Elite Conference, Midwest Division, News, Players of the Month, Players Of The Week, Players Of The Week: Elite, USPHL Elite

USPHL Elite Midwest Division Players Of The Month: February 2025

by Joshua Boyd

March 10, 2025

Midwest Division

Forwards

Tyson Finefrock, Fort Wayne Spacemen

Finefrock (‘07/Fort Wayne, Ind.) scored 12 goals and added six assists for 18 points, averaging 2.57 points per game during his regular season games in February. He finished with 34 points in 34 games played for the regular season. In early March, he was also one of his team’s top contributors in the playoffs with four points in three games.

Robert Gross, Fort Wayne Spacemen

Gross (‘05/Fort Wayne, Ind.) posted seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in seven games for the Spacemen. He is a second-year USPHL veteran who has 36 points for this season, a 14-point improvement over 2023-24. He also saw 19 games this season with the Premier Spacemen.

Dylan Davis, Fort Wayne Spacemen

Davis (‘06/Fort Wayne, Ind.) scored five goals and added nine assists for 14 points in his seven regular season games of February. This output helped the second-year Spaceman to double his points total of 2023-24, registering 51 points in 30 games. He also played in 10 USPHL Premier games for that league’s Spacemen squad.

Forward Honorable Mention: Niko Dougan, Chicago Crush

Defense:

Nathan Wolf, Fort Wayne Spacemen

Wolf (‘05/Fort Wayne, Ind.) scored a goal and added four assists to help the Spacemen during the month of February, over eight games. A three-year USPHL veteran, Wolf had a career-best 11 points for the Spacemen, more than his prior two years’ totals combined. He has been on the ice for 113 regular season Elite games.

Grant Paullo, Chicago Crush

Paullo (‘07/Glen Ellyn, Ill.) scored two goals and added four assists for the regular season division champion Chicago Crush in February, over the course of 10 games. After playing in seven regular season games and their playoff run to Nationals in 2023-24, Paullo was a full-timer for Chicago in 2024-25 and put up 20 points in 38 games.

Defense Honorable Mention: Brandon Behnke, Chicago Cougars

Goaltender:

Johnny Augusta, Chicago Crush

Augusta (‘04/Medinah, Ill.) stopped 83 of 86 shots over four February regular season games, including two shutouts of nine and 19 saves last month. He finished his month with a .965 save percentage and for his second season, he held a 14-5-1-0 record with a .940 save percentage.

Goaltender Honorable Mention: Cameron Cyrus, Metro Jets

Selection Process: The division’s coaches are presented with a ballot form with statistical leaders (ranked by points per game average for skaters and save percentage for goaltenders) and vote on that form. The league takes the results of that vote and presents the coaches with the finalists, who are able to vote on further changes if desired.

Summaries by Joshua Boyd

Coral Springs Jr. Cats Join USPHL For 2025-26 Season

USPHL Elite Nationals Begin Thursday – The Field Is Set!

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights Win Atlantic Division, Make Fourth Straight Nationals Trip

Northern Cyclones Qualify To Defend National Championship With Wild Card Berth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Hockey Franchise To Call Panthers IceDen Home

Coral Springs, FL – March 18, 2025 – Junior hockey is gaining momentum in South Florida as Coral Springs announces the launch of new USPHL Jr. Cats Premier and Elite teams for the 2025-2026 season. These teams will compete in the highly competitive Florida Division of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL), with the goal of making a strong run at the national championship.

The Jr. Cats will call the IceDen in Coral Springs home. The IceDen is a premier facility known as the former practice venue for the NHL’s Florida Panthers. With a rich history of developing elite hockey talent, the IceDen provides an exceptional environment for player growth and competition at the junior hockey level.

The team is owned by Applesauce Hockey partners Ron Kinnear and Kevin Miller, who also field the USPHL team Bold City Battalion and are partners in the Florida Jr Blades. They bring extensive experience in hockey operations and a passion for player development. Their leadership and commitment to excellence will help establish a strong foundation for the new program.

