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USPHL Elite Fan’s Choice Awards Final Voting Now Open

by Joshua Boyd

May 8, 2024May 8, 2024

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

The United States Premier Hockey League’s USPHL Elite Conference thanks everyone who took part in the first round of Fan’s Choice Award voting these past couple days.

We are excited to announce Final Voting, between just two players in each category.

One winner in each category will be announced during the live coverage of the 2024 NCDC Entry Draft on Monday, May 13, on the USPHL YouTube Channel!

You are voting for the Most Valuable Player and Goaltender Of The Year. Please see the final candidates below for each category. We again want to thank the more than 1,750 fans, players, parents and other USPHL supporters who voted for these following candidates and many more during the first round of voting. Below are the two top vote-getters in each category.

USPHL Elite MVP Candidates

Jace Lombardo, Rockets Hockey Club – 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 teammate and fellow MVP candidate John Crowdell, and is ranked fifth all-time with 147 points.

Noah Malcolm, Northern Cyclones – Malcolm improved from 39 points last year to 69 points as a veteran Cyclones forward. He helped lead the Cyclones to the 2024 USPHL Elite National Championship, when he added 11 points in seven games. He was one of 12 second-year Elite Cyclones who lifted the trophy at the end of the year.

USPHL Elite Goaltender Of The Year Candidates

Jean Berthaudin, Hampton Roads Whalers – Berthaudin set a single season and career record for shutouts in 2023-24, getting eight doughnuts during the year – he is tied on the career side with former Whaler Ty Morton. He went 14-7-1-1 for the Whalers, his .948 save percentage ranked second in the league, and his 1.74 GAA was good for sixth.

Ryan Kalina, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes – Kalina is an ‘05 homegrown product from Raleigh, N.C., who made his USPHL debut this year and was huge for his team. He finished in a tie for the league’s lowest goals against average at 1.48 and finished sixth in save percentage at .934. He also finished with a 13-2-0-0 record and five shutouts for the season.

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

Columbia Infantry Announce Darren McCormick As Head Coach, Bill McDonald As Senior Advisor

Rockets Hockey Club Forward Lombardo Named 2023-24 USPHL Elite Fan’s Choice MVP

Limited Spots Open For 2024 USPHL NCDC Boston Combine, Just Three Days Away

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 big hit not just with his Hampton Roads Whalers teammate and coaching staff, but with Fan’s Choice voters, as well.

He earned 6,085 of 7,996 votes in the final round, or 76.1 percent of the vote in the 1-on-1 voting round. His 643 votes in the first round of voting (where fans could vote for anyone) was also the most by far for any Elite goaltender, representing 33.5 percent of the total 1,917 first round votes.

“I am extremely thankful for all my fans, I am blown away by how many votes I received,” said Berthaudin, a native of St-Rose-du-Lac, Man. “It’s truly an honor being able to play in front of them.”

Berthaudin went 14-7-1-1 overall this year, while facing 785 shots, eighth most in the league. He also registered a 1.74 goals against average, which ranked fourth in the league. When he registered his eighth shutouts, he tied former Whaler Ty Morton in setting the career mark for shutouts.

He was happy to do it all for one of the most successful franchises in USPHL history, the winner of the first two USPHL Premier championships and the first USPHL Elite title – the Hampton Roads Whalers. “The atmosphere at the rink” is his favorite part of being a Whaler, he added.

“Chilled Ponds is always packed with parents and their kids who greet you everyday before practice or pumping you up before a game, it’s great,” he added.

Berthaudin is now set to move on to college hockey with Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Mich., an ACHA team.

“I’m very excited to get the opportunity to play for Aquinas. I have toured the school and I can’t wait to be there this fall,” he added.

The USPHL Elite congratulates the inaugural Fan’s Choice Goaltender Of The Year, Jean Berthaudin.

By Columbia Infantry Staff

The Columbia Infantry have announced two new hires for their hockey operations department, in Head Coach Darren McCormick and Senior Advisor Bill McDonald.

McCormick, born in 1993 in Buffalo, N.Y., played college hockey at SUNY-Cortland, and then began a pro hockey career in 2016-17 that lasted eight years, ending with his retirement just this past season of 2023-24 after playing with the Quad City Mallards of the Southern Professional Hockey League. In North America, he played in the SPHL and ECHL, while also playing in France and in Hungary. He got his first taste of coaching when he was both a player and Skills Coach for the Hungarian team Budapest Jégkorong Akadémia HC.

