USPHL Elite 2022-23 Florida Division All-Stars

by Joshua Boyd

April 25, 2023April 25, 2023

Congratulations to our Florida Division All-Stars, who were selected from votes made by the coaches with support from the League Media Director. Forwards Lorenzo Marchetta, Florida Eels The division’s second-leading scorer had his moment in the spotlight after a highlight reel goal in the playoffs made the ESPN SportsCenter Top 10. But that was […]

USPHL Elite 2022-23 North Division All-Stars

by Joshua Boyd

April 25, 2023April 25, 2023

Congratulations to our North Division All-Stars, who were selected from votes made by the coaches. Forwards Josh Bruno, Northern Cyclones Bruno (‘04/Los Angeles, Calif.) was a powerful force for the Cyclones all year, as they reached the National semifinals for the second straight season – after also reaching the final in 2022. Moving up […]

Richmond Generals Salute NCAA Division III Champion Mourar, Past Champions

by Joshua Boyd

April 23, 2023April 23, 2023

By Richmond Generals Staff NCAA Division 1 National Champions The Richmond Generals were thrilled to see former USPHL Elite and Premier defenseman Austin Mourar (2017-19) claim the 2023 NCAA Division III National Championship as a member of the Hobart College Statesmen in March. For the Generals, it continued a Tradition of Champions that has reached […]

In Memoriam: Rest In Peace, Braydin Lewis

by Joshua Boyd

April 16, 2023April 16, 2023

The United States Premier Hockey League joins the Metro Jets and all of those who knew Braydin Lewis in extending our sincerest condolences to his family as well as his Jets family. May He Rest In Peace. #47Forever By Matt Mackinder / Metro Jets It is with heavy hearts to share the news that our […]

#USPHLCommitments: Eels’ Mork Commits To ACHA University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

by Joshua Boyd

April 14, 2023April 17, 2023

Mork Is The Florida Eels’ 335th Player To Advance to College Hockey By Florida Eels Staff The Florida Eels want to congratulate goalie Jake Mork as he embarks upon his new venture: College Hockey. Jake has been with the Eels for three seasons and played in over 50 games including Premier and Elite. He […]

Rett Vossler Named Head Coach Of Bold City Battalion, Team Set To Begin Play In September

by Joshua Boyd

April 7, 2023April 7, 2023

By Bold City Battalion Staff The Bold City Battalion, a new Jacksonville, Fla.-based team opening at the USPHL Premier and USPHL Elite levels in September, has announced its first Head Coach for their inaugural 2023-24 season. Rett Vossler, a native of Houston, TX, owns and operates “Pelican Sports Group”, a hockey agency, helping players […]

United States Premier Hockey League Announces Formation Of USPHL Elite Midwest Division

by Joshua Boyd

March 30, 2023March 30, 2023

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com The USPHL Midwest East Division, in conjunction with the United States Premier Hockey League, are working to expand westward within the USPHL’s Tier 3 USPHL Elite Conference. The new division in the USPHL Elite will continue in the USPHL’s mission of forging the Path To College Hockey by utilizing […]

#USPHLNationals: Carolina Jr. Hurricanes Capture 2022-23 USPHL Elite National Championship

by Joshua Boyd

March 27, 2023March 27, 2023

The Carolina Jr. Hurricanes USPHL Elite team saw a Marc-Antoine Vincent double-overtime goal lift them to the status of 2022-23 USPHL Elite National Champions! The Jr. Canes traded goals with the other finalist the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights in the first and second periods of the National Championship game, played at the Utica University Nexus Centre in […]

USPHL Elite Final On Monday To Feature WBS Knights vs. Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

by Joshua Boyd

March 27, 2023

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Three days of Round Robin are in the books, and so are the two USPHL Elite semifinals. Twenty teams started the season, but only two can play in the championship final, and those teams are the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights and the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes. The WBS Knights went clean at 3-0 […]

#USPHLNationals: USPHL Elite Round Robin Standings After Day 2

by Joshua Boyd

March 25, 2023

Games of Nov. 1-7, 2023

Forward: Blake Botterill, Metro Jets

Botterill (‘05/Clarkston, Mich.) scored three goals and added 10 assists for 13 points in a stretch of three games. He had a 1-3-4 line in each of two games against Decatur and then added a 1-4-5 performance against Motor City. That improved him to 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points in seven games, which is good for a league-leading 3.86 points per game. He also has two assists in four Premier games for the MJDP.

