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Tag: Boston Junior Bruins

Former Boston Junior Bruin Eichel Lifts Stanley Cup In First Playoff Experience

by Joshua Boyd
June 13, 2023June 13, 2023

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLNCDC.com Former Boston Junior Bruins player Jack Eichel has won the Stanley Cup for the first time in his eight-year career. The Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers 4-1 in the series and 9-3 in Game 5 to win the Stanley Cup at home on June 13. In his second season […]

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USPHL Elite 2023-24 South Region Players Of The Week

Games of Sept. 8-24 

 

Florida Division 

Forward: Kevin Rosello, Tampa Bay Juniors

The ‘03 native of nearby New Port Richey, Fla. produced five goals in just his first two games of the season and can certainly be counted on for more this year. He rang up his first two goals on Sept. 15 and the next day added a hat trick and an assist for a total of six points thus far. 

 

Defense: Brinson White, Florida Jr. Blades

A returning ‘06 defenseman, White (Media, Pa.) scored three assists over a three-game series against the Bold City Battalion in which the Blades earned their first victory of the season. 

 

Goaltender: Jackson Bernier, Atlanta MadHatters

The veteran Bernier (‘03/Belfast, Maine) had an outstanding first weekend of action against the Florida Eels, as he stopped 88 out of the 91 shots he faced. He came out of that weekend with a 1-1 record, a 1.50 goals against average and a .967 save percentage. 

 

Southeast Division 

Forward: Luke Vega, Charlotte Rush 

Spread out over a couple of big winning weekends, Vega had four goals (two of which were game-winners and one of those was shorthanded). He also added three assists for an eight-point start. 

 

Defense: Reilly Burke, Charlotte Rush

Burke (‘05/Lehighton, Pa.) was a great pickup for Charlotte in terms of playmaking as he has seven assists, coming off of three multi-point games. 

 

Goaltender: Anthony Trantas, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes 

The 2005-born Trantas is a homegrown product for the Jr. Canes, and he started out perfect with 34 saves on 34 shots covering three appearances, including zero given up in a relief effort.

USPHL Elite 2023-24 North Region Players Of The Week

Week of Sept. 29, 2023 

 

Games of Sept. 17-24

 

Forward: John Crowdell, Rockets Hockey Club 

Your 2023-24 USPHL Elite leading scorer is the same guy that ended the 2022-23 season as the leading scorer. Crowdell (‘03/Staten Island, N.Y.) has racked up five goals and seven assists for 12 points to lead both in the points race and rank No. 1 in points per game, at 4.00, after two weekends.

 

Defense: Anthony De Simone, Rockets Hockey Club 

De Simone (‘04/Staten Island, N.Y.) is a second-year Elite Rocket, but he’s been in the organization since 2020-21, starting out as a Midget. He has been a teammate of Crowdell and five other Rockets for between three and six years. De Simone posted two goals in the season opener, and helped the team also earn another victory against the WBS Knights. 

 

Goaltender: Andrew Zang, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights 

Zang (‘04/Carrollton, Texas) certainly had a great start to his second Elite season and first with the Knights. In two games, he has just a 0.50 goals against average, thanks to stopping 33 saves in a shutout against Elmira and on Sept. 25, he posted 43 saves on 44 shots. One-fifth, or two, of his 10 Elite games played so far have resulted in shootout wins. 

 

New England Division 

 

Forward: Luca Tartaglia, Islanders Hockey Club 

We’re just one game into the new season, and already Tartaglia is ranked among the league’s assist leaders with three helpers in his junior debut. The ‘05 with a bright future joins the Islanders out of San Mateo, Calif. 

 

Defense: Brett Eggleston, Springfield Pics

Eggleston, a second-year Pic, rang up two assists in the Pics’ season-opnning game, and helped goaltender Shane McKonen register his first goaltending shutout. An ‘06 out of Agawam, Mass., is already a veteran, having played 17 Pics games last year. 

 

Goaltending: Shane McKone, Springfield Pics

On Sept. 23, the ‘05 McKone earned his first junior career win and shutout when he stopped all 29 shots to defeat the Boston Junior Bruins on their home ice.

USPHL Elite 2023-24 Division Preview Series: Midwest

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com  

 

The 2023-24 season is one of not just some new teams in a couple of the USPHL junior leagues, but the story is one of entire divisions. In the NCDC, the Mountain Division has made its Tier II debut, and now the spotlight will also be on six teams that are set to make their USPHL Elite debuts this year. The Elite, traditionally an Eastern Seaboard league, has gone west – as far as Chicago, in fact. 

The first-year division will see new feeder programs for USPHL Premier teams in the Midwest East Division, helping to provide those organizations with depth and the ability to get internal program competition for Premier spots. 

 

Alphabetical Order


Chicago Cougars 

Season Opener: Sept. 29 at Decatur Blaze 

The Cougars Elite team would love to have anything close to the success the Cougars enjoyed at the Premier level, which included making every National Championships tournament between 2018 and 2022. They’ll certainly accept simply pushing some new, young players through their first junior season and on up to the Premier Cougars, as well. 

“This is a team with a high quality work ethic with strong depth. Being that’s it is still early in the year it’s hard to tell what our strengths and weakness may be but given the tempo and pace of our practices, a combo of our speed and competitiveness will be an asset for our team as we go through the season,” said Head Coach David Heflin. “With the core of younger plays on our roster, we have a hungry group looking to accomplish big things on a team and individual basis.”

“I’m excited and looking forward to the inaugural season for the Chicago Cougars at the Elite level. Long term, I believe this division level will foster an entirely new development path for many players’ careers who are striving to grow their game and continue onto higher levels of Junior and College, and/or Professional hockey,” added Pete Olson, owner of the Chicago Cougars and Chicago Crush.

With no returning players, this is a chance to make a whole new culture within the Cougars program, one that works hand in hand with the higher level. 

“[Premier Coach] Josh Dallmann has established a specific culture that breeds success. At the Elite level, we’ll be looking to establish the same strong habits that have made the organization a top Premier USPHL team, but now at the Elite level too,” added Olson. 

The team is excited about players like Rocco Bifano and Jack Powers, who can “provide the necessary leadership qualities necessary to be successful in the junior circuit.”

“Even with a relatively inexperienced team, the guys in our locker room are highly motivated and looking forward to the challenges that come at them throughout the year,” Heflin added. 

 

Chicago Crush 

Season Opener: Sept. 23 vs. Metro Jets Elite

The Crush were a new team at the Premier level in 2022-23, but they are certainly looking to grow in terms of development and advancement to colleges, which was a big reason why they brought on the Elite team. This provides a pipeline for young players to work their way up the ladder. 

“We feel like we have done a nice job of assembling a roster full of competitive players this fall. Our organizational goal is to develop all of the guys to be a part of our Premier team in the future, so we know that we will have a significant amount of movement between the two levels all season,” said Head Coach Phil Bushbacher. “We have a number of players that have experience at not only the CSDHL (top local tier II Midget level), but with AAA clubs and even in the USPHL Premier. We think that this will help us create a culture right away, both on and off the ice.”

The Crush coach couldn’t really imagine just how the division might look, in terms of standings, as this is obviously brand new ground for all the teams and organizations. 

“We are interested to see how the level takes shape this year. With it being the first season for Elite in the Midwest, we are eager to see what clubs decide to do,” said Bushbacher. “Our philosophy at the Crush is to use Elite as a farm club for the Premier team. While it is nice to win, our focus is on development first. We will certainly have a lot of players moving between the two teams, as we are sure other clubs will too. 

“When considering the top clubs, we think that Fort Wayne and MJDP will be teams to reckon with. Both clubs have established themselves as the class of the [Premier] Division, and we look for them to be solid this season.” 


