USPHL Southeast Showcase: Youth Shows Way Forward For Elite Teams

by Joshua Boyd

September 28, 2022

The USPHL Southeast Showcase Presented by LTD Hospitality and hosted by the Hampton Roads Whalers wrapped up Monday, Sept. 26 after originally opening on Thursday, Sept. 22. Check out how the best USPHL Elite teams fared at the showcase, as we take a look at all teams that finished with at least a .500 record. […]

USPHL Elite Players Of The Week: South Region

by Joshua Boyd

September 22, 2022September 23, 2022

Week of Sept. 22, 2022 Southeast Division Forward: Zarand Varga, Potomac Patriots Varga (‘04/Hungary) has enjoyed his new life in North America, scoring eight points already in his first two games off three goals and five assists. Defense: Ian Dracoulis, Richmond Generals The Generals’ ice time leader against Hampton Roads, the third-year General Dracoulis […]

By USPHL Staff

In The Playoff Push, we will take a look at the busiest game days’ most integral games in regards to teams clinching playoffs or clinching specific playoff berths, as we head down the stretch toward the end of the regular season in early March.

USPHL Premier

Tampa Bay’s magic number against the Florida Jr. Blades is 3, meaning any combination of Tampa Bay points earned and Jr. Blades points lost equaling 3, and that 3 would clinch a playoff berth for Tampa. The Jr. Blades host Atlanta for three starting tomorrow, and Bold City plays two vs. Tampa starting today. Should Tampa falter, they will still clinch if Atlanta wins two out of three.

Steele County plays the Minnesota Squatch today and the Dells Ducks host the Nashville Spartans. A Steele County win or a Ducks loss clinches a spot for the Blades.

A Lake Tahoe loss to Fresno today would clinch playoff berths for both Fresno and Ontario. An Ontario win over Bakersfield will clinch it for the Jr. Reign without help from the Monsters.

USPHL Elite

The Atlantic is where things could happen this weekend. The WBS Knights and the Rockets Hockey Club are tied for second with 39 points. Their magic numbers are 4 vs. Connecticut and 2 vs. Elmira.

A WBS win over Elmira today would mean Elmira can’t catch them. WBS gets a second chance vs. Elmira tomorrow. Meanwhile, tomorrow, the Rockets start a two-game set vs. P.A.L. and Connecticut plays the Northern Cyclones tomorrow and the Springfield Pics on Sunday.

Week of Jan. 26, 2024

Games of Jan. 18-24, 2024

Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

Florida Division

Forward: Colby Sims, Atlanta MadHatters

Sims (‘04/Rocky Mountain House, Alb.) helped the Elite MadHatters match their Premier brethren with a three-game sweep of Palm Beach, leading the way offensively with two goals and three assists for five points, including a game-winning goal in the middle chapter of the story. He currently has 33 points in 31 games this year and, with the fifth of those five points, he just became the MadHatter Elite team’s all-time leading scorer with 77 points in 66 career games.

Defense: Lucas Gonzalez, Tampa Bay Juniors

Gonzalez (‘05/Superior, Colo.) has been on a tear lately on the offensive side, with a line of 2-6-8 in his last five games back to Jan. 4 at the USPHL Tampa Showcase. Defensively, he also helped his team to split with the Eels and help keep the Juniors in first place in a tight Florida Division race. Against the Eels, Gonzalez’ 21:52 of average ice time per game was good for second on the team. On the season, Gonzalez has 26 points in 33 games.

Goaltender: Terry See, Atlanta MadHatters

See (‘05/Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) put up his first junior career shutout, stopping all 29 saves against Palm Beach on Jan. 21, the second shutout for the MadHatters last weekend as veteran Jackson Bernier also had a 29-save shutout on Jan. 19. See has won his last three starts going back to Dec. 2, and is currently 3-1-0-1 for the season with a .934 save percentage.

Southeast Division

Forward: Dominykas Jurjevas, Potomac Patriots

Jurjevas (‘04/Elektrenai, Lithuania) came out of the Patriots’ sweep of the Charlotte Rush with three goals and two assists for five points in the two-game series. In doing so, Jurjevas also improved upon his already impressive 43 points of 2022-23 by posting his 44th this season. His +3 in the series against Charlotte also tied for the team lead, as did his 11 shots on goal.

Defense: Kirill Golubev, Potomac Patriots

Golubev (‘07/Kostroma, Russia) was also on fire for the Patriots during their weekend wins against Charlotte, which helped Potomac remain second not only in the Southeast Division but in the USPHL Elite overall. Golubev scored the game-winning goal in each of the two games (his first two in the USPHL) and added two assists. He did this all while playing 26:17 per game, 2:30 more than the closest teammate, and his +3 in the series also tied for the team lead. Golubev improved to 47 points in 27 games.