Defense: Jeremy Zarvos, Decatur Blaze

Zarvos (‘04/St. Louis, Mo.) fired away three goals in four games over the past week, giving him his first three goals of the season. Zarvos now has five points in 13 Elite games this season.

Goaltender: Benjamin Vanderdonck, Metro Jets

A local product from DeLaSalle Collegiate in nearby Warren, Mich., the ‘05 goaltender got his first junior win when the Jets defeated the Motor City Gamblers. He made 45 saves on 49 shots for the victory.

All games of September and October taken into statistical account.

Forward: John Crowdell, Rockets Hockey Club

Crowdell (‘03/Staten Island, N.Y.) continues to climb up the all-time USPHL Elite scoring charts as he was leading the league through the end of October – after also leading the league in scoring in 2022-23. This time, the lead came with a bit of a bonus – he scored the overtime game-winner in his USPHL Premier debut on Oct. 19. In Elite play, he had posted 19 goals and 23 assists for 42 points in just 15 games, an average of 2.8 points per game – and he is seventh all-time with 126 points in 60 games.

Forward: Jace Lombardo, Rockets Hockey Club

Crowdell’s old Monsignor Farrell High schoolmate Lombardo (‘04/Staten Island, N.Y.) is essentially always right there with Crowdell, points-wise. In fact, only one point separated the longtime teammates, with Lombardo registering a league-best 21 goals and 20 assists for 41 points (2.73 points per game). He has also registered a goal and an assist for two points in four games.

Forward:Justin Morrissey, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders

Morrissey (‘06/Patchogue, N.Y.) posted 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points in 15 games, which also equates to 1.47 points per game as he helped the Jr. Islanders to the top of the standings. He started the season with a 2-2-4 line, and he had multiple points in each of the four games. He also had three points on three occasions.

Defense: Justin Modzelewski, Rockets Hockey Club

Modzelewski is another Rocket out of Staten Island and he’s picked up 17 points off of a 5-12-17 line in 15 games. He has also helped the Rockets to give up only 2.27 goals against per game, good for fourth overall in the league.

Defense: Christopher Kobayashi, Jersey Hitmen

Kobayashi (‘05/Hillsdale, N.J.) has been around the Ice Vault for many years, including time with the youth New Jersey Bandits before joining the Hitmen Elite team last season. He put up two points last year as a fully defensive defenseman, and now has added much more offense to his game, with seven goals and eight assists for 15 points in 16 games.

Goaltender: Joseph Auletti, Rockets Hockey Club

Cue up another Staten Island native on the Rockets making this honored list, as Auletti (‘05) was a huge contributor to the Rockets’ success in standing at or near the top of the standings for a month and a half. He posted an 8-2-0-0 record with a .944 save percentage and a 2.00 goals against average. A key performance was a 39-save shutout over the WBS Knights, a team that had reached the national championship game last year.

Method of selection: The USPHL Media Team shares a first set of nominees from among statistical leaders with division coaches and accepts alternate nominations from coaches, where applicable. From these, the USPHL Media Team selects the final “starting lineup.”

Top Performers Of the Week (Oct. 24-31):

Forward: Austin Hlavac, Jersey Hitmen – Hlavac put up three goals and two assists for five points in three games, over which the Hitmen registered seven goals.

Defense: Tyson Herishen, Jersey Hitmen – Herishen registered four assists in three games for the Hitmen.

Goaltender: Andrew Zang, Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights – The Knights’ goaltender put up a 37-save shutout against the WBS Knights.