“I am thrilled to announce that the USPHL Florida Division is now part of the Coral Springs hockey market,” said former NHL player Mark Kumpel, the USPHL Premier and Elite Director of Hockey Operations. “The Ice Den, with its first-class facilities, demonstrates a strong commitment to the growth and development of hockey in the area. With the proven leadership of Ron Kinnear and Kevin Miller, whose track record speaks for itself, I have no doubt this program will align with the passion and high standards of the Coral Springs Hockey Community.”

Players looking to earn a roster spot with the Coral Springs Jr Cats for the inaugural season are encouraged to submit their hockey resume to the coaching staff at
www.jrcats.hockey.

About The United States Premier Hockey League

Founded in 2012, the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) is comprised of over 150 teams, fielding more than 20,000 players aged 8-21 in more than 100 organizations across the North, South, Midwest, West, and Canada. Our Junior Divisions consist of the National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC), a tuition-free junior hockey division and our Premier and Elite Divisions, all geared toward college and pro placement.Our youth and midget divisions (operated through the Tier 1 Hockey Federation) field full season 8U through 18U teams. The USPHL has sent over 8,000 players to all levels of college hockey all-time including over 4,200 into NCAA college hockey, with more than 550 advancing to NCAA Division I hockey. The USPHL has also had 18 players who played in the NCDC drafted by NHL teams.

Media Contact: Joshua Boyd

United States Premier Hockey League

media@usphl.com

The USPHL Elite National Championships will begin on Thursday, March 20, and will feature all Five Premier Divisional Champions from across the country, plus one Wild Card selection (the Northern Cyclones). Although six teams will enter, only one will leave with the Elite National Championship trophy!

The 2025 USPHL National Championships are taking place March 20-24 at the Ice Vault in Wayne, N.J., a full-service facility featuring three rinks and a top-notch restaurant with views of two of the three rinks.

Team Profiles:

You can read about all 10 USPHL Premier Division Champions and the Wild Card selection by visiting www.usphlelite.com/category/usphlnationals

The Format

Each team will play a three-game round robin.
In the semifinals, with seeds determined from the round robin results, the No. 1 seed will play the No. 3 seed, and the No. 2 seed will play the No. 4 seed.
The National Championship will take place on March 24, with puck drop set for 1:30 p.m. EST.

Full Schedules – Including Links To Team Rosters (Click on Team Name)

Division 1

Seeds

1. Tampa Bay Juniors

2. Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

3. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

4. Islanders Hockey Club

5. Chicago Crush

6. Northern Cyclones

USPHL NCDC New Jersey Combine

Running Friday through Sunday in conjunction with the Premier and Elite National Championships will be the 2025 USPHL NCDC New Jersey Combine, a new addition to the league’s Combine Series. Players born between the birth years 2005 and 2011 in Juniors (2005-09) and Futures (2009-11) Divisions will be hitting the ice to put their skills on display in front of NCDC and other USPHL coaches to build connections with coaches towards future playing opportunities and potential selection in the 2025 NCDC Entry Draft on May 15.

For more information or to register a player, go to usphlpremier.com/usphl-ncdc-combines

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights are running the table for trips to the USPHL Elite Championships since they opened play in 2021-22. The Knights defeated the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders 4-1 in Game 3 on Sunday to advance to the USPHL Nationals for a fourth straight time.

Brody Polacek and Wyatt Stasik each scored twice, Stasik also had an assist, and Jake Kanzinger registered two assists. Anthony Shaw made 30 saves on 31 shots for the win. Dominik Feiler made 26 saves on 30 shots for P.A.L. in net.

The Knights will hold the No. 3 overall seed in the National Championships. Click here for their team schedule in the round robin.