Decatur Blaze 

Season Opener: Sept. 29 vs. Chicago Cougars

The Blaze are looking to build something truly special, right up there with when the Premier organization pushed through tough competition and qualified for the 2020 USPHL Nationals, which were unfortunately canceled. The Blaze have brought in some very young players – including 2008-born athletes – to start building up both their Elite and Premier teams towards future success and increased player development towards college hockey. 

“From day one, we wanted to establish our identity early on,” said Head Coach Justin Cohn. “As a team, we want to be the hardest-working team when we step on the ice and the players are embracing that. There is a healthy mix of younger and older guys hungry to move on to the next level.”

The ‘08’s coming in are Easton Gbeyetin, Hammad Khan and Gavin Meisner and “all are going to be key pieces.” 

Gbeyetin comes in from St. Louis Park, Minn., Khan is from Naperville, Ill., and the CSDHL’s Highland Park Falcons, and Meisner comes to them from Cranbrook, B.C. 

“Carter Murphy and Jeremy Zarvos are both defenseman who will help lead the back end,” Cohn added. “Some key forwards for our team will be Fischer Smith and Trevor Balagna who are both older and will be a huge resource for our younger players.”

Cohn is excited to get started against the Blaze organization’s traditional Illinois rivals in the Chicago Cougars. 

“Looking around the league and seeing rosters, the Midwest Elite division should be highly competitive,” Cohn added. “It should be a battle every game and every point is going to matter trying to get into playoffs.”

 

Fort Wayne Spacemen

Season Opener: Sept. 29 at Chicago Crush 

The Spacemen are excited to see all of the work they’ve been doing come to fruition when their season begins next Friday against the Chicago Crush. 

“I believe we have a strong roster for our inaugural season. So far through training camp and one week of practice, our veteran experience has proven to be a strength and has really made a positive and competitive environment for our squad,” added Head Coach Cam Wirick. 

He’s looking forward to the contributions to come from some new players like Trevor Evans, Alex Zinoviev, Dylan Davis, and Jack Backstrom. All could help to build the Spacemen Elite culture from the start. 

“The inaugural season for the USPHL Midwest-East Elite Division will be ultra-competitive,” said Wirick. “I feel very confident in our roster and how we develop our players here in Fort Wayne and believe we will have a successful season and open a lot of eyes.”

 

Metro Jets Elite

Season Opener: Sept. 23 at Chicago Crush 

The Metro Jets organization became the only non-NCDC team this year to field three junior teams when the Midwest Elite Division was formed last spring. Between the Great Lakes Division’s Jets team and the Midwest East Metro Jets Development Program and this new Elite squad, a common thread of development first will run throughout as General Manager Justin Quenneville has big plans for the new team. 

“We are excited to add an Elite schedule to our program. We have operated a three-team model before and we have the staff as well as the platform to run it smoothly,” said Quenneville. “Our Elite model is different than others, where we want to be able to provide more games and development for our players. Elite will serve as another opportunity for our players and we look forward to continue focusing on player development across all 3 Jets teams as they work together.”

 

Motor City Gamblers

Season Opener: Oct. 1 vs. Fort Wayne Spacemen 

The Gamblers are on the rise again, coming back to the upper echelon of the Premier Midwest East, and now they have even more program depth with the addition of their Elite team.

“We are very excited to be part of the new Midwest Elite Division. The opportunity to develop more young athletes is something we look forward to, as that is our organization’s number one goal,” said GM Chase Crawshaw.  USPHL veteran Carter Schluckbier is taking on a leadership role with the Elite team as he and forward Dylan Statham will help to develop some future stars such as Defensemen Isaac Bunk and Asher Taylor. 

“Our 2007 goalie trio of Tyler “Fridge” Houle, Braedyn Sullivan, and Massimo “Mojo” De Vita offer us a lot of upside in the net as well,” Crawshaw added.

 

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton NCDC Goalie Ty Levy Gets Season Start Call-Up To USHL’s Tri-City

Ty Levy, a 2006-born goalie signed by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights NCDC team, was called up by the Tri-City Storm for the duration of the USHL Fall Classic. Ty Levy was an add by Tri-City last fall and is an affiliate player of the Storm. He is in his first season with the Knights.

“The Knights are extremely excited for Ty, and we thank the Storm for working with our organization. It is an honor to see one of our players join such an established program,” said GM Nick Perri. “It is great for the Knights and the entire NCDC to earn a call-up so early in the season. As a league, we are making an effort to provide opportunities like this for younger players, and this is proof that there is a clear path to promotion in Wilkes-Barre and the NCDC.”

A total of 168 NCDC players have also skated in the United States Hockey League since the NCDC’s 2017-18 inception.

To pave Your Path To College Hockey and to the Tier I USHL, fill out an NCDC Prospects Form today.

USPHL Elite 2023-24 Division Preview Series: New England

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com 

 

The New England Division has seen some of the USPHL Elite’s best teams over the course of its history, especially looking at the division’s representatives at the last three Nationals – the Northern Cyclones and Islanders Hockey Club. The Cyclones, for instance, have the Elite’s best overall winning percentage dating back to 2018 (.781) and they have been finalists in 2022 and were semifinalists at Nationals in both 2021 and 2023. 

The Islanders have similarly kept pace, standing at fourth in winning percentage over the last five seasons (.715) and, as mentioned, reaching the Nationals each time since 2021. 

It will be a slightly more compact division this year, as the Junior Bruins and Springfield Pics round out the four-team circuit. The Pics have always been a challenger to the top teams, and the Junior Bruins are not likely to have another down year like they experienced as a rare turn in 2022-23. 

 

Order is 2022-23 regular season finish 

 

Northern Cyclones

Season Opener: Oct. 1 vs. Simcoe County Academy (North American Prep Hockey League)

The Cyclones have a reputation – as mentioned above – and they love living up to it. Because they always find a way to make it at or near the top. Head Coach Tim Plummer will once again put together a team that can beat you offensively, physically and with top-flight goaltending. It’s the Cyclones’ M.O. 

“The group we have put together here this year is really solid – built with a lot of returning players, some new players, and some players who have come up through our midget level,” said Plummer. “Our strength is going to be the consistency throughout our lineup at every position. We will be using depth to our advantage.” 

Without getting into the specifics of naming names, Plummer was excited about his entire group of veteran leadership. 

“I think the teams are very similar in a lot of ways, the only large difference is the fact that we have so much returning knowledge in the room and the maturity has grown,” Plummer added. 

It’s always necessary in this division to come out with every weapon in the arsenal and that’s what Plummer sees in this 2023-24 group. 

“I’m always looking for this division to be strong,” said Plummer. “The guys in this area put together strong competition and we are looking forward to facing them on a consistent basis.”

 

Islanders Hockey Club

Season Opener: Sept. 24 at Boston Junior Bruins

The Islanders have taken their turn at the top of the division, and have produced high-scoring forwards – two of whom occupy spots in the top 10 all-time single season scoring records. They bring the noise from all directions, and it becomes hard for opponents to find any spot of weakness. That’s just one of the reasons they have three straight recent Nationals trips to their credit. 

“Our biggest strength this year appears to be our depth. We’ll be able to roll four lines of forwards who will all be able to compete, win battles, and score,” said Kevin Smith, taking on his first year as Elite Head Coach. Former Head Coach Jay Punsky will remain with the Premier team and is also head coach for the NCAA Worcester State University team. “On the back end, I’ve been very encouraged by what I’ve seen so far.  We have three goalies who have all looked great in practice and are all capable of winning games for us.”