All games of September and October taken into statistical account

Forward: Noah Malcolm, Northern Cyclones

The second-year ‘03 out of Londonderry, N.H., is certainly building on the promise shown in his 39-point rookie year last season, as he has put together a smoking seven goals and seven assists for 14 points in just nine games, good for a 1.56 points per game average. Malcolm has enjoyed three multi-goal games this season and with his 14 points, he has brought his career points per game average to an even one (53 points in 53 games).

Forward: Cole Davis, Springfield Pics

The longtime Pic, a former USPHL 15U player even at the age of 14, has been an absolute goal-scoring machine early on for the Springfield side. He’s posted 11 goals in 11 games even, and added nine assists for 20 points and an astounding 1.82 points per game as a junior rookie. He has missed the scoresheet only once and had a 4-1-5 performance in Game 3 of his career on Sept. 30 against College Universel Gatineau. Davis also registered the winning shootout goal to give the Northern Cyclones their first loss of the season on Oct. 29.

Forward: Simon Higgins, Springfield Pics

The third-year junior veteran and second-year Pic out of Longmeadow, Mass., has been Mr. Steady for the Pics. He’s posted six goals and seven assists for 13 points (1.63 points per game) in eight games. On Oct. 8, he enjoyed a hat trick and an assist against the Boston Junior Bruins, a game in which he scored two shorthanded goals. He has registered four multi-point games this year.

Defense: Matthew Taylor, Northern Cyclones

Taylor (‘05/Wake Forest, N.C.) is in his first full season with the Cyclones and has been a fantastic addition to the Cyclones blue line corps, especially on the offensive side. He’s posted five goals and nine assists for 14 points. He’s also helped the Cyclones to the second-best defense this year (1.89), thanks to the second-lowest shots against per game (24.78).

Defense: James Delaney, Springfield Pics

Delaney (‘05/Palmer, Mass.) is a career Pic and certainly carrying a veteran’s air as he has put together a 10-point season through seven Elite games in his third year at this level. He’s also skated in his first five Premier games. He began playing in USPHL games in 2019-20 with the 15U Pics, and the next year played alongside Cole Davis for the first of many seasons together.

Goaltender: Michael Anstey, Northern Cyclones

Through 15 USPHL Elite games, no one could beat the Cyclones with Anstey in net. The ‘04 out of Londonderry, N.H., improved to 4-0 on the season and 15-0 for his two-year career. On top of that, he was averaging 1.25 goals against per game, the most being two goals in a victory against the rival Islanders Hockey Club on Oct. 12. He only allowed one goal in two other wins against IHC. He holds a .946 save percentage, helping the Cyclones to start out 8-0-0-1.

Top Performers Of The Week (Oct. 24-31)

Forward: Simon Higgins, Springfield Pics – Higgins scored goals to make it 3-1 and 4-3 in the eventual shootout victory over the Northern Cyclones. He also had an assist in that game and on the only goal in the 4-1 loss to Northern one day earlier.

Defense: Matthew Taylor, Northern Cyclones – Taylor had the GWG and an assist against the Islanders Hockey Club on Oct. 25 and had one more assist against the Pics on Oct. 29.

Goaltender: Nick Cowles, Northern Cyclones – In his second start of the season, Cowles (‘05) stopped 25 of 26 in the 4-1 victory against the Springfield Pics.

All games of September and October taken into statistical account

Forward: William Blair, Atlanta MadHatters

The three-year USPHL veteran Blair (‘03/Toronto, Ont.) was a menacing presence for essentially two months as he put together seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points in just 10 games. He has been explosive as well, posting two three-point games, two four-point outings and he also hit five points on Oct. 28 in a 1-4-5 performance against Palm Beach.

Forward: Xavier Solomon, Palm Beach Typhoon

The ‘05 out of Pittsburgh is one of those Elite players we may not see much of anymore – at this level. After putting up 13 goals and adding four assists for 17 points in 12 Elite games (averaging 1.42 points per game), he has been a big help already in earning a point for the Premier Typhoon. He posted his first two Premier goals to push the Typhoon to a shootout against Atlanta on Oct. 28.

