USPHL Elite Southeast Division Players Of The Month: November 2024

by Joshua Boyd

December 6, 2024

Summaries by Joshua Boyd Forwards Zachary Rich, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes Rich (’05/Omaha, Neb.) was one of the most regular threats for the Jr. Hurricanes throughout November, putting up three goals and six assists for nine points. That follows a trend for his time with Carolina, as he’s been a regular threat for three seasons. He […]

USPHL Elite Southeast Division Players Of The Month: October 2024

by Joshua Boyd

November 8, 2024

Note: September Statistics are also included in October Players Of The Month Forwards Braylen Cox, Potomac Patriots Cox (‘05/Nashville, Tenn.) enjoyed time in mid-October as the leading scorer in the Premier, registering 19 points in 14 games to close the month tied for fifth overall. Cox’s 12 goals were tied for third. Add to […]

USPHL Elite Players Of The Week: South Region

by Joshua Boyd

September 27, 2024September 27, 2024

Games of Sept. 17-23 Southeast Division Forward: Braylen Cox, Potomac Patriots Braylen Cox (‘05/Nashville, Tenn.) pulled together four goals and added one assist to help the Patriots to a split weekend, including their first win of the season. Cox is a third-year USPHL player 81 games of experience. Defense: Raymond Johnson, Hampton Roads […]

Commitment Profile: Whalers’ Evan Miles Off To SUNY-Morrisville

by Joshua Boyd

June 18, 2024June 25, 2024

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com He is a man of many Miles – and a majority them have been traveled since 2019 with the Hampton Roads Whalers. Evan Miles joined the Whalers originally out of Mesquite, Texas, and was a standout for both the USPHL Elite and USPHL Premier Whalers between 2019 and 2022. […]

Hampton Roads Whalers Record-Holder Berthaudin Named Elite Fan’s Choice Goaltender Of The Year

by Joshua Boyd

May 18, 2024

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Jean Berthaudin is a shutout king in the USPHL Elite, and not just for 2023-24. The eight blankings he put up this past season are the most in a single season, yes, but they are also tied for the most in an Elite career as well. Berthaudin was a […]

Lombardo, Berthaudin Win USPHL Elite 2024 Fan’s Choice Awards For MVP, Goaltender Of The Year

by Joshua Boyd

May 14, 2024

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com The United States Premier Hockey League is proud to announce the winners of the inaugural 2024 Fan’s Choice Awards voting. Rockets Hockey Club forward Jace Lombardo was named the USPHL Elite Fan’s Choice MVP, and Hampton Roads Whalers goaltender Jean Berthaudin was named the USPHL Elite Fan’s Choice Goaltender […]

#USPHLPlayoffs: Carolina Jr. Hurricanes vs. Hampton Roads Whalers

by Joshua Boyd

March 9, 2024March 9, 2024

Southeast Division Carolina Jr. Hurricanes (1) vs. Hampton Roads Whalers (4) All Games At Pineville Ice House, Pineville, N.C. Saturday, March 9, 11:30 a.m. EST Sunday, March 10, 11:30 a.m. EST Monday, March 11, 11:30 a.m. EST (If Necessary) By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com The old adage “Nothing is given, everything is earned” […]

USPHL Elite 2023-24 Southeast Division Players Of The Month: February 2024

by Joshua Boyd

March 6, 2024

Summaries By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Selection Process: The league media office sends top candidates to divisional coaches for review and coaches either approve or challenge the nominations. Forward: Spencer Barrow, Charlotte Rush Barrow (‘04/Massapequa, N.Y.) appears to fully be in the plans for the Rush’s Premier team going forward, having played in […]

USPHL Elite 2023-24 Southeast Division Players Of The Month: December 2023

by Joshua Boyd

January 3, 2024January 3, 2024

Selection Process: The league media office sends top candidates to divisional coaches for review and coaches either approve or challenge the nominations. Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Forward: Ilya Biesiedin, Potomac Patriots The ‘05 from Kharkov, Ukraine, continues to push the goal-scoring pace in the Elite Conference, recently putting up 15 goals […]

#USPHLAlumni: Former Whalers Champion Osmundson Earns Call-Up To Hometown ECHL Norfolk Admirals

by Joshua Boyd

December 13, 2023December 13, 2023

By Hampton Roads Whalers Staff The Norfolk Admirals, proud ECHL affiliates of the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose, announced today they have signed forward Brandon Osmundson to a standard player contract. Osmundson, 25, is currently in the midst of his first full season as a professional. At the time of his promotion to the ECHL, he led […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Hockey Franchise To Call Panthers IceDen Home

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

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

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

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

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

About The United States Premier Hockey League

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

Media Contact: Joshua Boyd

United States Premier Hockey League

media@usphl.com

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

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

Team Profiles:

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

The Format

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

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

Division 1

Seeds

1. Tampa Bay Juniors

2. Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

3. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

4. Islanders Hockey Club

5. Chicago Crush

6. Northern Cyclones

USPHL NCDC New Jersey Combine

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

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

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

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

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

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

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

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

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

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

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

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

Check out the Cyclones National Championships schedule!

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

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

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

But Bushbacher knows the job isn’t finished.

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

Chicago Crush 5, Fort Wayne Spacemen 2

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

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

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

Chicago Crush 2, Fort Wayne Spacemen 0

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Forwards:

Brady Stevens, Northern Cyclones

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

Ryan Netkovick, Springfield Pics

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

Brendan Birmingham, Springfield Pics

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

Honorable Mention: Andrew Nemec, Northern Cyclones

Defensemen:

Jackson Bulthaup, Northern Cyclones

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

Gavin O’Keefe, Islanders Hockey Club

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

Defense Honorable Mention: Alexander Zygmanski, Northern Cyclones

Goaltender:

Osvaldo Agostini, Northern Cyclones

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

Goaltender Honorable Mention: Tagger Tamburo, Islanders Hockey Club

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