Goaltender: Connor Wilkerson, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

Wilkerson (‘04/Richmond, Va.) earned his second victory for the Jr. Hurricanes after starting his third USPHL season in Richmond. He stopped 24 of 25 shots against the Columbia Infantry, giving him a 2-0 record with the Jr. Canes. He’s stopped 46 of 48 for Carolina since joining them prior to the start of 2024. For his Elite career, he is 6-2-0-0 with a .926 save percentage.

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

The United States Premier Hockey League and the Hershey Cubs organization are excited to announce that the Cubs will be starting a USPHL Elite team to work in conjunction with their current USPHL Premier team, which began play during the 2021-22 season.

The Cubs are partly owned by Bruce Boudreau and Crystal Boudreau, and they are excited to bring in a developmental junior team for younger and first-year junior players to act as an introduction to junior hockey while focusing on skill and personal development, with an eye on player advancement to higher junior levels as well as college hockey. Bruce Boudreau has been a professional level hockey coach since 1992, working at leagues including the ECHL, AHL and the NHL (starting 2007-08). Boudreau has coached the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks.

“We are excited to expand the Hershey Cubs program. We look forward to being able to develop young talent, promote them to the USPHL Premier level, and then on to NCDC or college hockey,” said Bruce and Crystal Boudreau. “We have been wanting to have an Elite team since the beginning. However, we believe in starting slow and growing to keep the quality of our program at the highest level. After three years, and improving each year, the Hershey Cubs are ready for the next step: adding an Elite team. Our ownership group is amazing and we could not do this without their support. Let’s go Cubs!”

“The USPHL is lucky to have dedicated owners such as Bruce and Crystal Boudreau and their fellow Cubs owners, all of whom continue to work hard for their players and will now open up their offerings to younger players in Pennsylvania and beyond. These players will benefit from the hockey knowledge and coaching/management experience of Bruce and Crystal Boudreau have accrued over decades of dedicating their lives to the sport,” said USPHL Commissioner Bob Turow.

The Hershey Cubs started in the USPHL Premier three seasons ago and have advanced more than 20 players to college hockey, as well as one player to pro hockey (Lincoln Gingerich, FPHL) and another to the NCDC (Mason Moore, Connecticut Jr. Rangers). As Crystal Boudreau pointed out, the Cubs have improved every season, from 11 wins in 2022-23 to 14 last year and up to 22 this season with still more than a month of games to go in the regular season. The Cubs have proven they can build a strong program from the ground up.

Since its 2013-14 inaugural season, the USPHL – including all its tiers and conferences – has sent more than 8,000 players to college hockey of various levels, and more than 250 players to pro hockey leagues around the world. Several current NHL players cut their teeth in the USPHL, including Tage Thompson (P.A.L. Jr. Islanders), Jordan Harris (Islanders Hockey Club), John Marino and Ryan Donato (South Shore Kings) and Joey Daccord (Boston Junior Bruins).

Week of Jan. 19, 2024

Games of Jan. 10-17, 2024

Forward: Lukas Kurowski, Chicago Cougars

Kurowski (‘05/Elk Grove Village, Ill.) put up a pair of goals and assists for a four-point outing against Decatur, his second such game in a row and he currently has 15 points over each of his last five games. He leads the Cougars with 26 points in 24 games.

Defense: Nolan Machala, Chicago Cougars

Machala (‘04/Tinley Park, Ill.) registered a pair of assists during the Cougars’ Jan. 17 victory against the Blaze. The junior rookie has been a big part of the Cougars’ overall game this year as he puts up 12 points in 26 contests.

Goaltender: Johnny Augusta, Chicago Crush

Augusta (‘04/Medinah, Ill.) was good for 27 saves on 29 shots on Jan. 13 against Decatur, which was his third straight victory. He currently stands with a 6-2-0-1 record and a .911 save percentage for the season.

Week of Jan. 20, 2024

Games of Jan. 10-17, 2024

Atlantic Division

Forward: Chris O’Hea, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders

O’Hea (‘06/Holtsville, N.Y.) is having a great second season with the Jr. Islanders, and his recent two goals and one assist effort against the Connecticut Jr. Rangers. He currently has 26 points in 29 games, a great improvement on the 18 points he registered last season.

Defense: Luca Infusino, Jersey Hitmen

Infusino (‘06/North Caldwell, N.J.) is a former Hitmen youth player who has returned to the Ice Vault now as a junior player. He recently put home a goal and two assists for three points in two wins against the Elmira Impact. In his three games with the Elite squad since joining in December, he has four goals and three assists for seven points in three games. He’s also played a USPHL Premier game for the Hitmen as well.