Forward: Kevin Rosello, Tampa Bay Juniors

Coming out of nearby New Port Richey, Fla., Rosello (’03) has been a big boost for the Juniors’ offense, averaging a goal per game through seven games played. He started out by scoring game-winners in his first two games out of the gate and one of those was part of a hat trick in his second game ever. He also earned a five-game call-up to the Premier Juniors and registered one assist there.

Defense: Lucas Gonzalez, Tampa Bay Juniors

A second-year USPHL veteran, Gonzalez (‘04/Superior, Colo.) has certainly found the perfect home in Wesley Chapel, Fla. He is the ice time leader for Tampa Bay, averaging 22:48 per game, and he is second in plus-minus at +15. He’s helped himself out in that respect by posting four goals and seven assists for 11 points in his 13 games so far.

Defense: Carter Trussler, Tampa Bay Juniors

Another local product like Kevin Rosello, Trussler came to the Juniors from nearby Land O’ Lakes, Fla., and he previously played with Rosello at Mitchell Mustangs high school. A Florida Elite All-Star last year and multiple Player Of The Month recipient, Trussler has never slowed down and only seems to be getting better. Along with his eight assists in 10 games, Trussler is close behind Gonzalez in average ice time (22:37). And he’s still with the Mitchell Mustangs, for whom he is the Team Captain and the reigning recipient of the Hobey Baker High School Character Award for Mitchell.

Goaltender: Jackson Bernier, Atlanta MadHatters

Bernier (‘03/Belfast, Maine) is another second-year USPHL veteran off to a great start, utilizing his experience to push to a 3-1-1-0 record out of the gate. That pairs well with a .968 save percentage and he also has a shutout (21 saves). His first pair of games of the season were an example of just how well he performs under pressure. In Game 1, he stopped 44 of 46 in a close loss to the Florida Eels, before stopping 44 of 45 two days later to beat the same Eels team. Like others on this list, he has also seen a Premier call-up already this year.

Top Performers Of The Week (Oct. 24-31)

Forward: William Blair, Atlanta MadHatters – Blair was huge in the team’s three-game sweep of Palm Beach, posting two goals and seven assists for nine points.

Defense: Hayden Spencer, Atlanta MadHatters – Spencer put up six assists over the course of the three games against the Typhoon.

Goaltender: Chase McCullum, Bold City Battalion – McCullum stopped 40 of 41 shots against the visiting Columbia Infantry on Oct. 28.

All games from September and October

Forward: Trevor Touchton, Motor City Gamblers

Touchton (‘04/Utica, Mich.) jumped out on fire in this, his second USPHL season and first with the Gamblers in their inaugural season as an Elite team. He has played in eight games out of the Gamblers Elite’s 11 so far, as he also saw a three-game call-up with their Premier team, in which he posted one assist. In the Elite, he’s been lights-out with nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points for 2.63 points per game.

Forward: Dylan Statham, Motor City Gamblers

Statham (‘03/Livonia, Mich.) is in his second year with the Gamblers program, and has been hand-in-hand with Touchton in putting a hurt on several of their Elite opponents early on. He put up nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points in nine games, good for a 2.11 points per game average. Like Touchton, he’s also gone up to the Premier team, where he scored two goals in two games.

Forward: Blake Botterill, Metro Jets

The 2005-born native of Clarkston, Mich., has split his time between the Jets Elite and the Premier’s MJDP squad. During his time with the Elite team so far, he has scored 10 goals and 14 points – in just four games, an average of 3.5 points per game. He has an assist in his three MJDP games, as well.

Defense: Jack Squire, Motor City Gamblers

Squire (‘06/Livonia, Mich.) has been part of the Gamblers’ league-leading 6.67 goals per game offensive attack, putting up three goals and 13 assists for 16 points in eight games, an exact two points per game average. He has also helped them to remain in the top 10 defensively with a 2.44 team GAA.