“I’m extremely excited for the opportunity to build this team from the ground up. As someone who is huge on player development, I’m eager to find the right players that are wanting to develop and advance their careers. I want to thank Shannon and Greg Albers for this opportunity. They truly care about the organization and providing a place where players are going to want to be a part of,” said McCormick. “My wife and I are eager to get down to South Carolina and start this next chapter.”

Bill McDonald started his 31-year coaching career in 1986-87 in the OHA Senior League and enjoyed long pro hockey coaching stints in the Central Hockey League (11 cumulative years), ECHL (two years with the Dayton Bombers) as well as in Canadian collegiate hockey with Lakehead University from 2013-2018.

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

The votes came in – and boy did they ever – for USPHL Elite Rockets Hockey Club forward Jace Lombardo, the owner of the single season record for points (113 this past 2023-24 season). He won the USPHL Elite Fan’s Choice MVP Award.

Lombardo earned a total of 7,586 votes between the two rounds of voting. The first round opened on May 6, and the final round began on May 8. Lombardo was announced on USPHLElite.com as the winner on May 14. In the final round, when it was a 1-on-1 contest between the top two vote-getters from the first round of voting, Lombardo earned 6,650 votes, good for better than 82 percent of the vote total. He also earned 936 votes for 48 percent of the total vote – out of 92 total players who earned votes, which included write-ins.

“Seeing the vote percentage and winning the USPHL Elite Fan’s Choice MVP is a huge honor for me,” said Lombardo, a 2004-born native of Staten Island, N.Y. “I prided myself this season on being the best captain I could be for my teammates, both on and off the ice, and it’s a great feeling knowing so many people thought I did a good enough job to earn their vote.”

Lombardo has played in the Rockets Midget and Junior program since 2019, after also playing youth hockey with the Rockets even before that. During his time in the junior program, Lombardo has scored 59 goals and 88 assists for 147 points in 72 games, a career point total that is good for fifth all-time in the Elite. He also put up 11 points in eight career playoff games, including eight points in six playoff games this year as the Rockets made their return to the Nationals for the first time since 2022.

“I played for the Rockets for the past five seasons of my hockey career and haven’t had one day at the rink where I wasn’t loving every second,” said Lombardo. “I’ve created unbelievable bonds with my coaches and teammates throughout the years, all while becoming a better hockey player, allowing myself and my teammates to conquer goals we created for ourselves.”

This year, not only were his 113 points a league best, but also his 2.57 points per game average, along with his league-leading 22 power play assists, 32 power play points and eight shorthanded assists. He also saw eight games up with the USPHL Premier Rockets team and scored five points at that level.

“I would describe myself as a hard working player who is always looking to better my teammates as I find myself always looking for an open teammate for a pass,” said Lombardo. “I also try to put the puck in the net when need be, all while being a well-rounded positional asset to my team.”

The USPHL Elite congratulates Jace Lombardo for winning the inaugural 2024 Fan’s Choice MVP award!

By Joshua Boyd / NCDCHockey.com

The National Collegiate Development Conference and United States Premier Hockey League are gearing up for their third and final Combine Series event of this season, as the 2024 USPHL NCDC Boston Combine kicks off Saturday morning and runs to Sunday afternoon. All the action will take place at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Mass.

The Combine will feature six full teams playing three games apiece during the event, in addition to a goaltender-specific session. Players and their families can also learn more about the NCDC and USPHL junior conferences during Informational Seminars, which will feature NCDC GMs and Coaches, as well as league personnel, all of whom are present to answer questions.

Dozens of NCDC and USPHL junior teams’ coaches are expected to be in attendance, and will be meeting with select players to discuss opportunities with their teams.

There are currently limited spots open for hopeful registrants (forward or defense only). Register NOW, as this opportunity will not last! Note: In the registration, it will show only forward spots available, but register and e-mail media@usphl.com if you are a defenseman.

For those players registered, Team Assignments will be sent out today, including Game Schedules. We wish all the players the very best of luck in paving their Path To College 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 9-21 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, Tier 2 Junior hockey division, and our Premier & Elite Divisions, all geared toward college and pro placement. Our youth & midget divisions (operated through the Tier 1 Hockey Federation) field full season 9U through 18U teams.

The USPHL has sent over 8,000 players to all levels of college hockey including over 3,300 into NCAA college hockey and over 200 players into NCAA Division I hockey. The USPHL has also had 17 players who played in the NCDC drafted by NHL teams.

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

The Potomac Patriots’ 2007-born defenseman Kirill Golubev, who was the USPHL Elite Conference’s only representative in the 2024 NCDC All-Star Young Guns Game, was selected in the first round, eighth overall, by the Pueblo Bulls in the 2024 NCDC Draft on May 13.