The Islanders do return some players from last year, but it’s largely a new squad you’ll see when the team hits the ice this Sunday against the Boston Junior Bruins. 

“With so many players moving up to Premier or on to college programs, we have a lot of new faces this year. We look to be a young, talented team that will probably experience some growing pains while they get adjusted to the more difficult junior game in a challenging USPHL Elite league,” Smith added. “Over the past few seasons, we’ve had a lot of offensive firepower up front. It’s still too early in practice to tell who those types of players will be this season, but I believe we have a lot of guys who are capable of putting up great performances.”

Nine former Elite Islanders have advanced to the Premier level (including six on the Islanders Premier squad) and five more advanced to college hockey. That left the Elite team returning three team veterans. 

“We’ll be looking to our returning captain, Ryan Schier, who is a three-year veteran defenseman, to continue providing solid defense and great leadership for the young group. Nathan Wolf (‘05 defenseman) and Brady Kinder (‘03 forward) will both be returning after playing significant roles in our run to Nationals last season.”

For newcomers, Smith is excited about several first-year Islanders Elite players, but who jumps to the forefront is anyone’s guess – let them play and see where the dice fall.

“It’s still too early in the season to really know who the breakout players are going to be. I’m excited about the amount of depth in our roster at all positions,” Smith added. 

Two ‘04 forwards to watch are Arizonans Kody Brunson and Jack Giles, as well as fellow Arizona native and ‘04 goalie Tagger Tamburo – a former teammate of Giles with the DYHA Jr. Sun Devils. Out of California, you have ‘05 forwards Luca Tartaglia and Eamon Navin, both teammates with last year’s Golden State Eagles 18U team in the Bay Area.

A good crop of new defensemen “capable of fighting for top defense pair minutes” includes ‘04 Niko Spaniotis and ‘05’s Ethan Elamn, Zach Demyk and C.J. Barrett, with this group coming from locales as diverse as Connecticut, Montana, Quebec and Maryland, respectively. 

In addition to Tamburo in net, also keep an eye on Kyle Mahan, an ‘04 from Massachusetts, and ‘05 Ethan Delgrego, out of Connecticut. All three will battle for the starting job. 

“It’s going to be a very competitive division again this year. The Cyclones always have a strong team,” said Smith. “The Junior Bruins and Springfield Pics are always difficult to play against. Every game you play is guaranteed to be a tough challenge. At the end of the season, the teams that advance to Nationals from the New England division are guaranteed to be battle-tested.”

 

Springfield Pics

Season Opener: Sept. 23 vs. Boston Junior Bruins

The subject of depth continues to reign here, as the Springfield Pics put stated depth as what they see as one of their strengths to kick off the season – that and an already tight bond in terms of chemistry. 

“Overall, I’m happy with the roster put together this season. We have a combination of players where we are four lines deep. Early on, I think our strength is we don’t give up on plays and we keep going,” said Head Coach Chris Beaudoin. “an early observation I can see is that this year’s team right off the hop is more tight knit and care for each other. They rally with each other and want the best outcome as a team.” 

Among the longtime Pics organization veterans (and Elite veterans) they’re returning are fifth-year Pics Thatcher Berman and James Delaney, both defensemen – though Berman has also been listed as a forward, showing his versatility. Both players skated for the Pics from the 15U up to the 16U level and on to the Elite team. Delaney was a member of the 2020-21 USPHL 16U American Division Champion Pics team. 

Also on that 16U championship team was current fourth-year Pic Nick Starosielski. Fellow forwards Darrin Schnopp and Gordon Culton are both entering their second seasons. Aside from the ‘04 Starosielski, all of the above-mentioned players are ‘05’s or ‘06’s.  

Obviously, the 16U to Elite path remains a popular pipeline for the Pics, as they’re bringing up ‘06 defenseman Cole Davis from last year’s 16U squad. Also new to the team at forward is Francis Powers, an ‘06 formerly with the Atlantic Coast Academy 16U AAA team. 

Beaudoin has high hopes for his Pics team, but it’s proven near-impossible to break into the top two spots. This year, however, may see improved parity. 

“I think it’s going to be the same as it is every year – every game will be exciting and fun to play and watch. The competitiveness will be high and I think like always anyone can beat anyone at any time,” said Beaudoin. “It’s going to be a battle day in and day out.”

 

Boston Junior Bruins

Season Opener: Sept. 23 at Springfield Pics

The Boston Junior Bruins have put their 2022-23 season far in the rearview mirror and are ready to resume their battles for the top spot as they had been in the running for so many years. The Junior Bruins actually finished second in 2020-21 and were in third place by only four points behind the Cyclones. So, last year was truly a blip on their radar. 

Third-year Head Coach Dan Pelletier has every intention of the Junior Bruins maintaining a strong record and a high position in what will be a tight four-team division here in 2023-24. 

“After a rough season last year, we’re excited to bring in a whole new team, only having two returners. So far I like our speed and the work ethic the guys have brought to the rink thus far,” said Pelletier. “The biggest difference [from last year] will be our depth. Last year there was a huge drop in our lineup after our first line. This year I think our speed and the ability to roll four lines and six ‘D’ will be the biggest difference.”

Forward Charles Turner and defenseman Sam Lescault were both strong enough players with last year’s team that they were brought back with bigger expectations.

“Charles and Sam are the only returners and we’re excited to have them back and take on bigger roles than last year,” added Pelletier. 

With so many newcomers, it was tough to pick any individuals who might stand out right off the bat. You’ll just have to watch the Junior Bruins to see who emerges as top threats. The Junior Bruins plan to do the same as a full team. 

“I think the New England Division will be much tighter this year compared to last. The top teams were tough games for us last year. I know they will be strong again but we are a new team and looking to be in the mix,” Pelletier added. 

 

USPHL Elite 2023-24 Division Preview Series: Atlantic

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com

 

In just their second year of existence, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights made it to the USPHL Elite National Championship game, and did so after setting some history with a 25-game regulation unbeaten streak to end the season (24-0-1-0). The Knights have only ever been at the top of the division since the start of their existence in 2021-22, so don’t expect them to show any holes in their armor anytime soon.

In a similar vein, the Jersey Hitmen have been able to capture second place the last three seasons, and were first in the Atlantic (formerly the Mid-Atlantic) for the first three seasons, since the current USPHL Elite Conference was founded in 2017. They reached the semifinals along with WBS, making the Atlantic the only division with two semifinalists (WBS defeated Jersey in a close 3-2 decision). 

The Rockets Hockey Club have made big showings including the 2022 division championship and a Nationals berth. Jim Raymond with the Hitmen and Todd Wagenbach with the Rockets are two veteran coaches who always bring the best out of their teams in the Garden State. 

The P.A.L. Jr. Islanders had a fine start in the Elite, putting up 39 points and finishing just seven points outside of playoff territory for their first go-round. The Elmira Impact (formerly Jr. Enforcers) also hope to build on their inaugural Elite season of 2022-23. 

The changing face of the division over the last couple years continues as the above five teams welcome the Connecticut Jr. Rangers, fielding their first Elite team. 

 

Order is 2022-23 Regular Season Finish

 

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights 

Season Opener: Sept. 22 vs. Rockets Hockey Club 

The Knights are happy with their first couple of years in the USPHL Elite, but by no means are they comfortable – and they certainly feel they should have left Utica, N.Y., with the national championship trophy last year. Only a double-overtime goal by the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes was the difference in an epic match-up that was the USPHL’s longest championship game in history. 

“We are very excited about our group,” said General Manager Nick Perri. “We came so close to a championship last season, and if training camp was any indication of what to expect from this year’s team, we will be just as competitive.” 