“The WBS Knights are excited to be returning to the USPHL Elite Nationals for the fourth year in a row. Head Coach Jason Zaleski did a nice job blending some late season additions into a core of players that had a tremendous regular season,” said General Manager Andy Scott. “Although the team had already secured the wild card before the start of the final series, they didn’t want to get to Nationals through the back door. The P.A.L. Jr. Islanders, under head coach Aleksey Nikiforov, played a really tough series and gave our club all we could handle. Goaltender Tony Shaw was excellent in the deciding game, making several key stops for us at critical points in the contest.

“The road ahead will only be more challenging, but the team is focussed on reversing the disappointment we experienced at our first three Nationals,” added Scott.

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

With the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights’ win over the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders’ on Sunday, the Northern Cyclones were able to earn the Wild Card berth to the 2025 USPHL Elite Nationals. The Cyclones qualified as they had the highest Power Ranking behind other Elite teams that had won their divisional championship series.

The top three in the final Power Rankings were the Florida Division Champion Tampa Bay Juniors, the Southeast Division Champion Carolina Jr. Hurricanes and the Atlantic Division Champion WBS Knights. At No. 4 in the Power Rankings, the Cyclones were the highest ranked team that lost in their divisional championship series, falling to the Islanders Hockey Club. The New England Division will be the only Elite division at Nationals with two representatives.

The Cyclones won the 2024 USPHL Elite National Championship, and they will enter the 2025 Nationals as the No. 6 seed, the seed that was reserved for the Wild Card team.

Check out the Cyclones National Championships schedule!

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights 10, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders 6

It was a real track meet between the WBS Knights and P.A.L. Jr. Islanders when the Knights evened up their W Atlantic Division Championship series with a 10-6 win. Alec James scored two goals and added two assists, Brody Polacek scored two goals, Matvei Orlov scored one goal and added five assists, and Ilya Buranov posted four assists. Samvel Barsegyan, Grayson Crowe and Owen Scott each had two points as well. Alexander Insana stopped 26 of 32 shots. The third and deciding game kicks off at 12:30 p.m. EST Sunday.

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

The Chicago Crush have swept their USPHL Elite Midwest Division Championship series and are headed to the USPHL Nationals for a second straight season. They defeated the Fort Wayne Spacemen, 5-2, on Friday to advance.

Read the Crush’s own take on the series and their season.

Troy Naill scored the GWG in the final 26 seconds of the first period, Cole Darlas scored a goal and an assist, and Daniel Gurtner made 17 saves on 19 shots for the win. Brendan Kusbel played strong in net for Fort Wayne with 45 saves on 48 shots. The Crush will hold the No. 5 seed in the Nationals, which will begin on March 20 in Wayne, N.J.

The Crush reached the Nationals last year in Utica, N.Y., and they are thrilled to be making a return trip as only a second-year program.

After the series-clinching win, Head Coach Phil Bushbacher was both proud and reflective.

“Back-to-back trips to Nationals speaks volumes to the character of this group,” he said. “We’ve got a locker room full of guys who are willing to sacrifice, work hard, and play for each other. That’s what it takes to win at this level.”

But Bushbacher knows the job isn’t finished.

“We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, but we’re not satisfied. Nationals is a different beast. We need to tighten up defensively, stay disciplined, and keep playing our game. If we do that, we’ve got as good a shot as anyone,” he added.

Chicago Crush 5, Fort Wayne Spacemen 2

The Chicago Crush have swept their Midwest Division Championship series and are headed to the Nationals for a second straight season. They defeated the Fort Wayne Spacemen, 5-2, on Friday to advance. Troy Naill scored the GWG in the final 26 seconds of the first period, Cole Darlas scored a goal and an assist, and Daniel Gurtner made 17 saves on 19 shots for the win. Brendan Kusbel played strong in net for Fort Wayne with 45 saves on 48 shots. The Crush will hold the No. 5 seed in the Nationals, which will begin on March 20 in Wayne, N.J.

