love of the game and how apropos that he'll begin his collegiate career this fall in Happy Valley.
- On Pyotr Andreyanov: Columbus' other first-round pick — their biggest draft surprise since taking Yegor Chinakhov in 2020 — Andreyanov appeared a little smoother and a little quicker than the other goalies, though it's hard to truly gauge given the setting. Goaltending coach Niklas Backstrom has already compared Andreyanov multiple times to former Columbus goalie and now back-to-back Stanley Cup winner Sergei Bobrovsky. But it's the personality and demeanor that should have Columbus excited for his future. "I will do whatever humanly possible to bring the Cup to Columbus,” said Andreyanov this week.