Defense: Easton Plater, Motor City Gamblers

Plater (‘05/Fort Gratiot, Mich.) has been another strong find for the Gamblers who has been able to help both their Premier and Elite teams. In his six games with the Elite team, he has put up three goals and seven assists for 10 points in six games, an average of 1.67 points per game. With the Premier team, he has assisted on three goals.

Goaltender: Brendan Kusbel, Fort Wayne Spacemen

The division-leading Spacemen have been driven in part from the net, thanks to the ‘05 from Mount Pleasant, Mich., a former Meijer AAA goaltender. Kusbel has faced an average of 41.25 shots per game and turned away 94.5 percent of those. His best performance was stopping 48 of 50 in an OT win over Metro on Oct. 14. He also stopped 43 of 45 against Chicago to stand at 4-0 heading into November. His .945 save percentage is good for seventh in the league.

Top Performers of the Week (Oct. 24-31)

Forward: Cole Darlas, Chicago Crush – Darlas put up a hat trick – including the game-winner and insurance goal – in a win against Decatur on Oct. 28.

Defense: Tyler Rentner, Chicago Crush – He picked up assists on three of the goals in the Crush’s 8-1 win over Decatur and helped limit them to 24 shots on goal.

Goal: Ian Walny, Chicago Crush – Walny was in net for the victory against Decatur and turned away 23 of 24 shots.

Southeast Division

All games of September and October taken into statistical account.

Forward: Liam Hanna, Potomac Patriots

A sixth-year USPHL veteran of both the USPHL 16U Division and the USPHL Elite, Hanna has been with the Patriots for five of those six years. The ‘03 from Fredericksburg stands as the third-leading scorer in the seven-season history of the league in its current format, posting 135 points in 128 games. This year, he’s even above that historic pace, posting 17 goals and 15 assists in 32 points in 15 games, giving him a 2.13 points per game average. Hanna posted a 15-14-29 line in 12 straight games between Sept. 23-Oct. 16.

Forward: Dominykas Jurjevas, Potomac Patriots

Jurjevas (‘04/Elektrenai, Lithuania) has essentially been there every step of the way with teammate Hanna the last couple years, including nearly matching his points per game this year. Jurjevas has posted 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points, for a 1.93 points per game average. Jurjevas also enjoyed one strong seven-game streak over which he registered 14 assists, tying for the most in an assist streak so far this season. He and Hanna have been big contributors to the Patriots’ 13-3-0-0 start.

Forward: Charles Norris, Charlotte Rush

Norris (‘06/Weddington, N.C.) has become a Mr. Everything for the Rush Elite this year, his second season with the squad. Norris is leading the team with 20 points in 13 games, from a 12-8-20 line. His 12 goals put him in the top 10 league-wide for that category. Outside of pure goals, assists and points, Norris is also key in so many areas – he is the Rush’s No. 1 faceoff guy, winning 158 faceoffs this year as part of a 64 percent success rate. He is also tied for the team lead in plus-minus (+17) and he is second in hits with 18.

Defense: Kirill Golubev, Potomac Patriots

Golubev (‘07/Kostroma, Russia) was a huge find for the Patriots as a first-year eligible junior player, coming over for his first North American season out of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl youth program. He has put up nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points and stands as the No. 1 scorer among all Elite defensemen so far this year. Golubev is also his team’s plus-minus leader at +17. Out of his 15 games so far this year, he’s posted multiple points in eight of those.

Defense: Colby Markham, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

A key contributor to the 2023 National Championship Jr. Canes team, Markham is back and continuing to be a two-way leader for the squad. In just 12 games with the Elite team this season, he has posted five goals and 13 assists for 18 points, giving him a share of the team lead in points per game. He’s played a few less games than some of his teammates due to seeing three games at the Premier level already this season. While with the Elite team, he has been their leader in ice time, posting 23:37 per game, and his +13 sees him averaging just over a +1 for each game.