Goaltender: Luke Pavone, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
Pavone (‘06/Smithtown, N.Y.) earned a big 32-save victory against the Connecticut Jr. Rangers on Jan. 13, which helped towards the Jr. Islanders ranking in first place in the Atlantic Division. He is currently 2-2 with a .928 save percentage.

New England Division

Forward: Josh Bruno, Northern Cyclones

Bruno (‘04/Glendora, Calif.) was up to his old tricks as he registered five goals and four assists for nine points in just three games. He has 100 career points now in 60 games. He now is just five points away from the all-time Cyclones Elite lead.

Defense: Matthew Taylor, Northern Cyclones

Taylor (‘05/Wake Forest, N.C.) has been the answer for the Cyclones on defense all season long. Recently, he put up five assists over three games as the Cyclones are on a 4-0 run. He currently has 37 points in 27 games on this season.

Goaltender: Shane McKone, Springfield Pics

McKone (‘05/Scotia-Glenville, N.Y.) improved to 6-5-1-1 after going 1-1 this past weekend, and he made 103 saves on 109 shots for a .945 save percentage. That closely matches his impressive full season mark of .942.

Week of Jan. 19, 2024

Games of Jan. 10-17, 2024

Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com

Forward: Robbie Rajnys, Hampton Roads Whalers

Rajnys (‘06/Virginia Beach, Va.) is a player who came up in the Whalers youth organization and has only recently begun to take off after also playing this year in the Tier 1 Hockey Federation at the Midget level for Team Maryland AAA. He recently put up three goals and an assist in the Whalers’ two-game series vs. Columbia. He has improved to 10 points in 12 games this season.

Defense: Kirill Golubev, Potomac Patriots

The ‘07 from Kostroma, Russia, not only had another great performance in a weekend series (two assists against Carolina), but was also part of the NCDC Young Guns Game at Boston University. He scored the first goal of that game and got the chance to show what he can do in front of several NCAA Division 1 and 3 and also USHL scouts. Standing with a +28 rating on the season, his star remains on the rise.

Goaltender: Jean Berthaudin, Hampton Roads Whalers

Berthaudin (‘03/St-Rose-du-Lac, Man.) registered his league-leading seventh shutout of the season with 30 saves on 30 shots against Columbia, and his sixth win in a row. Berthaudin also leads the league in save percentage at .955.

Florida Division

Forward: Will McLaughlin, Atlanta MadHatters

McLaughlin (‘04/Yorktown, Va.) has certainly found his fortune with his second team this season, as the MadHatters forward – a second-year Elite veteran – recently posted three two-goal games in a row against Bold City. He also added two assists on the weekend series and now has 28 points in 30 games this year, including 16 points in 12 games with Atlanta.

Defense: Jacob Munkwitz, Tampa Bay Juniors

The fourth-year USPHL veteran was at it again last weekend, earning his second straight Defenseman of the Week nod. He registered a 2-2-4 line in their single game against the Florida Eels, an 8-3 victory. Munkwitz now has 27 points in 27 games. He is a +17 for the season.

Goaltender: Giordan Gulati, Florida Jr. Blades

Gulati (‘04/East Greenwich, R.I.) was huge in lifting the Jr. Blades to a 4-1 victory over the Palm Beach Typhoon on Jan. 13, making 29 saves on 30 shots.

USPHL Elite 2023-24 Midwest Division Players Of The Week

Forward: Peter Spiridonakos, Metro Jets

Spiridonakos (‘05/Laval, Que.) has been a golden find for the first-year Jets Elite team, along with his twin brother John. Peter’s 62 points lead the Jets currently and he and his brother have put up 107 points this year for their new team. The Jets put up three goals and four assists for seven points in four games at the USPHL Tampa Showcase.

Defense: Timothy Boyd, Chicago Cougars

Boyd (‘06/Aurora, Ill.) registered a goal and two assists for three points in the Cougars’ three games and helped the Cougars to an important victory against a Chicago Crush team they’re pushing against in the standings to try to improve their current positioning amid the playoff push. He has five points during his 10 games with the Cougars this season.

Goaltender: Kyle Tyszkiewicz, Chicago Crush

A local product, Tyszkiewicz registered a 28-save shutout on Jan. 7 against the rival Chicago Cougars. He has two starts and two wins for a .987 save percentage, and he also has a .916 save percentage in three games.

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

Week of Jan. 13, 2024

Games of Jan. 1-9, 2024

Forward: Bogdan Guntypov, Islanders Hockey Club

Guntypov (‘06/Astan, Kazakhstan) put up a pair of goals and three assists for five points in his first two games of 2024, and has not stopped scoring since the Islanders Hockey Club Showcase in November. He has 11 goals and eight assists for 19 points in eight contests, and for the season, he has registered a 15-18-33 line in 27 games.

