#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

USPHL Elite National Championships Round Robin Day 1 Summaries

by Joshua Boyd

March 24, 2023

Standings above taken from USPHLElite.com/stats/standings and are official only as of the end of Day 1. By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Jersey Hitmen 4, Florida Eels 3 About the best first game of a National Championship tournament you could ever ask or hope for, the teams were tied after one period and the […]

USPHL Nationals Elite Team Previews: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

by Joshua Boyd

March 22, 2023March 22, 2023

By Marlee Bulman / USPHLElite.com Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights Seed: Mid-Atlantic #1 Round Robin Schedule All games to be played at Utica University Nexus Center, Utica, N.Y. Game 1: Thursday, March 23, vs Islanders Hockey Club, 7:30 p.m. Game 2: Friday, March 24, vs Tampa Bay Juniors, 5 p.m. Game 3: Saturday, March 25 th , vs […]

#USPHLNationals Elite Team Preview: Florida Eels

by Joshua Boyd

March 22, 2023March 22, 2023

By Marlee Bulman / USPHLElite.com Florida Eels Seed: Florida #1 Round Robin Schedule All games to be played at Utica University Nexus Center, Utica, N.Y. Game 1: Thursday, March 23, vs. Jersey Hitmen, 10 a.m. EST Game 2: Friday, March 24, vs. Charlotte Rush, 12 p.m. EST Game 3: Saturday, March 25, vs. Northern Cyclones, […]

#USPHLNationals Elite Team Preview Series: Jersey Hitmen

by Joshua Boyd

March 22, 2023

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Jersey Hitmen Seed: Mid-Atlantic #2 Round Robin Schedule All games played at Utica University Nexus Center, Utica, N.Y. Game 1: Thursday, March 23, vs. Florida Eels, 10 a.m. Game 2: Friday, March 24, vs. Northern Cyclones, 2:30 p.m. Game 3: Saturday, March 25, vs. Charlotte Rush, 12 p.m. […]

#USPHLNationals Elite Team Preview Series: Tampa Bay Juniors

by Joshua Boyd

March 19, 2023

By Brendan Price / USPHLElite.com Tampa Bay Juniors Seed: Florida #2 Round Robin Schedule All Games to be played at Utica University Nexus Center Game 1: Thursday, March 23, vs. Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, 11 a.m. EST Game 2: Friday, March 24, vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights, 5 p.m. EST Game 3: Saturday, March 25, vs. Islanders […]

#USPHLNationals Elite Team Preview Series: Charlotte Rush

by Joshua Boyd

March 18, 2023March 18, 2023

By Grace Mello / USPHLElite.com Charlotte Rush Seed: Southeast #2 Round Robin Schedule All games played at Utica University Nexus Center, Utica, N.Y. Game 1: Thursday, March 23, vs. Northern Cyclones, 2:30 p.m. EST Game 2: Friday, March 24, vs. Florida Eels, 12 p.m. Game 3: Saturday, March 25, vs. Jersey HItmen, 12 p.m. […]

#USPHLNationals Elite Team Preview Series: Islanders Hockey Club

by Joshua Boyd

March 17, 2023March 17, 2023

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Islanders Hockey Club Seed: North #2 Round Robin Schedule All Games At Utica University Nexus Center, Utica, N.Y. Round Robin Schedule Game 1: Thursday, March 23, vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights, 7:30 p.m. EST Game 2: Friday, March 24, vs. Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, 7:30 p.m. EST Game 3: Saturday, March 25, […]

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!

Oct. 19, 2023

Oct. 10-16, 2023

New England Division

Forward: Noah Malcolm, Northern Cyclones

The second-year veteran Malcolm (‘03/Londonderry, N.H.) scored back-to-back game-winners among three goals in three straight games Oct. 12-14. He had three assists over the Oct. 13-14 pair of wins at Connecticut. For the 4-0 Cyclones, Malcolm has eight points in four games.

Defense: Matthew Taylor, Northern Cyclones

Taylor (‘05/Wake Forest, N.C.) has moved up from the Cyclones’ 18U AA team of 2022-23 to have a fantastic run of three goals and five assists for eight points. He scored a goal in each of their wins between Oct. 12-14, and added at least one assist in each as well. The biggest performance was 1-3-4 against the Jr. Rangers.

Goaltender: Dylan Cash Haines, Springfield Pics

The ‘06 from Indiana, new to junior hockey, posted a fantastic 27-save shutout victory over the Junior Bruins on Oct. 14 – earning him his first win in his first full game.

Atlantic Division

Forward: Jace Lombardo, Rockets Hockey Club

The Rockets are currently on a 5-0 winning streak and part of that is because Lombardo (‘05/Staten Island, N.Y.) just keeps churning and burning. He put up three goals and five assists for eight points. In his first game against Elmira, he went 2-2-4, followed one night later by 1-3-4. He has not missed the scoresheet through 11 games and has 31 points, already close to his season-long total from last year of 34 points.