Goaltender: Antonio Vaccaro, Potomac Patriots

Vaccaro (‘05/Waldorf, Md.) has had a great run from the start, going 5-0 so far this season, and he’s also posted a 1.79 GAA and a .938 save percentage, the latter good for top 10 in that category. In his Elite debut, he stopped 33 of 35 shots against the Springfield Pics at the BJB Shootout, a couple weeks before posting a season-high 36 saves in a 7-4 win against the Richmond Generals. In between, he helped his team break a 3-3 tie against the Palm Beach Typhoon by shutting the Typhoon down in relief and allowing his team’s offense to put together a decisive victory in the end.

Top Performers of the Week (Oct. 24-31)

Forward: Yianni Tsatsoulis, Charlotte Rush – Tsatsoulis posted three goals (including a GWG and an insurance goal) in a weekend sweep of Richmond. He also added two assists for five points in two games.

Defense: Maxwell Sullivan, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes – The Jr. Canes had a big weekend sweep against Hampton Roads, giving them a 12-0 winning streak and sole possession of first place. He posted a goal and two assists in the victories.

Goaltender: Alfio Jason McGinley, Richmond Generals – McGinley, an ‘06, faced a cannonade of shots from the Charlotte Rush and did all he could to keep the damage to just three goals against the Charlotte Rush, stopping 59 of 62.

Week of Oct. 27, 2023

Games of Oct. 17-23, 2023

Forward: Trevor Touchton, Motor City Gamblers

Big time production for the second-year USPHL veteran, an ‘04 out of nearby Utica Unified High School. He scored six goals and added six more assists in the Gamblers’ three wins over Decatur. He has 19 points in seven Elite games and has been up with the Premier team as well.

Defense: Jack Squire, Motor City Gamblers

A strong ‘06 defenseman putting up plenty of numbers, Squire added a 3-7-10 line over the weekend to what is now 15 points in seven games. He also has an assist in three Premier games with the Gamblers.

Goaltender: Filip Kaczmarczyk, Chicago Cougars

The local ‘06 from Orland Hills, Ill., stopped all 26 shots he faced from the Fort Wayne Spacemen on Saturday in a 2-0 win. He remains undefeated at 3-0 with a .949 save percentage.

Week of Oct. 27, 2023

Games of Oct. 17-23

Southeast Division

Forward: Charles Norris, Charlotte Rush

Norris (‘06/Weddington, N.C.) is a homegrown product for the Rush, having played in their youth hockey organization. Now in his second junior season with Charlotte, Norris is leading the Rush offense with 17 points. He scored six goals and added one assist – including a four-goal game against the Columbia Infantry on Oct. 21.

Defense: Chris Cuddy, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

Another homegrown product for his team, the ‘05 from Cameron, N.C., has been a strong addition for his team this year. He put up a goal and added two assists for three points in a sweep of the Richmond Generals. He was also a +2. He stands with a 1-7-8 line in 15 games and has played in 44 career Elite games, including winning the 2023 National Championship with the Jr. Canes.

Goaltender: Jean Berthaudin, Hampton Roads Whalers

Berthaudin (‘03/St-Rose-du-Lac, Que.) registered a 29-save shutout against the offensively powerful and first place Potomac Patriots on Oct. 21. He currently stands at 4-2-0-0 with a .944 save percentage and a 1.67 GAA, both ranking him in the top 15 league-wide.

Florida Division

Forward: Mookie Killen, Tampa Bay Juniors

The Juniors played in just one game last week, but they came away with a big Tampa Bay Juniors win against the Bold City Battalion. He scored three goals and one assist for four points, including his first game-winning goal. With the big outing, he put up three goals and one assist for four points.

Defense: Donald Pratt, Palm Beach Typhoon

Pratt (‘06/Coral Springs, Colo.) heavily contributed to a 5-4 overtime victory over the Florida Jr. Blades in a one-off game last week. He scored the third goal in what was at the time a 3-0 lead, and then assisted on Xavier Solomon’s overtime game-winner. He currently stands with four points in 10 games.