Defense: C.J. Barrett, Islanders Hockey Club

Barrett (‘04/Bethesda, Md.) put up a pair of goals and two assists for four points in his first couple games since the holiday break. In the 17 games he’s played with the IHC this year, he has put up three goals and seven assists for 10 points. He also helped his team to an 8-0 shutout victory to start the year.

Goaltender: Dylan Cash Haines, Springfield Pics

Haines (‘06/Omaha, Neb.) stopped 34 out of the 36 shots he faced against the Connecticut Jr. Rangers on Jan. 6, giving him his fourth victory of the season in eight starts for a 4-1-0-0 record and a .919 save percentage.

Atlantic Division

Forward: Thomas Harrow, Connecticut Jr. Rangers

The ‘06 out of Australia registered three goals and added one assist for four points in two games. One of his three goals was the game-winner in a game against the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders on Jan. 7. He has 21 points in 30 games.

Defense: Matt Burns, Jersey Hitmen

Burns (‘05/Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Que.) had a big three games to start this portion of the season, registering two goals and one assist for three points at the USPHL Tampa Showcase. He has also played in 25 USPHL Premier games, putting up five points.

Goaltender: Jonah Stern, Connecticut Jr. Rangers

Stern (‘04/West Bloomfield, Mich.) had a fantastic 40-save performance in facing 42 shots against the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders on Jan. 7. He captured his fifth victory of the season, including four wins in his last six starts.

By USPHL Staff

USPHL Premier

A single Minnesota Squatch point acquired vs. the Minnesota Mullets or a Minnesota Blue Ox win vs. the Dells Ducks or a Minnesota Moose win over the Isanti Outlaws are all playoff berth-clinching scenarios for the Squatch tonight.

Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings also have a chance to clinch tonight if they earn a win vs. the Chicago Crush and a loss by the Dells Ducks or an Isanti Outlaws loss in regulation.

Hampton Roads Whalers need one regulation win against Columbia to clinch the fourth and final playoff berth available in the Southeast Division.

USPHL Elite
Updating yesterday’s information, the Atlanta MadHatters needed four points out of the available six in their three-game series vs. the Bold City Battalion and they attained that with a second win today and have thus clinched a Florida Division playoff berth.

Week of Jan. 12, 2024

Games of Jan. 1-9, 2024

Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

Florida Division

Forward: Fynn O’Neill, Florida Eels

The Eels went 3-0-1 last week at the USPHL Tampa Showcase, and O’Neill was their leader in so many ways, from offense – he led with three goals and three assists for six points – to defense, as he co-led the team with a +10. He also blocked a shot along the way. O’Neill helped the Eels clinch a playoff spot. The ‘03 from Calgary has 32 points in 31 games.

Defense: Jacob Munkwitz, Tampa Bay Juniors

Munkwitz (‘04/Smithtown, N.Y.) certainly felt right at home during the showcase last week, as shown by his standup performances to help his team go 3-1 and earn the first playoff berth in the Elite’s Florida Division. He held a +2 rating to go with his goal and three assists, all of which were scored in a win against the Metro Jets, the leading team in the Midwest Division. He now has 23 points in 26 games. Munkwitz is in his third season with the Juniors.

Goaltender: Christian Amato, Atlanta MadHatters

Amato (‘05/Cape May Courthouse, N.J.) first showed up during the USPHL Tampa Showcase in a relief effort, stopping all 10 shots he faced in 20:46. Later that day, Amato stopped all 32 shots he faced against the Metro Jets for his third shutout of the season. Overall, he is 7-5-00-0 with a 1.96 goals against average of .937 save percentage.

Southeast Division

Forward: Spencer Barrow, Charlotte Rush

Barrow (‘04/Massapequa, N.Y.) was everywhere at once for the Rush, who went 4-0 at the Showcase and are just four points out of second place in the Southeast Division. He had five goals and seven assists for 12 points in Tampa. He had four straight multi-point games, including three goals and one assist for four points against the Bold City Battalion as his showcase high. He has 38 points in 20 games this year, and 86 points in 59 career Elite games.

Defense: Chris Cuddy, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

Cuddy, an ‘05 from Cameron, N.C., has essentially played his whole career for the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes organization. He is in his second season with the Elite team and has already pushed well past the nine points he put up last year, with 15 points currently this year. He scored three goals at the showcase, including two in a big match-up between the defending National Champion Jr. Canes and fellow Nationals competitors the Tampa Bay Juniors. He also scored against the Atlantic Division-leading Rockets Hockey Club, and helped the Jr. Canes get a shutout in that game.

Goaltender: Nicholas Grosso, Charlotte Rush

Grosso (‘05/Alverne, N.Y.) slammed the door shut against the Bold City Battalion when he stopped all 42 shots in that second game for the Rush on Jan. 4. It was a huge performance in Grosso’s third game since October, and helped push his record to 8-2-1-1.