Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com
Selection Process: Voting took part in two phases. In the first phase, the division’s coaches voted for three of their own players and three players from other teams in the division. Once these results were compiled, the division’s coaches voted on the final team.
Forwards
John Crowdell, Rockets Hockey Club
He has served well – very well! The ‘03 from Staten Island leaves the USPHL Elite as the league’s all-time leader in scoring with 191 points in 87 games. Not surprisingly, his 86 career goals and 105 career assists are also tops in the league. In taking on the league’s career record, he also set a league record in single season goals (57) and he has the second-most points in an Elite season with 108. He also put up 10 points in eight playoff games, including seven points in six games this year that saw the Rockets make the USPHL Nationals. Additionally, Crowdell was called up for seven Premier Rockets games and scored eight points in that process.
Jace Lombardo, Rockets Hockey Club
While his teammate – and fellow Staten Islander – set the all-time career record, Lombardo currently holds the single season points record with 113 after this year, after putting up 44 goals and a league single season record of 69 assists. Lombardo was a second-year Rocket along with Crowdell, and is ranked fifth all-time with 147 points.
Tyler Hamlin, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights
Hamlin (‘05/Binghamton, N.Y.) put forth a great showing all season for the Knights, who made their third straight trip in three years of existence to the USPHL Elite Nationals. Hamlin scored 29 goals and 42 points in 42 games as a first-year junior player. In the playoffs, he registered seven points in five games. From Jan. 13 to the end of the season, Hamlin was red-hot with 17 goals and eight assists for 25 points in a 12-game scoring streak to close out 2023-24.
Patrick Devaney, Jersey Hitmen
Devaney (‘06/West Caldwell, N.J.) was an immense find for the Hitmen – and they didn’t have to look far. Devaney came up with the youth hockey New Jersey Bandits at the Ice Vault in Wayne, the same home ice as for the Hitmen. Devaney, a star player for nearby West Essex High School, his rookie junior season was a resounding success, as he put up 28 goals and 30 assists for 58 points. His average of 1.38 points per game is third best in Elite Hitmen history.
Justin Morrissey, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
Morrissey (‘06/Patchogue, N.Y.) was a great local addition for the Jr. Islanders, coming out of the Long Island Mustangs, Gulls and – most recently – Royals programs before he made his debut with the Jr. Islanders this year. He scored 38 goals and 44 assists for 82 points in 42 games. This ranks in the top 15 all-time for a single season in the Elite, and certainly is the best-ever for a P.A.L. player. Morrissey played for the Premier Jr. Islanders in November, and registered an assist in his only Premier appearance this year.
Lucas Lewin, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
Lewin (‘06/Hewlett, N.Y.) is another former Long Island Gull who jumped over to the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders at the 15O level in 2021-22. He brought every ounce of his 6-foot, 165-pound frame to the ice every shift for P.A.L., registering 34 goals and 65 points in 43 games. Lewin made his Premier debut in the same Nov. 8 game as Morrissey, and then also played on Nov. 19, registering three points in his first two games at that level. Lewin was the Jr. Isles’ leading scorer in the postseason with five points in their three-game series against the Rockets Hockey Club.
Bobby Trites, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
A former Long Island Royals teammate of Justin Morrissey and former 15O P.A.L. teammate of Lewin, Trites (‘06/Smithtown, N.Y.) managed to both put up 47 points in 32 games for the Elite Jr. Islanders and also a combined 50 points in 26 games for the local Smithtown-Hauppauge high school team. Trites was also a strong contributor in the postseason with four points in three playoff games.
Defense
Peter Allen, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
All year, the big blueliner has been the rock for P.A.L., not only keeping P.A.L. at or near the top of the division all season long, but also helping them in the end to a +42 goal differential. A fourth-year Jr. Islander, Allen is in his second Elite season and is currently fifth all-time in P.A.L. scoring with his 55 points in 78 games, which also makes him the Elite Jr. Isles’ top scoring blueliner of all time, as well.
Justin Modzelewski, Rockets Hockey Club
Our third Staten Islander, Modzelewski (‘03) returned for a second season with the Rockets this year and improved in every aspect of his already solid game from when he started in 2022-23. This past 2023-24 season, Modzelewski improved his point total by 20 points from 14 to 34 points, off of a line of eight goals and 26 assists. The Rockets, who advanced to Nationals, ended up with the division’s best goal differential of +45. In the playoffs and at Nationals, Modzelewski – a four-year teammate of Crowdell and three-year teammate of Lombardo – supplied a very important goal during the Rockets’ knock-down drag-out three-game series with P.A.L.
Christopher Kobayashi, Jersey Hitmen
Kobayashi (‘05/Hillsdale, N.J.) completed Year 2 with the Hitmen and, like Modzelewski and Allen, he saw a significant jump in his offensive contribution to the team. He put up 28 points this year in 40 games after registering a pair of points in 38 games last year. He’s done all of this while also regularly playing with nearby Paramus Catholic High School the last four years. Kobayashi also earned seven games up with the Premier Hitmen this year, between October and January.
Goaltenders
Joseph Auletti, Rockets Hockey Club
Staten Islander No. 4, Auletti (‘05) is coming off his first year with the Rockets, but he’s hit the ice for high school hockey in the past with Jace Lombardo at Monsignor Farrell High School. This year, Auletti finished with a .940 save percentage in his 16 appearances, taking third place overall in the league. He went 12-3-0-0 on the year to help the Rockets make their return to the USPHL Elite Nationals. In the postseason, he went 1-1-0-0 with a .913 save percentage.
Chase Ebeyer, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights
Ebeyer (‘04/Scottsdale, Ariz.) came to the Knights with a prior season of USPHL Elite experience already under his blades, but blew past that in nearly every stat in looking at year-over-year development. Ebeyer improved from four wins last year to 10 years this year, as he put up a .917 save percentage in net as well.
Atlanta Mad Hatters
Bold City Battalion
Florida Eels
Florida Junior Blades
Palm Beach Typhoon
Tampa Bay Juniors
Connecticut Jr. Rangers
Elmira Impact
Jersey Hitmen
P.A.L. Jr Islanders
Rockets Hockey Club
Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights
Islanders Hockey Club
Junior Bruins
Northern Cyclones
Springfield Pics
Chicago Cougars
Chicago Crush
Decatur Blaze
Fort Wayne Spacemen
Metro Jets Elite
Motor City Gamblers
Carolina Junior Hurricanes
Charlotte Rush
Columbia Infantry
Hampton Roads Whalers
Potomac Patriots
Richmond Generals