The Knights’ rosters are still being formed with just over a week remaining to opening night, so decisions are still being made, but Perri did say the roster “is highlighted by returners Malik Abdullah and Jeremy Simonson, and newcomers like James Gudino.”

Simonson will be a third-year Knight and comes from their youth organization, so they can certainly take pride in a homegrown product there. He improved his point production year-over-year last year (four to six points), so expect another jump this year. Abdullah continues to be a leading voice for the Knights both in the locker room and on the ice as now a third-year veteran forward. 

Gudino is also a USPHL Elite veteran and posted eight points in 39 games last year and is looking forward to his first season with the Knights. 

 

Jersey Hitmen 

Season Opener: Sept. 17 at P.A.L. Jr. Islanders 

As mentioned above, the Hitmen are a staple of the top two spots in the Atlantic Division and Head Coach James Raymond sees nothing in his 2023-24 team that would indicate any change in their standing this year, except for maybe a push to evict WBS from first which would give the Hitmen their first division title since 2020. 

“We have a good, young, solid group of players that are highly motivated, interested in player development and they have embraced the Hitmen 212° philosophy,” added Raymond. “The team is well-skilled, fast, highly competitive and ready to make a run.” 

The Hitmen will have a bold new look for the most part this year, but there are some veterans to help the large amount of newcomers get used to the Elite very quickly, including forwards Jack Levin, Chris Kobayashi, Austin Hlavac and Logan Przestrzelski, who saw time at both defense and forward last year. All are ‘05 except for the ‘06 Hlavac, so they can all continue to develop and progress within the Hitmen program for at least two more seasons after this. For instance, Francis Zaklukiewicz was one of the top players for the 2021-22 Elite Hitmen, put together a successful season last year for the Premier team, and is currently on the Hitmen NCDC preseason roster. 

Raymond is excited to see what could be coming from Georgia native Isaac Walker, and defenseman Aedan Proof, coming out of the Anaheim Jr. Ducks midget program. 

It’s anyone’s division anywhere when you’re talking about Game 1 still up ahead, but whichever two teams come out of it all and are Nationals-bound will be truly battle-tested according to the veteran coach Raymond. 

“I anticipate a very competitive division. The loss of the Aviators hurt, but the addition of Connecticut will help,” added Raymond. “The Rockets and WBS Knights are perennial favorites. Those that go to Nationals will truly contend for the national title.”

 

Rockets Hockey Club 

Season Opener: Sept. 16 at Elmira Impact 

You can’t get much better of a building block to a season than returning the leading scorer of the entire league. The Rockets are thrilled to be able to bring back John Crowdell, at the head of a healthy-sized group of returning Rockets for the 2023-24 season. Crowdell posted 29 goals, 54 assists and 83 points in 44 games last year and is hoping to build on that as an ‘03. 

We have a good mix of veterans and rookies and so far I like the chemistry and overall work ethic of this year’s team,” added Head Coach Todd Wagenbach. “Our strength will be our goaltending as we have three goalies that will compete and drive each other all year long.”

Michael Grima is one such goaltender, a returning All-Star like Crowdell, after he put up a .919 save percentage in 28 games played last year. Fellow ‘03 Tony Macaluso, out of Brick Hockey Club, and ‘05 Joseph Auletti, who brings in years of AAA midget experience, round out the goaltending trio. 

Looking at other returning Rockets beyond Crowdell and Grima, you’ll find Jace Lombardo (34 points in 28 games), blueliner Justin Modzelewski (14 points in 33 games), and forwards Aiden Ball and Gavin Jacobi. 

The Rockets are excited not only about Auletti and Macaluso, but also look for big things from third-year Elite veteran Sam Wise and ‘05 forward Brody Coddington, out of the Princeton Tigers midget program. 

In a long view, Wagenbach saw his 2023-24 team as very similar in many ways to his previous team, and knows that they need to get the big wins against the top teams to really make a statement this year. 

“Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will be the favorite,” he added. “I’m interested to see how Connecticut looks, but I expect them to be good under [former New York Aviators coach] Mike Stanaway!”

 

P.A.L. Jr. Islanders

Season Opener: Sept. 17 vs. Jersey Hitmen 

The Jr. Islanders brought a lot of strong young talent to the ice last year in their first go-round at the Elite level under longtime Head Coach Aleksey Nikiforov, whose career includes developing NHL talent such as Darius Kasparaitis, Dainius Zubrus, Bryan McCabe and Alexei Yashin. 

“We are very positive. We are very strong, fast, and big at forward, defense and goal,” said Nikiforov. “This is a very skilled team. [Compared to last year], we are bigger and faster with a lot of depth.” 

The Jr. Islanders do have experience back at each position, including forwards Chris O’Hea (18 points in 35 games) and Sean Antonucci, Peter Allen back at defense and C.J. Lucente back in the goal. “We are excited” about all of the veterans, added Nikiforov.

It’ll be fun to watch which of the many newcomers surface as some of the top talents on the team and, perhaps, in the league. 

“We are happy with all new players, they come from several AAA teams,” added Nikiforov. “Too much talent to single out any one player. A lot of depth in skill and speed.

“I feel our team will compete really well this season and our expectations are high,” he said. 

 

Elmira Impact 

Season Opener: Sept. 16 vs. Rockets Hockey Club

Matt Maniglia returns as Head Coach for the Elmira squad, which underwent a name change between seasons to the Elmira Impact. 

Now entering their second season, the Impact experienced not unexpected growing pains as a first-year team in a very competitive division and league. 

The project for the off-season was to build up the depth of the overall Impact program and Maniglia sees that as having had nothing but a positive effect on the Elmira roster for this season. 

“We are extremely excited to see this 2023-24 roster take the ice this season,” added Maniglia. “We feel like this team is filled with depth that will help us with contributions top to bottom during the season.”

The Impact hope to make just that for the first time in the Atlantic Division, and Maniglia is confident in the new-look team (in terms of jersey, name and roster) to do just that. 

“Our division is going to be very competitive this season and there are no easy games on the schedule,” Maniglia said. “All these teams are top of the pack and will lead to a lot of hard-fought games throughout the season. We are excited to go out there and compete in such a competitive division.”

 

Connecticut Jr. Rangers

Season Opener: Sept. 29 vs. Hampton Roads Whalers (Marlborough, Mass.)

The Jr. Rangers don’t want to just slowly wade into the Elite pool, they’re going to do a swan dive from 20 meters up and go right up against one of the conference’s earliest powerhouses, the Hampton Roads Whalers, as part of the Boston Junior Bruins Shootout Sept. 29-Oct. 2. 

“We are all very excited about the team that we have put together this season,” said GM Mike Stanaway. “We have all worked hard to put together a squad that will be very competitive within the Atlantic Division. Coaches Bobby Pauls and Maciej Michalik are going to provide a tremendous opportunity for development for our players.”

Stanaway is looking forward to seeing how the group takes shape with so many first-year players from different backgrounds, but it is all positive anticipation. 

“We have a terrific mix of local players and talent that we brought in from all over the country,” added Stanaway. 

The GM has been a coach of the Elite New York Aviators in the past, so he is very familiar with the Atlantic Division, including making a Nationals appearance in the Elite in 2019 and also qualifying for the canceled 2020 tournament. 

“This is always such a competitive division at the Elite level,” said Stanaway, who coached the former Elite New York Aviators in the past. “There are some great coaches that do a tremendous job year in and year out. It is certainly going to be a division where we will have to show up every night.”

USPHL Elite 2023-24 Division Preview Series: Florida

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com 

 

The Florida Elite Division gets down to its first business this coming weekend. The league’s southernmost division features one of the new teams for this season, as the Bold City Battalion kick off their inaugural season Sept. 22 with a three-game run against the Florida Jr. Blades. 