The Russian-born blueliner Golubev led all USPHL Elite defensemen in scoring this year with 56 points in 34 games. He was the Elite’s only representative at the NCDC Young Guns prospects game at Boston University on Jan. 15, and started the scoring in that highly-scouted event. During the season, he was also a +27 for the Patriots.

Golubev was the first of all the players who competed in the USPHL Premier or Elite in the 2023-24 season that were selected in Monday’s two-phase NCDC Draft. Others taken included:

Phase I

Justin Ouellet, ’07 F, San Diego Sabers (Premier) – 2nd round, 29th overall by Mercer Chiefs

Ouellet, out of Rivière-du-Loup, Que., had an amazing season of scoring 35 goals and 76 points in 41 games. That was the best offensive performance for a player born in 2007 (or 2006 for that matter) in the USPHL Premier this season.

Alec James, 07 F, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights (Elite) – 3rd round, 39th overall by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights NCDC

James, an Alburtis, Pa., resident, played most of the season with the Valley Forge Minutemen 16U AAA team, but also got into five games with the Knights Elite squad, registering two assists.

Logan Curry, ’07 D, Columbia Infantry (Premier) – 3rd round, 48th overall by Casper NCDC

The Savannah, Ga., native split the season almost evenly between the Islanders Hockey Club 16U AAA team in the THF and the Infantry’s USPHL Premier team, where he played 13 games and registered four assists.

Tristin McAuliffe, ’08 D, Charlotte Rush (Elite) – 6th round, 102nd overall by Casper NCDC

McAuliffe, a native of Raleigh, N.C., played the majority of the season with the Carolina Premier Hockey AAA team, but also saw three games with the Rush’s Elite squad during the regular season and two more games in the postseason.

Owen Stewart, ’07 D, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights (Elite) – 7th round, 116th overall by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights NCDC

Stewart, a native of Claresholm, Alb., was a regular with the Knights blue line corps all year, playing in 34 games, and adding six goals and seven assists for 13 points. He helped the Knights return to the USPHL Nationals, and played in five postseason games.

Matthew Barbacane, ’07 D, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights (Elite) – 8th round, 130th overall by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights NCDC

An ’07 from Garnet Valley, Pa., Barbacane was a teammate of Alec James on both the Valley Forge Minutemen AAA squad as well as the Knights’ Elite team. Barbacane played in 18 Elite games and registered six points. He was also with the Knights throughout their deep postseason run including Nationals, playing in five games scoring two points.

Charlie Wahren, ’07 F, Hudson Havoc (Premier) – 10th round, 164th overall by Twin City Thunder

Wahren, out of Toms River, N.J., played in 13 games for the Havoc this year, and registered three goals along the way. He also played in five THF games with the Rockets Hockey Club 16U AAA team.

Aydin Canbek, ’07 F, Palm Beach Typhoon (Elite – 14th round, 237th overall by Northern Cyclones

A local product who also played for the Spanish River-West Boca high school hockey team, Canbek played in all 44 regular season games for the Typhoon Elite team and registered nine assists.

Phase II

Felix-Antoine Pomerleau, ’06 D, Potomac Patriots (Premier) – 3rd round, 48th overall by Casper NCDC

Pomerleau played in a pair of games for the USPHL Premier Potomac Patriots, while spending most of this past season with the NCDC’s Pueblo Bulls. In 31 games for the Bulls, he put up six points.

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 Of The Year.

The first phase of voting began on May 6, in which anyone could vote for any player. The league’s media team identified four top candidates and allowed write-ins. From this first round, the top two vote-getters in each category were pitted against each other one-on-one with no more write-in votes allowed.

We thank the more than 7,400 of you who voted in a very popular USPHL Elite contest! Each of the winners below earned more than 5,600 votes apiece!

MVP: Jace Lombardo, Rockets Hockey Club

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 teammate and fellow MVP candidate John Crowdell, and is ranked fifth all-time with 147 points. In voting terms, Lombardo took an amazing 82.2 percent of the vote!

Lombardo helped the Rockets reach the USPHL Nationals, and he was huge throughout the playoffs, scoring 4-4-8 in six total postseason games.

Goaltender Of The Year: Jean Berthaudin, Hampton Roads Whalers

Berthaudin set a single season and career record for shutouts in 2023-24, getting eight doughnuts during the year – he is tied on the career side with former Whaler Ty Morton. He went 14-7-1-1 for the Whalers, his .948 save percentage ranked second in the league, and his 1.74 GAA was good for sixth. Berthaudin racked up 75.4 percent of the vote!

Check later this week on USPHLElite.com for individual features on our Fan’s Choice Winners.

