EDMONTON, Alberta – With the National Hockey League set to resume with exhibition games on Tuesday, three Western Michigan Hockey alums have head to the "NHL Bubble" to prepare for the upcoming qualifying round for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
 
Jordan Oesterle and the 11th-seeded Arizona Coyotes will take on the sixth-seeded Nashville Predators in the Western Conference Qualifying Round beginning on Aug. 2. Oesterle has played in 58 games this season for the Coyotes, his second since being traded by the Blackhawks in 2018, posting 13 points on three goals and 10 assists.
 
Kevin Connauton, Sheldon Dries and the Colorado Avalanche will take part in the Western Conference seeding round-robin, also beginning Aug. 2 against the defending Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues. The Avs also play the Dallas Stars on Aug. 5 and the Vegas Golden Knights on Aug. 8 to determine their seeding for the first round. Both have spent the majority of the season with Colorado's AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. Connauton has appeared in four NHL games this season and 38 in the AHL, racking up 27 points on five goals and 22 assists. Dries is having a career year in the AHL, appearing in 50 games with a career-high 35 points on 21 goals and 14 assists as an assistant captain for the team. He has appeared in five games this season with the Avs.
 
Check out https://www.nhl.com/schedule for the full slate of games and broadcast information as the NHL resumes this week.