Last year, the Florida Eels and Tampa Bay Juniors were the division’s representatives at the USPHL Nationals in Utica, making it two straight trips for the Elite Eels, and three straight trips for Tampa Bay. Those two organizations clearly represent the iron of the division, but that doesn’t mean they are invincible by any means. In 2020, the Atlanta MadHatters pulled off a big upset against the Tampa Bay Juniors, and the Eels fell that season to the former Charleston Colonials – unfortunately neither team was able to build off these wins as the Nationals were canceled due to COVID-19. 

The MadHatters and second-year Palm Beach Typhoon both brought some big guns to the offensive table last year, so they’re always fun to watch, while the Jr. Blades are hoping for a big bounceback season. 

 

Florida Eels

Season Opener: Sept. 16 vs. Atlanta MadHatters

Based on recent history, you’ll see the Eels hovering at or near not just the top of the Elite Florida and the Elite overall standings. They always have such a prime amount of talent on their Premier team that their Elite team could sometimes almost be a second Premier squad. You have to squint (or just have a veteran coach’s eye) to see the small differences between their two teams. 

“Our Elite team has a good mix of youth and experience. With about a third of our group being returners from last year, it helps continue the culture of winning and development we’ve had in recent years,” said Head Coach Mitch Hill. “Our team has pace and looks to play fast and a smart style of hockey.”

The Eels will be one of the older Elite teams in the league featuring nine 2003-born players. 

“The biggest difference between last year and this year is the experience and maturity we have on the roster. With nine ’03’s, that helps the younger players have older veterans to lean on throughout the year,” added Hill. 

On the back line, we wish good luck to any teams trying to get past All-Star blueliner Sean Burke and fellow ‘03 J.J. Diaz. Forwards Marc Ghafari and Jackson Carnes (28 combined points) will “aim to take bigger roles with this year’s group,” added Hill. 

In terms of newcomers, Jake Miller stretches that term as this will actually be his sixth USPHL season. He was in the Islanders Hockey Club Midget program from the USPHL 15U to 18U levels between 2018-22, and played briefly in the Elite last season with the former Nashville Spartans Elite team (they are Premier only this year) before gaining additional Tier III experience elsewhere. 

“Jake looks to bring his junior hockey experience and bolster the defensive back end of our group,” said Hill. Up front, the Eels are excited for Alex Cochran (‘05) and Fynn O’Neill (‘03). 

“Alex, out of Frisco, Texas, has had a tremendous training camp and will look to continue progressing through the year as a solid forward for our group,” added Hill. “Fynn looks to add to the offensive success as well.” 

Hill can’t wait to get started this weekend just to see how much better all the Florida Elite teams have become. 

“I think this year will be a very competitive season in the Florida Division. Every team had positives to take from last season and with the newly added Battalion, the intensity and competitiveness will be brought up,” added Hill. “There definitely will be no games you can ‘take off’ in the Elite Florida Division this season.”

 

Tampa Bay Juniors 

Season Opener: Sept. 15 vs. Palm Beach Typhoon  

The Juniors saw a lot of overhaul between their two teams, thanks to a heavy advancement of players to the college ranks. That reason is Head Coach Garrett Strot’s favorite, as he is always happy to reload after an advancement mission accomplished. 

“Just like our Premier team, our Elite team is totally new with a handful of returners,” said Strot, who coaches the Elite alongside former NHL player and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Filip Kuba. “We will once again have a young team but we’re excited about the skill and talent of the group.”

When Strot looks at last year’s Elite team and compares it with this year’s team, he sees even more size on what was already a pretty good-sized, yet mobile, blue line corps. 

“We have some pretty good sized defensemen for the Elite level. I thought last season our defensemen were the strongest group we ever had here on Elite but feel this year’s group could be better,” he added. 

If you have to bring back a couple players, why not bring back some All-Star talent? The Juniors did just that with the return of defenseman Carter Trussler and goaltender Dylan Bruce. Bruce posted a .921 save percentage last year in 24 games, while Trussler – a local product coming from Mitchell High School of New Port Richey – put up 25 points from the blue line in playing all 44 regular season games. 

In addition to the obviously solid leadership core provided by Bruce and Trussler, the Juniors are excited about some new talent including forwards Kevin Rosello and Jacob Munkwitz and defenseman Lucas Gonzalez, all of whom Strot said “have stood out and we feel each will make an impact.” 

Rosello is a former Mitchell High teammate of Trussler’s and has represented Team Puerto Rico, the island of his birth. Jacob Munkwitz joins the Juniors with two years of USPHL junior experience already under his blades, and Gonzalez is entering his second year of USPHL junior hockey. 

The Juniors are certainly confident in their ability to make it back to the upper echelons of the Florida Division. 

“We feel, as the season progresses, that we will be right there with the top teams in the division,” said Strot. “The Eels will once again be the team to beat.” 

 

Palm Beach Typhoon

Season Opener: Sept. 15 at Tampa Bay Juniors

The Typhoon, like their first opponents the Tampa Bay Juniors, will be an almost entirely new team when they take Elite ice on Friday. Many players have moved up to the Premier, so the team will be one to watch from the beginning. Owner, General Manager and Head Coach Joe Flanagan foresees a deeper team than the 2022-23 squad. 

“We are not relying on three or four guys to produce like last year, so we’re more balanced this year at Elite just like at the Premier level,” said Flanagan. “We have good players who compete hard and have some decent size. We didn’t look at the team and say ‘we lost this guy, so who’s replacing him?’ I feel pretty decent overall with the players we have.” 

In terms of returning players for the Elite Typhoon, Flanagan could only look at two players right off the bat in forward Aaron Lentz and defense Frank Delvecchio. Lentz was strong up front with 28 points in 38 games last year, and Delvecchio was tops in blocked shots last year with 67 over his 42 games.

“Lentz and Delvecchio are exactly type of guys we like to have. They compete every shift, they’re hard-nosed, tough kids, and they’re really coachable,” said Flanagan. “Lentz had a great year last year, and he was on one of our top two lines all year long. He’s a good leader, too. I’d classify Frank as a defensive defenseman. He leaves it all out on the ice every game. 

“With just two guys returning, it’ll take time for our newcomers to adjust to how junior hockey is, but it’s a pretty good group so far,” added Flanagan. 

The coach does expect Xavier Solomon, who comes to the Typhoon from the Pittsburgh Vengeance Midget AAA program. 

“He has been impressive in camp so far, with good skill and he’s strong,” Flanagan said. “He’ll have an immediate impact on the league.” 

It is never easy to push through the historic forerunners of the division, but the Typhoon picked up good wins over the Nationals teams last year and they hope to add even more and perhaps stand with that group when all is said and done.

“I expect the same from the division as I’ve seen the last two years. We’ll fight for a playoff spot like last year, and it’ll be a battle to the end,” said Flanagan. “You might have the first couple seeds locked in early, but you’ll have two or three teams fighting for those last two spots. It’s all a grind. We were in fourth a lot of the year last year and ended up in third. It’s a battle for positioning.” 

 

Atlanta MadHatters

Season Opener: Sept. 15 at Florida Eels

The MadHatters had quite the race towards the end of the season with the Typhoon as both pushed for No. 3, with Palm Beach taking that spot in the end by just four points. Atlanta’s coaching staff feels like they may have the young talent and the determination to win those types of races down the stretch, while continuing to develop and promote players to higher levels of junior hockey and also to college hockey. 

“We are excited about the roster we have put together this year. We have brought in a very good young crop of local players, combined with talented guys from all over the world,” said Head Coach Tyler Casillo. “With only two players who have played at the Elite level before, it will be interesting to see how we deal with tough challenges a season brings and the maturation of our players.”