Goaltender: Michael Pelc, Florida Eels

Pelc (‘04/Akron, Ohio) stopped 23 saves on 25 Florida Jr. Blades shots on Oct. 21 to earn his second victory, giving him a first-year junior record so far of 2-1 with a .934 and a 1.67 goals against average.

Week of Oct. 27, 2023

Games of Oct. 17-23

Atlantic Division

Forward: John Crowdell, Rockets Hockey Club

Crowdell (‘03/Staten Island, N.Y.) had great success in two leagues last week. In the Elite, he posted four goals and added two assists to maintain his scoring lead with 38 points in 13 games. In his Premier debut on Oct. 19, Crowdell scored the overtime game-winner against the rival Jersey Hitmen.

Defense: Tristan Gilbert, Rockets Hockey Club

The second-year Rocket Gilbert (‘03/Watertown, N.Y.) registered three assists in the two games that the Rockets played on Oct. 21 vs. the Hitmen and Oct. 22 vs. the Connecticut Jr. Rangers. He has also played 11 games in the USPHL Premier this year.

Goaltender: Christopher Lucente, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders

At Elmira on Oct. 22, Lucente (‘05/Centereach, N.Y.) stopped 25 out of the 27 shots he faced to get a win over the Impact. This set his season record to 7-3 with a .922 save percentage.

New England Division

Forward: Nick Nardone, Northern Cyclones

Nardone (‘04/Methuen, Mass.) has been with the Cyclones program since 2020. His loyalty to the program comes through in his play, as seen by his two-goal, four-assist performance for six points in two games. Those were the majority of his 10 points through four games for the undefeated 7-0 Cyclones.

Defense: Coen Peterson, Northern Cyclones

Peterson (‘04/Meridian, Idaho) put together a pair of two-assist games to complete what was a five-game point streak for all of his eight points in the first six games of the season.

Goaltender: Jacob Croteau, Springfield Pics

Croteau, a 2005-born local product, did everything he needed to help his team win. Unfortunately, they did not, but Croteau stopped 46 of 48 to have one of the most impressive showings in the division this year.

The United States Premier Hockey League is proud to announce that the 2024 USPHL National Championships will return to Utica, New York, co-hosted between the League and the Utica Jr. Comets and the Utica Comets (AHL) organizations, between March 21-26, 2024. The host site will once again be the three-sheet Utica University Nexus Center in Utica.

The Utica University Nexus Center successfully hosted the 2023 USPHL Nationals over six days in March 2023, with 26 teams arriving from around the country to participate in the tournament, which crowns playoff champions in the USPHL Premier and USPHL Elite Conferences. Among the three NHL-sized ice sheets is the Mastrovito Hyundai Rink, which is the home ice for the Utica University Pioneers NCAA Division III women’s hockey program.

Overlooking the Mastrovito Hyundai Rink, which will host both conferences’ championship games, is the Utica Club Restaurant, which offers full breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. The Utica Coffee Roasting Company Cafe will also be open for coffee, other drinks and snack foods in addition to a breakfast menu during the duration of the action.

College coaches will enjoy exclusive use of multiple luxury boxes overlooking the Mastrovito Hyundai Rink, with easy access to view the other two surfaces.

“The Utica University Nexus Center is a new, first-class and beautiful facility, and it was perfect for hosting our 2023 National Championships, so there was no hesitation among our Nationals Committee to recommend returning to Utica for 2024,” said USPHL Commissioner Bob Turow. “Utica University Nexus Center General Manager Nicole Kelly and her staff worked extremely hard both leading up to, and during, the 2023 Nationals to make it our best championship event. We welcome fans from across the country and college coaches and scouts to join us in March of 2024 to experience the outstanding hospitality provided by the Utica University Nexus Center, the Utica Comets and the Utica Jr. Comets, all in direct partnership with the USPHL.”