Defense: Peter Allen, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders

The career Jr. Islander Allen (‘06/Oceanside, N.Y.) posted a goal and two assists for three points to help the Jr. Islanders come back from a 4-1 deficit to win 5-4 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights on Oct. 14. Overall, the second-year Elite standout currently has five points in 11 games.

Goaltender: Tony Shaw, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

The ‘06 goaltender stopped 30 of 31 P.A.L. Jr. Islander shots to help the Knights win 4-1 (one day after falling 5-4 in a P.A.L. comeback victory). He has made three appearances in this, his rookie junior season, and gone 2-1 with a .918 save percentage out of the gate.

Week of Oct. 20, 2023

Games of Oct. 10-16, 2023

Forward: Dylan Davis, Fort Wayne Spacemen

The local ‘06 product from Fort Wayne has been a great producer early on for the Spacemen Elite squad. Recently, over a three-game stretch of wins, he put up a pair of assists against the Metro Jets, and two games later, posted a hat trick and assist, including the GWG, against the Chicago Crush. These were his first six points early in his five-game junior career thus far.

Defense: Trace Girgis, Chicago Crush

Girgis (‘06/Woodridge, Ill.) helped his Crush Elite team outshoot the Fort Wayne Spacemen over two games, while also posting a pair of assists, and the Crush were able to get a point out of the 4-1 Spacemen. He currently has four assists over six games.

Goaltender: Brendan Kusbel, Fort Wayne Spacemen

Kusbel (‘05/Mount Pleasant, Mich.) added two more wins to a current 3-0 record by stopping 83 of 86 shots recently. His best was a 48-save performance in a 3-2 overtime victory against the Metro Jets and then he stopped 35 of 39 in a 6-4 win on Oct. 16. He boasts a .942 save percentage and 2.42 GAA.

Week of Oct. 20

Games of Oct. 10-16, 2023

Southeast Division

Forward: Noah Ribeiro, Potomac Patriots

Ribeiro (‘05/Montreal, Que.) added two more contests to what is currently a six-game scoring streak. On Oct. 14, he posted the game-winning goal and an assist in an Oct. 14 4-2 victory against the Richmond Generals, and two days later, posted three assists. Overall, the son of former NHLer Mike Ribeiro has posted 22 points in 11 games for the Patriots, currently tied for first place in the Elite Conference.

Defense: Kirill Golubev, Potomac Patriots

The runaway leader in scoring by an Elite defenseman has 26 points in 14 games, giving him twice as many as the No. 2 defenseman scorer in the league. Most recently, he picked up a goal and an assist on Oct. 14 and added one more assist on Oct. 16 for a five-game scoring streak, his longest so far – and still active heading into the Pats’ next action.

Goaltender: Jean Berthaudin, Hampton Roads Whalers

The third-year USPHL veteran, an ‘03 from St-Rose-du-Lac, Que., stopped 40 of 41 shots to help the Whalers defeat the Charlotte Rush, 3-1, on Oct. 14, giving him a .976 save percentage for that game. Overall for this season, Berthaudin is 3-2 with a .934 save percentage and a 2.00 GAA.

Florida Division

Forward: William Blair, Atlanta MadHatters

Another third-year USPHL veteran, Blair (‘03/Toronto, Ont.) was everywhere at once it seemed for the MadHatters, who swept the host Bold City Battalion and are enjoying a 3-0-0-1 run that put them into third place. In Game 1, he put up a 1-3-4 line – his second four-point performance this year – and then added one assist in Game 2. For Game 3 on Oct. 16, he posted a 1-2-3 performance for a total of eight points in three games. Overall, Blair has posted 12 points in seven games this year.

Defense: Kevin Suchy, Atlanta MadHatters

The second-year MadHatter, an ‘05 from Trencin, Slovakia, was immense against the Battalion, registering back-to-back game-winning goals on Oct. 15 and 16. In the first of the three-game series, he had one assist, and then put up two goals the next day. On Oct. 16, he added an assist to his second straight GWG. He currently has six points in five games.

Goaltender: Giordan Gulati, Florida Jr. Blades

The Jr. Blades weren’t thrilled to be in the Florida Cup consolation game, preferring to make it to the title match. However, they weren’t giving up the opportunity to add a digit to their win column and they did it in style with an 8-3 victory against Palm Beach. Gulati (‘04/Greenwich, R.I.) turned aside 37 of 40 Typhoon shots for the win, his second of the season.