Casillo is brand new to Atlanta this year, coming over from the San Diego Sabers, so he is excited to put his stamp on the program going forward. 

“With it being my first season in Atlanta, I wanted to build on the success the program has had over the last few seasons. We wanted to bring in a young core of players that we can develop and move up the ladder,” added Casillo. “I think the major difference in this year’s team compared to last year is the lack of experience at the Elite level. We are extremely young, which is exciting for us as a staff. We really like our group and starting off with the Eels will give us a great test to start the year. 

“The Florida Division is one of the most competitive in the entire country. I think this season will be no different with the clubs getting stronger every year. We are looking forward to the challenges our division brings,” he added. 

This strong competition will be taken on by a group of players who may be young on the surface, but Casillo is very excited about these athletes. 

Watch for ‘06 forward Grayson Betts out of Langley, B.C., who should make an immediate impact, along with ‘05 forward Kolton Miller, who has played with the AAA teams of the Lincoln Stars and Des Moines Buccaneers. Georgia natives Riley DeWitt (both ‘06’s) join from the MadHatters 16U and the Florida Alliance 16U programs, respectively. 

“Our goaltending will be crucial for us this season. We have an unbelievable goalie room this year,” added Casillo. 

Jackson Bernier joins with a season of experience at the USPHL Elite level, and is “someone we expect to be a great leader for us.” Christian Amato comes from St. Augustine Prep and the Philadelphia Little Flyers AAA program and “can make a major impact for us.” 

“Devin Diller is a local talent who has had great success in our MadHatters youth program for years and we are excited to see him make the jump to Elite this year,” added Casillo. “I think these three will give us the ability to win every night.”

 

Florida Jr. Blades

Season Opener: Sept. 22 at Bold City Battalion 

The Blades, who experienced a bit of a tough season last year, know that they have once before moved back up the standings after a down season. Between 2020-21 and 2021-22, they doubled their points to rise from fifth the first season to third place in the standings the next year. It’s time for another push northward. 

“We are returning quite a few players from last season,” said Doug Rose, the Jr. Blades’ Associate Head Coach. “Our record did not reflect the development we saw in each of our players. I think we have a ton of skill that we have learned to play as a team leading into this season.  

“We brought in young talent again this year,a strong group from our 16U affiliates that we are excited about,” Rose added. “However we have a heavy ‘veteran presence’ this year.” 

Watch for Sam Gusty, Levi Todd, Payne Vanderhied and Max Stek to be veteran voices up front. All registered in double digits for points last season. All are ‘04’s and ‘05’s so they are going to be pushing for promotions to the Premier team and other higher levels of hockey. Back on the defense are ‘06’s Brinson White and Zach Barta along with ‘07 Liam Corwen. 

Among the newcomers, Maks Matys, an ‘07 from the Florida Jr. Everblades 16U team, “shows a ton of skill at the blue line.” 

Watch for Greyson Betzold and Maksim Paulikis, a teammate of Matys’ on the Jr. Everblades 16U’s, among the forwards after they’ve been “showing a lot of promise at training camp.” 

Rose expects a much-improved overall performance for the Jr. Blades Elite squad this year, even in a tough-as-nails Florida Division. 

“Our division proves strong every season. I believe we have shown a lot of growth over the span of the summer and like what we are bringing in,” added Rose. “I’m excited to get things going and see how each team has changed!”

 

Bold City Battalion

Season Opener: Sept. 22 vs. Florida Jr. Everblades 

Welcome to the Battalion era! Bold City kicks off its season at home in Jacksonville, Fla., beginning next Friday, Sept. 22. 

Taking the helm of the team is former Tampa Bay Juniors coach Rett Vossler, and with so many new and exciting teams, the Battalion are built for the future around youth. 

“We are excited with what we have here in Jacksonville this year,” he said. “We assembled a really young team that has a lot of upside. The ceiling for this team is being pushed higher every day with their work ethic.”

Two Elite Battalion players to watch for early on are ‘07 Kaden Powell and ‘05 Ray Johnson. Powell is from Forest Hills High in Pennsylvania, and Johnson comes in with Tier III experience from the EHL Premier. 

“Kaden is an ‘07 forward from Pennsylvania that has really impressed us throughout camp, he’s tenacious and has natural scoring instincts,” added Vossler. “Ray Johnson is a guy that is all out, all the time. He’s as tough and intense as they come. He’s the player every team wants in their lineup.”

Vossler, who has been around the USPHL Elite in its current form since its 2017 inception, is excited to test his team in the Florida Division on a week-to-week basis. 

“The Florida Division has made a name for itself in the USPHL, we know that every game is a dogfight and you have to fight for every inch. We are excited to be able to play in such a tough division,” he said. “To become the best version of yourself, individually and as a group, you have to be challenged every day. That’s what we get in the Florida Division.”

 

Carolina Hurricanes Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour Drops First Puck at Jr. Canes Elite Banner Raising, Opener

All photos by Katelyn Alumbaugh / Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

 

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

 

The Carolina Jr. Hurricanes welcomed a very special guest for their 2023-24 Home Opener on Sept. 9, as the Elite Jr. Canes raised their 2023 National Championship banner ahead of puck drop.

The Ceremonial Puck Drop was taken by Rod Brind’Amour, Head Coach of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. Brind’Amour is a long-beloved figure in North Carolina, having played 10 years with the Canes and registered 766 combined regular season and playoff games and his 473 regular season points are second in team history.

Brind’Amour was Captain of the 2006 Stanley Cup Champion Hurricanes team, as well. He won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL’s Best Defensive Forward in back to back seasons in 2006 and 2007 while with Carolina.

“Having Rod Brind’Amour drop the puck at our season opener was not only a memorable experience for all attendees but also an inspirational one for our athletes. Lifelong athletes, such as Rod, are living examples of the passion, discipline, and perseverance every young athlete needs to continue their journey,” said Jr. Hurricanes Elite Head Coach Brad Gaylord, who led the Jr. Canes to the 2023 Elite title. “Knowing that every young athlete needs a strong foundation of educators, coaches, families, and role models; having Rod’s support in our program is immeasurable and appreciated by the entire Jr. Canes family.”

Brind’Amour began his post-playing career in 2010 immediately after his retirement from the NHL as the Canes’ Director of Player Development, became an assistant coach the next year, and became Head Coach in 2018-19. His jersey number 17 was retired by the Hurricanes on Feb. 18, 2011.

 

Rod’s son Skyler Brind’Amour played in the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes’ youth program, and also is a USPHL alum having played for the South Kent Selects Academy team in the USPHL 18U Division in 2016-17.

This past spring, Skyler Brind’Amour helped Quinnipiac University win the NCAA National Championship as a senior and he is currently slated to join the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate, for the 2023-24 season. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in terms of awards, as Skyler was named the ECAC’s Best Defensive Forward and earned the same honor for all of New England by the New England Hockey Writers Association.

USPHL Elite 2023-24 Division Preview Series: Southeast

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com 

 

Official puck drops begin this very Friday in the Southeast Division, which has been home to all five USPHL Elite National Champions since the formation of the current Elite conference in 2017. Most recently, it was the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes who took home the hardware after also winning the division title for the regular season for their first time. Additionally, the perennial powerhouse Charlotte Rush made their third straight Nationals appearance and were hoping to get back on top after winning in 2021. Potomac made some waves last year as well by making their first playoff appearance. 

The division also saw some changes after the former member Nashville Spartans moved their Premier team to the Great Lakes Division and closed their Elite program, opening the door for the former Florida Division member Columbia Infantry to join the Southeast Division. Below we breakdown a little bit of what to expect from the new-look division. 