“Hosting the USPHL Premier and Elite National championships last March was a highlight of our inaugural year of the Utica University Nexus Center being open,” said Robert Esche, President of Mohawk Valley Garden, the management company that owns the Utica University Nexus Center and other properties in Utica. “Being chosen to host the USPHL’s pinnacle event for a consecutive year is a great honor. For these young athletes, the memories of this event will last forever. We appreciate the opportunity to build on last year’s event and make it even better.”

“We are excited to be awarded this event for a consecutive year. Having been involved with the USPHL since its inception, it is with genuine excitement and a shared vision that we continue to grow this event into a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all of the players and their families,” added Nicole Kelly, General Manager of the Utica University Nexus Center.

2024 Tournament Formats

The format for the 2024 National Championships will see a slight change from the 2023 event, with 16 Premier teams advancing to the 2024 Nationals (vs. 18 in 2023) from their divisional playoffs. All 16 teams will play two “Seeding Round” games to open the 2023-2024 USPHL Premier National Championships.

Each team’s two Seeding Round game matchups will be announced on the Nationals Schedule Selection Show airing once all 16 Nationals Participants are confirmed via their Divisional Playoffs (Date / Time TBD). The Seeding Round results will then seed all 16 Nationals Participants for a 16-team, single elimination tournament (the same format used at last year’s Nationals). From there, teams will square off in the Round of 16 (March 23), quarterfinals (March 24), semifinals (March 25) and the championship game (March 26).

With the addition in 2023-24 of the Elite Conference’s Midwest Division, the USPHL Elite tournament will utilize the same tournament format as the Premier Nationals with one change: there will be 10 total participants. Each of the five divisions will send two participants (Note: the North American Prep Hockey League teams are not taking part in the playoffs). Each Elite team’s two-game Seeding Round Schedule will also be announced on the 2023-2024 USPHL Nationals Schedule Selection Show hosted by The Dan K Show.

The Elite National Championship game will be played on March 25, 2024.

Watch for a full and detailed breakdown of the Premier and Elite National tournament formats coming soon.

About Utica University Nexus Center

Several hotels in downtown Utica are within walking distance to the Utica University Nexus Center, along with additional restaurants and pubs. The Utica University Nexus Center is about five minutes drive off of the New York Thruway (Interstate 90). Airports in Albany and Syracuse – both just over an hour away – see flights arriving from all around the country.

Along with the Utica Comets and Utica Jr. Comets, the Utica University Nexus Center is home to the men’s and women’s Utica University hockey teams and the MASL’s Utica City Football Club. Opened in 2022, the Utica University Nexus Center has already been awarded two World Championships. The IIHF Women’s Hockey World Championship will take place two weeks after the USPHL Nationals, on April 3-14, and the World Lacrosse Box Championships will take place September 20-29, 2024.

About the USPHL

The United States Premier Hockey League is a newly international junior hockey league that encompasses all of the United States as well as affiliate teams from the Quebec and Ontario provinces of Canada. The USPHL’s junior divisions are set into three levels of play – the Tier II Tuition-Free National Collegiate Development Conference, and two Tier III leagues – the USPHL Premier and USPHL Elite. Between all of the levels, there have been more than 3,500 advancements to NCAA hockey and more than 5,000 to all college hockey leagues. There have been more than 1,786 Premier and more than 700 Elite players who have made it to the NCAA hockey level over the years and thousands more to the college hockey levels of ACHA and AAU hockey.

From all of the USPHL levels all time, there have been 49 NHL Entry Draft Selections, including 14 out of the NCDC since its 2017-18 inception. Former USPHL players competing in the NHL include John Marino, Tage Thompson, Drew O’Connor, Shane Pinto and Ryan Donato among others.

USPHL member organizations’ alumni further include NHL players Jack Eichel, Charlie McAvoy, Charlie Coyle, Brett Pesce, Ross Colton, Connor Clifton, Zach Sanford and many more.

The USPHL, Utica University Nexus Center, Utica Comets and Utica Jr. Comets are excited to welcome all qualifying teams, their fans and family and all hockey fans to the 2024 USPHL National Championships. See you in March!