Former Junior Bruin Graf Makes NHL Debut, Registers First NHL Point With Assist

by Joshua Boyd

April 8, 2024

Photos In This Post Courtesy Of San Jose Sharks By Joshua Boyd / NCDCHockey.com Former Boston Junior Bruins NCDC standout Collin Graf has already made his mark in the NHL. After making his pro and NHL debut with the San Jose Sharks on April 6, skating in 13:36 of ice time of a 3-2 overtime […]

San Jose Sharks Sign Former Junior Bruin, Hobey Baker Top 10 Finalist Collin Graf

by Joshua Boyd

April 4, 2024April 4, 2024

The San Jose Sharks officially reported the signing of former Boston Junior Bruins standout Collin Graf to a standard, entry level contract on April 4. The contract will begin immediately for the 2023-24 season. “Graf has excelled at the collegiate level, finishing as a Hobey Baker Top-10 finalist for the last two seasons,” said Grier, […]

Week of Feb. 14, 2025

Games of Feb. 4-10, 2025

Southeast Division

Forward: Dominykas Jurjevas, Potomac Patriots

Jurjevas (‘04/Elektrenai, Lithuania) put up three goals and three assists for six points against the Hershey Cubs during their trip north, which were both wins. He now has 14 points in eight games this year and 107 points for his 71-game career.

Defense: Jakob Kolega, Potomac Patriots

Kolega (‘05/Ijamsville, Md.) scored three goals against the Cubs, including two on Feb. 8. He improved to four goals and 11 points for the season.

Goaltender: Trevor Walmsley, Potomac Patriots

Walmsley (‘07/Medway, Mass.) stopped 23 of the 24 shots he faced and improved to a 6-5-0-1 with a .910 save percentage.

Florida Division

Forward: Dylan Hineman, Tampa Bay Juniors

A recent commit to West Chester University, Hineman (‘06/Odessa, Fla.) recently passed his 100th point and he now has 105 points, including 52 this year – one point off of last year’s 53. He had a hat trick and added five assists for eight points in two games.

Defense: Carter Trussler, Tampa Bay Juniors

Trussler (‘06/Land O Lakes, Fla.) put up four assists in two games against the Florida Jr. Blades. He has a career-best 40 points, better by 15 points than his prior season best, and he now has 86 points in 117 games.

Goaltender: Jasper Brophy, Palm Beach Typhoon

Brophy (‘07/West Palm Beach, Fla.) stopped all 37 shots he faced against the Bold City Battalion, and this came a couple weeks after also stopping 34 shots on Jan. 26 in a shutout against Atlanta. Brophy has six wins and a .912 save percentage.

Selection Process: Divisional statistical leaders are presented to coaches, who are able to vote on the leaders, or nominate and vote on alternate candidates.

Summaries by Joshua Boyd

Week of Feb. 14, 2025

Games of Feb. 4-10, 2025

Midwest Division

Forward: Keith Watkins, Chicago Crush

Watkins (‘06/Antioch, Ill.) registered a goal and added three assists for four points in two games against the Decatur Blaze. Watkins has 23 points in 25 games with the Elite. He’s also played in 16 games with the Crush’s Premier team, putting up six points at that level – USPHL Advancement In Action.

Defense: Carter Murphy, Decatur Blaze

Murphy (‘07/Kamloops, B.C.) scored his first goal of the season and that was the first goal in an eventual 3-2 loss the division-leading Crush. He also put up two assists during the two-game series. He now has a 1-5-6 line in 17 games.

Goaltender: Charles Landers, Decatur Blaze

Landers (‘06/Andover, Kansas) put up a heroic effort in stopping 52 of 55 Chicago Crush shots despite a close 3-2 defeat.

New England Division

Forward: Nicholas Posthumus, Islanders Hockey Club

Posthumus (‘05/Vancouver, Wash.) played in just one game between Feb. 4-10, but it was a huge showing with two goals and three assists for five points on Feb. 7 against South Shore. Posthumus improved to 55 points in 42 games.

Defense: Gavin O’Keefe, Islanders Hockey Club

O’Keefe (‘05/Reading, Mass.) put up a 1-3-4 line in the Feb. 7 game against the Kings, pushing him up to 37 points in 41 games.