 

Order is based on 2022-23 regular season finish. 

 

Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

Season Opener: Friday, Sept. 8, at Columbia Infantry

Welcome to target country, and we’re not talking about department stores here. The Jr. Hurricanes will, for the first time in their history, start the season as reigning champions which comes not only with a trophy, hardware and banner, but with the aforementioned virtual target on the back. Every team always wants to knock off the reigning champs, but Head Coach Brad Gaylord sees his team as being up for that challenge – and for the challenge of winning yet again at Nationals! 

“Elite’s roster looks strong again, and we look to defend our National Championship,” he said. “We do have many returners which helps, and our newcomers look very promising. As for early strengths, I like how we’re puck-hungry and we play with a little more physicality. Our defensive core is strong with returners.” 

And boy do they have a lot of returners – Carter Radosta, Nathan Rhodes, Banks Morgan, Greg Harter, Alex Rich, Zach Rich, Max Sullivan, Liam McCusker, Christopher Cuddy and Josh Harwood. All have rings and all are determined to push for more.  

“Our top returners are all of them,” added Gaylord. 

Other former champion players have moved up to higher junior levels or to college, which leaves room for some new Jr. Canes to make their mark this year. 

Anthony Trantas and Ryan Kalina, a pair of ‘05 goaltenders, both helped the Jr. Canes 18U AA team to the Tier II National Championships this past spring. Additionally, Andrew Timmeny (‘06) comes to the team from the Jr. Canes’ 16U AAA squad. 

Also keep an eye on newcomers such as Luke Waterson (‘04), Omar Wang (‘04), Nicholas Miskovsky (‘05) and Landon Rush (‘06). 

“I feel [the Southeast] will be the most competitive division in the entire league once again. I must believe Hampton will be much better this year, so they are my pick to rise higher in the division this year,” Gaylord said. 

 

Potomac Patriots 

Season Opener: Sept. 15 at Hampton Roads Whalers

When the Patriots look at their team, they think about all 40-plus players in the organizational depth chart. Their outstanding success, including their highest finish in their history, with a 32-10-1-1 record at the Elite level exactly matching their Premier mark. 

“We have a few returning players from last year rounded out with a bunch of strong new players. Our team strengths this season will definitely be our offensive firepower. Like last year, our teams will be able to score goals,” said Alex Grose, Assistant Premier and Head  Elite Coach. 

He also said that this could be the Patriots’ best teams yet with both designed to shake up the past order yet again and potentially even reach their first National Championships at one level or both. 

“The biggest early observational difference between our team this year and last is our team’s depth,” said Grose. “We built our team this year to have players that can score and ones who can play hard and play certain roles. We think we will also have a more well-rounded defensive core this year to help us make the push to the National Championships.”

With nine days remaining from the date of publication, there are still lineup decisions to be made, but there are a couple of players that Grose identified as exciting newcomers in the form of Travis Plylar, an ‘06 from Manassas, Va., who has played in the Patriots organization for years, along with Kiril Golubev, an ‘07 defenseman from the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (Russia) 16U team. 

No matter the level – Premier or Elite – the Patriots know that every game they play this year will be a tough outing. Southeast rivalries run deep and they know not a single team on the circuit give much quarter to their opponents, or even leave the door open a centimeter. 

“We think the Southeast Division will be as competitive as ever. With our first game against Hampton we expect them to be much better this season and are going to be prepared to play against them,” Grose added. 

 

Charlotte Rush

Season Opener: Sept. 15 at Columbia Infantry 

The Rush, like so many teams not starting this weekend, are still working through training camp with many decisions ahead of them as to where players will fall on their roster. While that makes naming names impossible at this point, Head Coach Trevor Kleckner is still confident that no matter which 21 players take the ice on the first night, they’ll be ready and they’ll be the right players to hold up the name of one of the Elite’s best overall franchises. Since 2018, they are second all-time in points (360), trailing ages-old rival the Richmond Generals by a single point (361) in regular season play. 

“I think we have a strong roster consisting of many returners from the 2022-2023 season. The obvious strength would be our experience from last season,” he added. “The biggest difference would be our experience, as we had a very young roster. Last year we had very few players with junior hockey experience, whereas this year we have the experience. Our hope is to learn from last year’s mistakes and build off of the success we had with our trip to Nationals.”

Like all the Southeast coaches, he loves going to battle every night with the Richmonds, Carolinas and Hampton Roads of the world. Those teams and the Rush have won all of the Elite championships since the formation of the current conference in 2017. While they all want to beat each other, they also want to make sure the championship remains in Southeast hands. 

“I think this year will be a very competitive year for the Elite Southeast Division. All teams boast a strong returning group which will make for great competition every weekend. Obviously, you have the defending national champs in the Jr. Hurricanes, but also very fierce groups in Richmond and Potomac. Hampton also returns a bunch of their key players and Columbia looks to make a statement their first year in the Southeast Division,” Kleckner added. 

 

Richmond Generals

Season Opener: Sept. 16 at Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

It was a near-full changing of the guard for the Generals, as Gary Gill takes over the GM duties for the program and also is Head Coach of the Premier team, while longtime Gens goaltending coach Tom Hasenzhal is now Head Coach for the Elite team.
“I think at this point we are looking to have a strong defensive core with some good goaltending,” said Gill, of the Elite squad. “We are 100% focused on team play as opposed to relying totally on talent alone.”

The Generals will look for leadership from returning veterans ‘03 Trae Schanberger, who was also on the 2022 Generals Elite National Championship team, and ‘04 forward Will McLaughlin. Among the most intriguing newcomers are Cooper Senn, who brings previous Elite and Premier experience, Skyler Luo from Australia and who also comes with Tier III junior experience, and Duncan Miller. The ‘05 Miller was undefeated in regulation at the Tier III level last year and was an EHL Premier teammate of Luo. 

Gill may be new to the USPHL, but he is very familiar with the Southeast Division’s “anyone can beat anyone” atmosphere, so he knows his team needs to be ready every night. 

“Much like in the Premier conference, as I see it, this division is one of the very best in the league as every single night is a war,” he said. “All the teams in this division are very very well coached and they are all full of talent.”

 

Hampton Roads Whalers

Season Opener: Sept. 16 vs. Potomac Patriots 

The Whalers struggled during their 2022-23 season, but General Manager Brad Jones and new Elite Head Coach C.J. Sweigart are confident those days are well behind them. As seen above, other coaches expect the Whalers to be a much tougher draw as well this year. 

“Our staff is excited about every player we have brought in. We are a young team with a lot raw talent but also a lot of work and developing to do,” said Sweigart. 

“What I do know is that we have a hungry group this year that has fully bought in to the type of game we want to play: structured in the way we defend and hard to play against in all 3 zones,” Sweigart added. 

Jones was very impressed with Sweigart, a former player for organizations that eventually joined the USPHL and who also has multiple junior coaching years under his belt. 

“The major difference from last year to this year starts behind the bench, with the hiring of C.J. Sweigart and Lukas Voglrieder to lead our Elite team. They hit the recruiting trail hard, and from day one of training camp, have set high expectations and the culture bar high,” said Jones. “We have seven key returners from last year’s team who are hungry to put last season behind them, and have surrounded them with some high end recruits we expect to play major roles for our team this year. The potential for this team to be scary good is in place, now the hard work and dedication from the players must make that potential a reality. 

“Last season, a lack of depth, discipline and buy-in cost us many games, as well as a spot in the playoffs,” added Jones. “Simply put, it is not up to the standards we expect from our organization.” 