Week of Oct. 13, 2023

Games of Oct. 3-9, 2023

Florida Division

Forward: Xavier Solomon, Palm Beach Typhoon

Solomon (‘05/Harrison City, Pa.) was on fire for the Typhoon at his very first showcase, the USPHL Southeast Showcase, putting up four goals and two assists for six points in his four games in Morrisville, N.C. He had goals in three straight games, including his top performance, a 2-1-3 line against Potomac. He has eight goals and 10 points in 10 games so far this season, his rookie junior campaign.

Defense: Carter Trussler, Tampa Bay Juniors

Trussler averaged a point (and assist) per game with four helpers – including three against the Columbia Infantry – as the Tampa Bay Juniors went 2-2 at the USPHL Southeast Showcase and are able to maintain first place in the Florida Division with a 6-2-0-0 record overall.

Goaltender: Chase O’Dea, Florida Jr. Blades

O’Dea (‘06/Orange County, Calif.) put together an outstanding performance by stopping 30 of 31 Columbia Infantry shots for the Florida Jr. Blades’ only win at the USPHL Southeast Showcase. A former Jr. Everblades 16U goalie, O’Dea holds a .914 save percentage in his two appearances so far.

Southeast Division

Forward: Liam Hanna, Potomac Patriots

The second-leading scorer in the league, with 24 points (tied with teammate Domynikas Jurjevas), Hanna was lights-out at the USPHL Southeast Showcase. He posted half of his 24 points in the four showcase games, giving him a 5-7-12 line. He finished the event with two straight 2-2-4 performances against Palm Beach and Bold City. For his Elite career, he has 127 points in 124 career regular season games. He is the Elite’s sixth-leading scorer of all time with that number.

Defense: Kirill Golubev, Potomac Patriots

Golubev (‘07/Kostroma, Russia) leads all Elite defensemen in scoring by a mile, 10 points to be exact. Thanks to a 3-3-6 line in his four USPHL Southeast Showcase games, he now has 23 points on the young season. His 1-3-4 performance against Palm Beach on Monday gave him his second four-point game of the year.

Goaltender: Janic Kennedy, Hampton Roads Whalers

Kennedy (‘04/San Diego, Calif.) joins Kirill Golubev in repeating as a Player Of The Week thanks to his domination of a second straight showcase. After going 2-0 at the BJB Shootout one week earlier, he then went 2-0 again – but this time with zero goals against – at the USPHL Southeast Showcase. He enjoyed a 22-save shutout vs. Atlanta and a 20-save blanking of the Florida Jr. Blades in his trip to North Carolina. He stands at 4-1-0-0 with a .941 save percentage and a 1.39 GAA on the season.

Week of Oct. 13, 2023

Games of Oct. 3-9, 2023

Atlantic Division

Forward: Jace Lombardo, Rockets Hockey Club

The second-year ‘04 from Staten Island, N.Y., busted open the Hitmen Classic with five goals and four assists for nine points in his four games there. His highlight in Wayne, N.J., was a 2-2-4 performance against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights. He currently has 23 points in nine games this year, placing him fourth in Elite scoring.

Defense: Christopher Kobayashi, Jersey Hitmen

Kobayashi (‘05/Hillsdale, N.J.) has been an immense contributor to the Hitmen cause already, especially after starting the Hitmen Classic with a 3-2-5 performance against the Boston Junior Bruins. The second-year Hitman currently has a 5-5-10 line in 10 games played this year.

Goaltender: Joseph Auletti, Rockets Hockey Club

Auletti (‘05/Staten Island, N.Y.) has had just as huge an impact on the Rockets over the last week as his former Monsignor Farrell High School teammate Jace Lombardo. In net, Auletti made 104 saves on 107 shots in three games. He went 2-1 and earned a 39-save shutout victory against last year’s Nationals runner-up Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

New England Division

Forward: Simon Higgins, Springfield Pics

The Pics only played one game between Oct. 3-9, but the second-year Pic Higgins made the most of it, scoring three goals and an assist in a win against the Boston Junior Bruins Elite team on the eve of their trip to New Jersey. Higgins (‘03/Longmeadow, Mass.) is in his second year with the Pics after scoring 42 points in 44 games in 2022-23.

Defense: Zachary Demyk, Islanders Hockey Club

Demyk (‘05/Montreal, Que.) scored his first two goals of his junior career at the Hitmen Classic, including the game-winner for his first against the host Jersey Hitmen. His other goal tied their game against P.A.L. 3-3 in the third period, just before two late P.A.L. goals gave the opponents the win.

Goaltender: Jason Conlan, Boston Junior Bruins

Conlan (‘05/Garrett Park, Md.) did everything he could for his team at the Hitmen Classic, stopping 153 out of 161 shots in 231 minutes of action for the Junior Bruins. He helped them earn a point against the WBS Knights in a shootout loss. He stopped all 41 shots he faced in 65 minutes of action in that game, and he also stopped 42 of 45 shots against the Rockets Hockey Club. Conlan’s first appearance was in relief and he stopped 10 of 11 shots after the Jersey Hitmen started out with a 4-1 lead by the middle of the game.