Goaltender: Osvaldo Agostini, Northern Cyclones

Agostini (‘06/Pierrefonds, Que.) stopped all 31 shots that he faced against the Springfield Pics. That was his second straight shutout after also turning away 27 of 27 against the Montreal Black Vees at the Cyclones Showcase. He is 7-3-0-0 with a .923 save percentage.

Atlantic Division

Forward: Matvei Orlov, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

Orlov (‘08/Moskva, Russia) joined the Knights this year from Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s 16U squad in January. Orlov has since posted a 5-5-10 line in just five games with the Elite team, including the GWG and three assists in two games against Elmira.

Defense: Ilya Buranov, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

Buranov (‘08/Yekaterinburg, Russia) put up four goals and also added an additional shootout goal. He also had one more point from an assist. Buranov now has 16 points in 22 games.

Goaltender: Alexander Wutzke, Jersey Hitmen

Wutzke (‘06/Chicago, Ill.) stopped 61 of 62 shots against the Connecticut Jr. Rangers to earn his second victory in four games. He has a .925 save percentage in 13 games.

Selection Process: Divisional statistical leaders are presented to coaches, who are able to vote on the leaders, or nominate and vote on alternate candidates.

Summaries by Joshua Boyd

Read About How The United States Premier Hockey League Utilizes Ken's Ratings For American College Hockey ("KRACH") to determine its Power Rankings.

These rankings are used by the USPHL only to determine Divisional seeding for Premier Nationals; for selecting the Elite wild card team to fill out the 6-team Elite Nationals field; and for seeding the Elite six-team field.

Power Movers: For the top 10, there were actually none! Every team remained in its place from last week, with only their ratings changing a bit top to bottom.

See this week's full rankings below!

Week of Feb. 10, 2025

Games of Jan. 28-Feb. 3

Elite Northeast

New England

Forward: Brady Stevens, Northern Cyclones

Stevens (‘05/Newburyport, Mass.) was on fire during the Northern Cyclones Showcase, blasting out five goals and four assists for nine points. He remains on a nine-game, 10-goal and 18-point scoring streak. This includes a five-game goal-scoring streak of six goals. They had 53 points in 39 games.

Defense: Matthew Tisdell, Springfield Pics

Tisdell (‘06/Chicopee, Mass.) registered a goal and tacked on five more assists for six points in three games at the Northern Cyclones Showcase. With 19 points in 38 games, he has improved his production since last year more than six times over.

Goaltender: Tagger Tamburo, Islanders Hockey Club

Tamburo (‘04/Phoenix, Ariz.) made 67 saves on 70 shots for two wins, including a 30-save shutout victory against the Montreal Black Vees of the North American Prospects Hockey League. He currently has a 9-1-2-0 record.

Atlantic

Forward: Harold Stauffer, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders

Stauffer (‘07/Lake Grove, N.Y.) busted up the competition at the Northern Cyclones Showcase by scoring five goals and adding six assists for 11 points, good for 3.75 points per game in four games over just three days. Stauffer has 32 goals and 63 points in 36 games.

Defense: Anthony Galtieri, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders

Galtieri (‘07/Bellemore, N.Y.) was essentially right there with Harold Stauffer, putting up a 3-6-9 line during the showcase in Hudson, N.H. Galtieri recently improved to 26 points, bettering his 2023-24 output by one point.

Goaltender: Felix Olesen, Elmira Impact

Olesen (‘04/Haslen, Switzerland) made 36 saves on 39 shots during his big performance against the Potomac Patriots. This was Olesen’s sixth win in a row, and he holds a .923 save percentage.

Midwest

Dylan Davis, Fort Wayne Spacemen

Davis (‘06/Fort Wayne, Ind.) came away with three goals and four assists for seven points in their two games against the Chicago Crush, including a big 3-2-5 line. He has 10 points in each of his last four games.

Defense: Eli Kolasa, Fort Wayne Spacemen

Kolasa (‘07/Brownstown, Mich.) sent out three assists over two games to improve this season to 21 points in 37 games.