P.A.L. Jr. Islanders 5, WBS Knights 4

The Jr. Islanders are up 1-0 in their #USPHLElite Atlantic Division Championship series against the WBS Knights, following a 5-4 regulation win on Friday. The Islanders scored five straight goals in the third period to come back from a 3-0 deficit. Anthony Galtieri and Nicholas Morolla each scored two goals and an assist. Morolla’s empty net goal for his second of the game stood up as the GWG in the end. Jake Strong scored a goal and added one assist. Dominik Feiler stopped 33 of 37 shots for the win. Anthony Shaw stopped 32 of 36 shots Game 2 is at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Chicago Crush 2, Fort Wayne Spacemen 0

The Crush are one win away from a return to the USPHL Elite Nationals, after they defeated the Fort Wayne Spacemen 2-0 in the Midwest Division Championship series for a 1-0 series lead. Johnny Augusta stopped all 24 shots he faced for the shutout win and John Martino scored both goals. Connor Edwards had two assists for the Crush. In net for Fort Wayne, Brendan Kusbel was impressive with 38 saves on 39 shots. Game 2 is at 12:30 p.m. CST Friday.

The USPHL Elite Islanders Hockey Club team have become the latest team to qualify for the #USPHLNationals, to be held March 20-24 in Wayne, N.J.! The Islanders defeated the defending National Champion Northern Cyclones in two games to win the New England Division championship with a 3-0 win on Tuesday.

Cole Kelly stopped all 26 shots he faced during the game for the shutout win. Goals were scored by Nicholas Posthumus, Sullivan Hauser, and Vincent Leclerc – and Leclerc also had an assist. The Cyclones’ Nick Cowles was also strong in net with 40 saves on 42 shots. Congratulations and best of luck to the IHC at Nationals!

The Islanders won two decisive games against the No. 4 seed South Shore Kings to advance to the New England Finals against the Cyclones. In Game 1 on Monday, they won 4-1 to set up today’s closeout of the series.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the way this group has come together. We started off the season 0-3, and then went 4-6 in our first 10 games before starting to put it together,” said Head Coach Kevin Smith. “From there, we never looked back and finished the regular season at 33-8-3.

“The depth of this team is our biggest asset. We have 12 players who scored more than 30 points during the regular season and we can roll 14 forwards, seven defensemen, and three goalies that all contribute to our success,” Smith added.

Congratulations and best of luck to the Islanders in Wayne, N.J.!

Forwards:

Brady Stevens, Northern Cyclones

Stevens (‘05/Newburyport, Mass.) put up five goals and seven assists for 12 points during his eight regular season games of February. He scored 59 points in 44 games this season.

Ryan Netkovick, Springfield Pics

Netkovick (‘07/South Hadley, Mass.) scored six goals and added 10 assists for 16 points in eight games, good for exactly 2.0 points per game last month. Netkovick finished with 49 points in 43 games.

Brendan Birmingham, Springfield Pics

Birmingham (‘04/Ellington, Conn.) scored four goals and added seven assists for 11 points to close out his junior career with the Pics. He finished with 63 points for this season, improving by more than 40 points from his first season’s total. He finished with 85 points in 77 career Pics games.

Honorable Mention: Andrew Nemec, Northern Cyclones

Defensemen:

Jackson Bulthaup, Northern Cyclones

Bulthaup (‘05/Big Rock, Ill.) scored four goals and added four assists for eight points in eight games in February. He finished the season with a 16-22-38 line in 44 games.

Gavin O’Keefe, Islanders Hockey Club

O’Keefe (‘05/Reading, Mass.) scored four goals and also registered six assists for 10 points during his final regular season month, averaging 1.25 points per game. He posted 39 points in 43 games this season.

Defense Honorable Mention: Alexander Zygmanski, Northern Cyclones

Goaltender:

Osvaldo Agostini, Northern Cyclones

Agostini (‘06/Pierrefonds, Que.) went 4-0-0-0 during the month of February, including three shutouts – including a 31-save beauty against the Springfield Pics. Agostini finished 9-3-0-0 with a .920 save percentage.

Goaltender Honorable Mention: Tagger Tamburo, Islanders Hockey Club

Summaries by Joshua Boyd

Related Posts