Week of Oct. 12, 2023

Games of Oct. 3-9, 2023

Forward: Blake Botterill, Metro Jets

The ‘05 out of Clarkston, Mich., had a huge offensive weekend against the Decatur Blaze Elite squad, posting seven goals (including a 4-3-7 line in the first game) and four assists for 11 points in just two games. Botterill has also played in three games for the USPHL Premier’s MJDP squad this year.

Defense: Jack Squire, Motor City Gamblers

Squire, an ‘06, helped the Gamblers to a three-point weekend against the Chicago Cougars, as he registered five assists, with one coming on the game-tying goal in the eventual shootout loss on Saturday and in a last-minute goal in an eventual 3-2 defeat as the Gamblers clawed back in an attempt to tie the game. He also had an assist in the Gamblers’ 6-5 victory over the Metro Jets on Oct. 4.

Goaltender: Tyler Houle, Motor City Gamblers

Houle (‘07/Warren, Mich.) had an outstanding junior debut game as he stopped 38 out of 40 Chicago Cougars shots in the team’s Oct. 6 4-2 victory. Houle is a product of the Biggby Coffee AAA program and once represented Belle Tire at the prestigious Quebec International Peewee Tourament.

North American Prep Hockey League Spotlight Players

The College St-Jean-Vianney Black Vees were the only “NAPrep” League team in action over the past weekend, and a few CSJV players stood out at the Hitmen Classic in Wayne, N.J. The CSJV Black Vees return to USPHL action in November at the Islanders Hockey Club Showcase and in February at the Northern Cyclones Showcase.

Rocco Petreccia, Forward: The 2007-born forward posted three goals and four assists for seven points in four Hitmen Classic games.

Anthony Dupuis, Forward: A 2006-born native of L’Assomption, Que., was good for a goal-per-game average in New Jersey, posting four goals and adding two assists for six points in four games.

Noah Landry, Goaltender: The 2006-born native of Joliette, Que., ended up with a 0.33 goals against average and a .986 save percentage from his three appearances at the Hitmen Classic. He stopped 70 of 71 shots, giving up just one in three starts. Against the Jersey Hitmen, he made 25 saves on 26 shots. He stopped all 18 faced from the Elmira Impact and all 27 faced from the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders.

The 2023-24 second annual Florida Cup Ice Hockey Showcase is designed to create a playoff atmosphere in the early part of the season for the local Florida teams: The Florida Eels, the Florida Jr. Blades, the Tampa Bay Juniors and the Palm Beach Typhoon.

The additional Florida Division teams – the Atlanta MadHatters and Bold City Battalion, along with the Southeast Division’s Columbia Infantry – will compete in a separate championship event called the Military Cup.

The Florida Cup is a two-day event consisting of Saturday and Sunday games. The seedings are based on the conclusion of last year’s regular season final standings. The first place team will face off against the lowest seed. The second seed will square off against the third seed. Last season, both Eels teams were the winners of both the Elite and Premier Florida Cups. The Premier being the Gold and the Elite the Silver making the Eels the defending Champions.

In this year’s contest, both Eels teams finished at the top of the standings as Regular Season champions. The Jr. Blades finished the lowest seed amongst the four organizations participating so they will square off against the Eels at both levels this upcoming weekend. The Tampa Juniors will face off against the Palm Beach Typhoon Premier and Elite teams on the initial day of games. On Sunday, the winners of each set of games will then compete for the Florida Cups on Sunday.

The spirit of these games is what throttles the competition. The games do count in the standings as part of their 44 regular season games. Each team plays the Florida teams eight times (four home and four away) for a total of 24 games, and they play the Mad Hatters in six games (three home and three away), for a subtotal of 30 games, and then the Florida Division teams compete in three showcases. Two are in Florida in December and January and the recently concluded USPHL Southeast Showcase for 12 showcase games and a subtotal of 42. The two Florida Cup games round out each team’s 44-game schedule.

There is no doubt the Florida Cup establishes preliminary bragging rights for the teams. They are well scouted on FloHockey and part of the regular recruiting process.

The USPHL and host Florida Eels hope to see you there live at the Fort Myers Skatium or join us on FloHockey.

All games at Fort Myers Skatium

Saturday Schedule:

Premier

Oct 14: Palm Beach Typhoon at Tampa Bay Juniors, 4:30 p.m.

Oct 14: Florida Jr. Blades at Florida Eels, 7:10 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 15 – 4:30 and 7:15 p.m.

Elite

Oct 14: Florida Jr. Blades at Florida Eels, 9 a.m.

Oct. 15: Palm Beach Typhoon at Tampa Bay Juniors, 11:40 a.m.

Sunday, Oct. 15: – 9 a.m. and 11:40 a.m.