Goaltender: Phillip Tate, Motor City Gamblers

Tate (‘05/Clarksville, Tenn.) made 66 saves on 69 shots in two outings against the Decatur Blaze on Feb. 1-2. After stopping all 11 shots in a relief appearance on Feb. 1, he stopped 55 of 58 shots in the next game.

Selection Process: Divisional statistical leaders are presented to coaches, who are able to vote on the leaders, or nominate and vote on alternate candidates.

Summaries by Joshua Boyd

Week of Feb. 10

Games of Jan. 28-Feb. 3

Southeast Division

Forward: Braylen Cox, Potomac Patriots

Cox (‘05/Nashville, Tenn.) put up two goals and added four assists for six points. This is part of an epic third USPHL season for Cox, as he now has 30 goals and 49 points, more than his first two seasons combined.

Defense: Nikolai Shevchenko, Potomac Patriots

Shevchenko (‘07/Kaliningrad, Russia) scored two goals and put up three assists for five points during their series against the Elmira Impact. Shevchenko put up eight points in his first four games of the new month, and he has 28 points in 37 games.

Goaltender: Benicio Castellucci, Potomac Patriots

Castellucci (‘07/Springfield, Va.) made 20 saves on 21 shots in the series against the Elmira Impact. He is now 4-2-0-0 with a .937 save percentage,

Florida Division

Forward: Vincent Faggioli-Delong, Florida Jr. Blades

Faggioli-Delong (‘06/Fort Myers, Fla.) scored a goal and added five assists for six points in two games. Faggioli-Delong scored 32 points in 35 games, and he now has 64 points in 74 games.

Defense: Konnor Bertrand, Florida Eels

Bertrand (‘08/Cornwall, Ont.) enjoyed a strong showing in their series against Bold City, putting up a 1-2-3 line between Jan. 31-Feb. 2. He now has nine points in 37 games as a first-year junior player.

Goaltender: Ethan Rotante, Florida Eels

Rotante (‘06/Wall Township, N.J.) won both of his starts against Bold City on Jan. 31 and Feb. 2. He stopped 58 of 61 shots in the two games for a .951 save percentage, and improved his season record to 6-3-0-0.

Forwards:

Tyler Bertelsen, Rockets Hockey Club

Bertelsen (‘07/Palmer, Pa.) scored 11 goals in just seven January games, and he also added three assists to get an even 2.0 points per game average in January. He now has 29 goals and 44 points in 33 games.

Donovin Perhach, Elmira Impact

Perhach (‘08/Binghamton, N.Y.) registered five goals and added six assists for 11 points in six games last month. He started January with four straight two-point performances, and he now has 18 points in 13 games since joining the team in December.

Landon Kean, Connecticut Jr. Rangers

Kean (‘07/Middlebury, Vt.) started scoring from the beginning of January and hasn’t stopped yet, continuing a scoring streak of what is now 11 games into February. Kean has an even 13-13-26 line in 28 games. He’s also played with the Jr. Rangers 18U team in the Tier 1 Hockey Federation this season.

Honorable Mention: Lucius Wagner, Elmira Impact

Defense:

Brandon Eigner, Rockets Hockey Club

Eigner (‘08/Mendham, N.J.) scored a pair of goals and added four assists over six games of January to average a point per game. Eigner pushed his points total to 29 points in 20 games this season. He is an alum of the THF’s New Jersey Jets program.

Yaroslav Chelbayevsky, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

Chelbayevsky (‘08/Astana, Kazakhstan) put up four assists in his four January games, as the Knights continue to be one of the top teams in the overall Elite Conference. Chelbayevsky currently has 14 points in 23 games on the season.

Honorable Mention: Anthony Galtieri, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders

Goaltender:

Andrew Coston, Elmira Impact

Coston (‘07/Beaver Dams, N.Y.) was undefeated in regulation during January, going 3-0-1-0 with a 2.43 GAA and a .938 save percentage. This included three wins in a row, the highlight of which saw him stop 42 of 43 shots against the Hershey Cubs. Coston is 10-8-1-0 this year with a .919 save percentage.

Honorable Mention: Dominik Feiler, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders

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

Forward: Liam Geyer, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

Geyer (‘07/Raleigh, N.C.) scored four goals and added six assists for 10 points in eight January games. Geyer is a product of the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes youth program, and he has 31 points in 40 games this year.

