After starting the season in the AHL, Bloom is hoping to lead Saginaw to a Memorial Cup Championship.

The Vancouver Canucks will have at least one prospect in this year's Memorial Cup as Josh Bloom returned to the Saginaw Spirit before the OHL trade deadline. Initially drafted in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres, the 20-year-old winger started the year in the AHL before deciding to return to junior. Now, back where his OHL career started, he is determined to bring the Memorial Cup back to the United States for the first time since 2008. 

It has been almost a year since Bloom became a Canucks prospect, as he was traded to Vancouver on Feb. 27, 2023. In exchange, Buffalo received defenceman Riley Stillman, who has been playing in the AHL with the Rochester Americans this season. While being traded is never easy, Bloom was excited to be headed to an organization eager to add him to their prospect pool. 

"I got a call from the GM in Buffalo, and he just told me that they were moving for for defenseman for a potential playoff run there and that I had been moved to Vancouver," said Bloom. "They tried to keep me, but at the end of the day, Vancouver wanted me, so it felt great that Vancouver wanted me the way they did. I was on my off day there, so nothing really happened because I was still playing in the OHL and it was more about futuristic moves. I didn't really change my day-to-day or anything, just representing another team now."

After finishing up his 2022-23 season with the North Bay Battalion, Bloom decided to forgo his final season in the OHL and make the jump to the AHL. He would make his debut with the Abbotsford Canucks on Oct. 20 and record his first professional point just a few games later on Oct. 29. As he explains, the jump to the pros is a difficult one as the game is faster and decisions must be made quickly to avoid costly turnovers. 

"I think the biggest difference between pro and junior is probably your decision-making has to be quick and on time and then eliminating mistakes. I think that's the biggest part of the transition. If you can limit your mistakes, then you gain the coach's trust and move up the lineup. So I think limiting mistakes and quick decisions."

After 14 games in the AHL and eight in the ECHL, Bloom and the Canucks organization decided heading back to the OHL would be the best option for his future development. Sending prospects who have turned pro back to the CHL is not uncommon, as it allows players to take what they learned and perfect it at the junior level. For Bloom, the move also enables him to get more playing time, as minutes were hard to come by this season in Abbotsford and Kalamazoo. 

"We just looked at what's the best for Josh's development. We felt like there wasn't necessarily enough space and Abbotsford for me to get time and develop. Taking all the things I learned from pro and bringing it back to junior and playing lots of minutes in high-pressure situations we felt would be the best thing for my development moving forward and the best thing to help me be a successful pro one day."

When asked what specific parts of his game he wants to work on at the OHL level, Bloom discussed his overall speed and play against the wall. While he has potential, perfecting these little details is crucial to achieving his dream of becoming an everyday NHL player. He also wants to show that he can positively impact his teammates to set them up for future success at the pro level. 

"I think my foot speed and continuing to play with speed all over the ice is a big, big thing for me. My wall play, making sure that every time I touch the puck in the D zone on the wall, we get it out and keeping my linemates in better situations than then they were left with. So those are probably the biggest things."

When the decision was made to send him back to the OHL, Bloom returned to Saginaw, where he had spent most of his junior career. Initially selected by the Spirit 30th overall in 2019, he had played 140 games and was even named captain before being dealt to North Bay last season. With his previous knowledge of the organization and community, it was an easy decision to sign in Saginaw and finish up his junior career where it started. 

"I think it definitely played a part in my decision to come here. I think understanding the development here, understanding the systems in the staff and in the group, and my billet situation I think played a big part in my decision. At the end of the day, Saginaw is a first-class organization, and I think I've been in really great hands here."

The upcoming Memorial Cup was another factor in Bloom's decision to return to Saginaw. As the Spirit are the hosts, they will get an automatic place in the historic tournament. With the organization stocking up this year before the OHL trade deadline, excitement surrounds the organization as they look for their first Championship in team history. 

"That's really exciting. We want to win here in Saginaw, and I think that's really important for my development is playing in those games, being part of a winning culture and understanding what it takes to win. I think the guys that we brought in are fantastic human beings, so I'm really excited to see what we can do here in the near future and watch us keep developing as a team as well."

With four points in his first five games, Bloom is already positively impacting the team. He has also been given an "A" and is ready to take on a leadership for this team once again. A well-rounded two-way player, he is expected to play a massive role for Saginaw in the Memorial Cup and can hopefully translate that success into a long career with the Canucks. 

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