All-Star forward and lifetime Whaler Brayden Taylor, from nearby Virginia Beach, is back in the driver’s seat for the team along with fellow returning Whalers Taryk Filipuzzi, Josef Bauer and Ryan Delong. All were top 10 scorers on the team last year, while the team also brings back blueliners Hudson Hinch and Charlie Heimbecker and goaltender Jean Berthaudin. 

“Lots of young guys have made early impressions on us during training camp. Our team is almost an entirely new roster from last season, with 20 new faces on the roster,” added Sweigart of the newcomer group. “With any young group, it will be a process, but I can say, this is a group, as a whole, that I am very excited to work with this season and beyond.”

He specifically pointed to forward Blake Marvici, Gregor McNish, Dylan Sedlak, Bryson Ehn and Tristen Brooks and defenseman Jacob McCormack as “players who stand out for different reasons, but can make impact plays and have strong futures if they keep doing things the right way every day.”

It’s been said just how tough the division is, and the Whalers are ready to make it their proving ground. 

“This is a very strong division and our players and staff are excited to get to compete every day in the Southeast – lots of strong players for our guys to test themselves against week in and week out,” Sweigart said. “That’s what it’s all about. 

 

Columbia Infantry

Season Opener: Friday, Sept. 8 vs. Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

Jacob Smulevitch is excited to be bringing his two Infantry teams into the Southeast Division, and certainly expects to give the opposition headaches every time out. 

“I think we will make our mark this year in the Southeast. I do believe that it will take time for our players to mature but I believe trial by fire against teams such as the defending champion Jr. Canes will speed up the process and we are excited to see where it goes,” said Smulevitch. 

Team construction was a positive time for the Infantry, Smulevitch said, especially as he was faced with filling almost an entire roster. 

“I’m very excited about the roster we have put together. It is a very rookie-heavy team with a few returners so I think it is a team that will grow and develop as the season goes on,” he added. “I think one strength we will have is our D corps and our goaltending. We have a very big strong core of D as well as some very young and athletic goaltenders.”

The young theme continues as Smulevitch said that the vast majority of players are coming into this year’s Elite Infantry squadron with little to no junior experience. However, that is not the case for the entire team. 

“A couple returners to look out for are forward and newly named captain Eli Reaves, who grew a ton last year as a player and will take a huge step forward this year offensively,” said Smulevitch. “[We also return] forward Matthew Ferrier, who led our Elite team in goals last year, and defenseman Dominik Dahms, who will be a physical presence on our back end.”

Cole Gardner, an ‘05, from the Charleston Stingrays Midget program, and Ryder Barbara (‘06) from the Idaho Jr. Steelheads AA program are two new Infantry players to watch. 

“Cole possesses terrific hands and offensive instincts. Ryder plays a mature game for a very young D and will be leaned upon heavily,” added Smulevitch. 

 

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights’ Revo Ice Hockey Academy Opens Doors For 2023-24

By Joshua Boyd / NCDCHockey.com

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton NCDC and other junior players will have a much easier time getting integrated into the WBS region, thanks to a brand new massive sports academy opened by the organization by the name of Revo Ice Academy.

The Revo Ice Academy Sports is a full-service residential facility with post-sport recovery and dry-land training facilities on site, enough to house all of the Knights’ players who are not from the immediate 60-mile radius.

“We want to try to keep the majority of our players in-house and move them up through the system and the organization and this will help us with true vertical integration,” said Ray Welsh, the Knights Vice President of Operations.

Designed to elevate ice hockey players to their fullest potential, Revo Ice Hockey Academy offers a comprehensive training program that combines world-class coaching, state-of-the-art facilities, and a commitment to fostering both athletic and personal growth. With over 105 beds currently available in phase 1, and an additional 80 beds by spring 2024, this 80,000-square foot facility includes a full-time chef, recovery room, turf area for stretching, laundry facility, student classrooms, and player lounges with a pool table, ping pong table, darts and foosball. With a mission to develop well-rounded athletes who excel both on and off the ice, Revo Ice Hockey Academy is set to revolutionize the way aspiring players approach their training.

“We have seen these sports academies pop up all over the country, and at the same time, we are trying to build a program where a player comes in as a mite and leaves as an NCAA hockey player. Now, with Revo Ice Academy, we can keep moving them up the ladder to our junior teams and the NCDC team,” said Welsh.

The Knights acquired a vacant former Howard Johnson motel just 1.2 miles away from the Revolution Ice Centre, and began one year of intense work to completely renovate it to make it into the new Revo Ice Academy. This facility replaces their former player housing facility in Factoryville, PA as the teams’ player residential facility.

“It is essentially brand new, including new plumbing, heating, electrical, essentially a new building,” said Welsh. “We will be able to transfer the players who don’t have their own vehicles in our Knights-branded passenger vans to the rink, as well as to help them do shopping for any supplies they need. At the Academy, we will provide players with breakfast and dinner with a strong focus on nutrition of an athlete.”

“At Revo Ice Academy, we understand the significance of proper nutrition in fueling performance and aiding recovery. Our dedicated culinary team is passionate about crafting meals that not only meet the nutritional needs of our athletes but also food that is great for young athletes,” said Rob Deluca, Director of Food Services for the Revo Ice Academy. “We source fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and prioritize balanced and diverse menus that cater to various dietary preferences and requirements.”

 

Below are some of the other key features of Revo Ice Academy:
1. Expert Coaching Staff: Revo’s coaching team comprises former professional players, accomplished coaches, and experts in sports science. Their extensive experience and dedication to player development ensure that each participant receives top-tier guidance.

2. State-of-the-Art Facilities: The academy boasts cutting-edge training facilities, complete with ice rinks, strength and conditioning areas, video analysis rooms, Rapid Shot shooting lane, Rapid Hands, Senae Arena goalie training system, and a turf recovery zone equipped with Normatec equipment. This environment allows athletes to train, learn, and recover all under one roof.

3. Holistic Training Approach: Beyond honing athletic skills, Revo Ice Hockey Academy places strong emphasis on character development, teamwork, and mental resilience. These qualities are considered crucial for success both on and off the ice. From high level skating coaches to mental strength coaches, Revo Academy checks all the boxes for a high level experience.

4. Customized Programs: The academy offers a range of programs tailored to different age groups and skill levels. Whether you play USPHL Tier III, NCDC Tier II or AYHL Tier 1, Revo has a program to suit their needs.

5. Competitive Exposure: Revo Ice Hockey Academy provides opportunities for players to showcase their talents in regional and national competitions, preparing them for the challenges of competitive ice hockey at various levels. With over 30 states represented and 10 countries, Revo Ice Academy is home to the world’s elite athletes that are exposed to the top coaches from NCAA Division I and Division III as well as most major junior programs.

For those athletes still attending high school, there are several options available, including Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA) for Pennsylvania residents, as well as local private school options like Scranton Preparatory School and Holy Cross High School. Players can also utilize their own hometown online learning services, where available.

“Our academy isn’t just about teaching skills on the ice; it’s about instilling values of determination, teamwork, and leadership that extend far beyond the rink for both our academy players as well as our junior teams”, added Gaetano Moraino, a WBS Elite coach and dormitory RA. “By investing in our youth and juniors and offering them this incredible space to bond, have fun, and hone their abilities, we believe we are contributing to the development of not only great athletes but outstanding individuals.”

WBS Knights NCDC coach Terry Watt added, “Revo Ice Academy was born out of a passion for the game and a desire to create a platform that nurtures athletes’ growth in every aspect. Our academy is more than a training ground; it’s a community where athletes forge lifelong friendships, build character, and pursue hockey excellence together.”

To learn more about Revo Ice Hockey Academy, go to www.revo-ice.com/hockey-academy/

 

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