Brady Piscitelli, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

Piscitelli (‘06/Raleigh, N.C.) scored three goals and added seven assists for 10 points, tying his teammate Geyer with 1.25 points per game last month. A former Jr. Hurricanes youth player and product of the Okanagan Hockey Academy, Piscitelli has 25 points in 35 games this season.

Christopher Zwirblia, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

During the Jr. Canes’ 7-0-0-1 January, Zwirblia put up three goals and six assists for nine points. A Jr. Canes 16U teammate of Liam Geyer last year, Zwirblia currently has 36 points in 39 games.

Honorable Mention: Gavin Mulcahy, Charlotte Rush

Defense:

Ben Kane, Charlotte Rush

Kane (‘05/La Plata, Md.) enjoyed a run of 4-4-8 over the Rush’s 10 games in January, during which they went 9-1-0-0. Kane, a second-year Rush, is enjoying a career year with 20 points in 34 games. He also got a call-up with the Premier Rush in December – an example of USPHL Advancement In Action.

Ashton Lesher, Charlotte Rush

Lesher (‘05/Hamburg, Pa.) rang up four goals – including a game-winner against the rival Hampton Roads Whalers – as well as three assists for seven points in 10 games in January. Like two-year teammate Kane, he also saw a USPHL Advancement call-up this past October to the Rush’s Premier team. For this season, he has 14 points, already matching his 2023-24 totals.

Honorable Mention: Nikolai Shevchenko, Potomac Patriots

Goaltender:

Cale Puzey, Charlotte Rush

Puzey (‘05/Calgary, Alb.) rang up four wins in January and three were consecutive shutouts. His best performance was a 34-save blanking of Potomac on Jan. 19. He closed the month by stopping 29 of 30 shots against the Whalers. Having come in with Premier experience, he is now 13-5-0-1 with a .945 save percentage this year.

Honorable Mention: Nicholas Grosso, Charlotte Rush

Summaries by Joshua Boyd

Forwards:

Frankie Murano, Palm Beach Typhoon

Murano (‘06/West Palm Beach, Fla.) started January with a pair of three-point games en route to overall posting eight goals and 15 points in eight games. A second-year Typhoon, he has a career-best 30 points in 32 games this year.

Caleb Rae, Florida Jr. Blades

Rae (‘07/Stouffville, Ont.) rang up eight goals and added four assists for 12 points in 10 games, a 5-5 month for the Jr. Blades. He currently has 47 points in 36 games.

Ben Grossman, Tampa Bay Juniors

Grossman (‘06/Niskayuna, N.Y.) put up a very impressive month of January, as the Juniors went 6-1-1-1 during the first 31 days of 2025. Grossman registered seven goals and six assists for 13 points in eight games. With 24 points in 30 games, he is one point off of tying his 2023-24 points total.

Honorable Mention: Max Ratliff, Tampa Bay Juniors

Defense:

Carter Trussler, Tampa Bay Juniors

Trussler (‘06/Land O Lakes, Fla.) was among the division’s most productive players overall with 16 points off a 6-10-16 line in nine games. His 37 points in 36 games is already a career best with more than a handful of games remaining in February.

Etienne Cartier, Florida Eels

Cartier (‘06/Drummondville, Que.) registered a 2-7-9 line over 12 games of January and he’s been looking strong for the Eels. He helped them to an 8-4-0-0 month. He has accrued 19 points in 37 games in his rookie junior season.

Honorable Mention: Zachary Barta, Florida Jr. Blades

Goaltender:

Trent Mercer, Palm Beach Typhoon

Mercer (‘06/Lake Orion, Mich.) won all three of his appearances in net during January, stopping 97 of the 104 shots he faced. He made 40 saves on 42 shots in a highlight game of Jan. 18 against the Florida Jr. Blades. The big month accounted for much of his four wins on the season.

Honorable Mention: Filip Vitanov, Florida Eels

Midwest Division

Forwards

Landon Graham, Metro Jets

Graham (‘05/Lake Orion, Mich.) enjoyed a productive 5-7-12 month in the Jets’ seven games, over which they posted a 6-1-0-0 record. A product of Lake Orion High School, he has put up 42 points this season, and 69 points in his 78-game USPHL career, which includes three games in the Premier with the Metro Jets Development Program – USPHL Advancement In Action!

Cory Anderson, Metro Jets

With 12 goals and 20 points in his last 12 games, Anderson has the fifth-longest active scoring streak in the Elite. Part of that streak were the eight goals and four assists for 12 points in the Jets’ seven January games. He now has 27 goals and 48 points in 40 games for the Jets.

Jeffrey Schroeder, Chicago Cougars

Schroeder (‘07/Hoffman Estates, Ill.) put up six goals and 11 assists for 17 points in 11 games last month. A second-year Cougar, he has improved from 14 points last year to 43 points, a threefold increase in production. He also has two points in five Premier games with the Cougars’ top team, another example of USPHL Advancement in Action.

Honorable Mention: Christopher Frachalla, Chicago Crush

Defense:

Ryder Tracy, Metro Jets

Tracy (‘06/Tecumseh, Ont.) put up three goals and added five assists for the very successful Jets team in January. He has improved to 22 points in 35 games and has also seen USPHL Advancement In Action with three games up at the MJDP.

Connor Edwards, Chicago Crush

A product of the Madison Capitols AAA program, Edwards (‘07/Rockford, Ill.) put up three goals and five assists for eight points in 10 games, during which the Crush went 7-3-0-0 in January. He currently has 21 points in 38 games.

Honorable Mention: John Legebokoff, Metro Jets

Goaltender:

Daniel Gurtner, Chicago Crush

Gurtner (‘06/Berywn, Ill.) went 3-1-0-0, including a three-game winning streak, in January. He enjoyed a 21-save shutout against the Motor City Gamblers and a 36-save performance on 37 saves against the Chicago Cougars. He currently stands at 9-3-1-0, with a .931 save percentage.

Honorable Mention: Nate Maurin, Chicago Cougars

Summaries by Joshua Boyd

Forwards

Brendan Birmingham, Springfield Pics

Birmingham (‘04/Ellington, Conn.) put up eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points over the course of just nine games, good for a 2.44 points per game average. Birmingham has more than doubled his 2023-24 output with 54 points in 37 games for this season. He is on an active 14-game point streak, with 34 points in that stretch.

Ryan Netkovick, Springfield Pics

Netkovick (‘07/South Hadley, Mass.) is, like his teammate Birmingham, on a massive point streak. In the last 12 games, he has 8-17-25. Part of that is the 4-12-16 line he had in his nine January games. Netkovick is a true homegrown product, progressing from the Pics’ 15U and 16U teams in the Tier 1 Hockey Federation up to the Elite team. He has 37 points in 37 games for the season.

Chase Darcey, South Shore Kings

With games that saw him score four and three goals in January, Darcey (‘06/Billerica, Mass.) may have worn out his welcome in the Elite. After all, he’s already posted seven points in his first five USPHL Premier games with the Kings, all in January. During the month of January, he posted 11 goals and added three assists for 14 points in just seven Elite games and is now a goal-per-game player through 36 games. He has 49 points on the season.

Honorable Mention: Nicholas Posthumus, Islanders Hockey Club

Defense

Gavin O’Keefe, Islanders Hockey Club

O’Keefe (‘05/Reading, Mass.) put up 12 points off four goals and eight assists in 12 games in a very busy month for the blueliner. He pushed his season total to 36 points in 39 games.

Robert Ritter, Northern Cyclones

Ritter (‘06/East Baldwin, Maine) put up a goal and nine assists for 10 points in 10 games. He has 26 points in 38 games on the season.

Honorable Mention: Matteo Johnson, Northern Cyclones

Goaltender

Cole Kelly, Islanders Hockey Club

Kelly (‘05/Binghamton, N.Y.) completed an 11-game winning streak to close January, and he went 5-0 during that month alone. He made 149 saves on 159 shots for a .937 save percentage and a 1.97 GAA. He is 14-4-0-0 overall and he has a .913 save percentage.

Honorable Mention: Gavin Carpenter, Springfield Pics

Summaries by Joshua Boyd