The National Collegiate Development Conference congratulates all of the players who were selected in the 2024 NCDC Draft on Monday, May 13. The Draft was held in two phases – the first in which teams selected players born in 2007 and 2008; and the second four-round phase in which teams selected players born between 2004 and 2006.

Follow This Link To Complete Phase I Results

Follow This Link To Complete Phase II Results

Relive The Dan K Show’s Live Coverage of Draft Day!

The Dan K Show NCDC Draft Live Coverage – Phase I

The Dan K Show NCDC Draft Live Coverage – Phase II

The National Collegiate Development Conference is pleased to announce that the 2024 NCDC Draft will be held on Monday, May 13, 2024, and will be conducted in two phases. The NCDC Draft will be conducted live on the USPHL YouTube channel beginning at 1 p.m. EST on May 13.

The 18 NCDC teams set to compete next season will select to a maximum of 46 rostered players during the initial entry draft, which will be open to players with birth years 2007 and 2008. Following the conclusion of that phase, teams will take part in a four-round second phase, during which teams will draft 2004-through 2006-born players until capping to 50 protected players.

Teams will reduce their rosters to 46 players on Sept. 1, separated into a 26-player active roster plus an additional 20 players on each team’s 46-player protected list. This marks a reduction in the amount of protected players by NCDC teams by 25 percent.

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 9-21 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, Tier 2 Junior hockey division, and our Premier & Elite Divisions, all geared toward college and pro placement.

Our youth & midget divisions (operated through the Tier 1 Hockey Federation) field full season 9U through 18U teams. The USPHL has sent over 8,000 players to all levels of college hockey including over 3,300 into NCAA college hockey and over 200 players into NCAA Division I hockey. The USPHL has also had 17 players who played in the NCDC drafted by NHL teams.

By Joshua Boyd / NCDCHockey.com

The National Collegiate Development Conference and United States Premier Hockey League are excited to announce that nine players who have played in the Tier II NCDC and two more who played in the Tier III USPHL Premier Conference have been selected in the United States Hockey League Draft.

Five of the players selected on Tuesday, May 7, played in the NCDC during the 2023-24 season, while four more are NCDC alumni. Two players selected have played in the USPHL Premier, including one this past season.

Waylon Esche, G, Utica Jr. Comets NCDC (2022-24)

Round 8, 122nd Overall, Fargo Force

The ‘05 Utica-born goaltender has not only been one of the busiest NCDC goalies of the last two seasons, but he’s also sixth all-time in NCDC games played at 67 in the regular season. He also ranks in the top 10 all-time in wins and saves. Esche has been a two-time NCDC All-Stars event selection, playing in the 2023 Young Guns Game and in the main 2024 All-Star Game. The son of former NHL goalie Robert Esche, Waylon has grown up in the Jr. Comets organization and played for their USPHL 16U and USPHL Premier teams before joining the NCDC in 2022.

Anthony Allain-Samake, D, Rockets Hockey Club NCDC (2023-24)

Round 10, 147th Overall, Sioux City Musketeers

Allain-Samake, a 2007-born recruit of the University of Connecticut (NCAA Division I / Hockey East) played in 47 regular season games and posted seven assists. Allain-Samake was also a selection for the 2024 NCDC All-Star Game along with Esche. He also registered 121 takeaways on the season.

Vlad Bryzgalov, G, Ogden Mustangs NCDC (2023-24)

Round 13, 192nd Overall, Sioux City Musketeers

The 2006-born native of Haddonfield, N.J., is – along with Esche – also the son of a former NHL goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov. Vlad made his NCDC debut this year with the Ogden Mustangs, who were themselves in their first NCDC season, and put up 14-5-0-0 record with a .933 save percentage, remaining with the Mustangs from their September debut through February.

Dallas Potter, F, Rockets Hockey Club NCDC (2023-24)

Round 15, 222nd Overall, Sioux City Musketeers

Potter, a 2007-born native of Madison, Conn., was originally selected by the Rockets in the 2023 NCDC Entry Draft. He played the majority of this season with the South Kent School 16U AAA team, but was brought up to the Rockets for four NCDC games in March, scoring in his March 8 debut against the Connecticut Jr. Rangers and also adding an assist with RHC.

Luke Gallo, F, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders NCDC (2023-24)

Round 19, 275th Overall, Des Moines Buccaneers

A 2006-born native of Melville, N.Y., Gallo started the season with the Jr. Islanders and played in eight games. In his time with P.A.L., he registered 14 defensive takeaways and fired seven shots on goal.

Jack Hamilton, D, Columbus Mavericks Premier (2023-24)

Round 13, 189th Overall, Tri-City Storm

Hamilton, a 2006-born defenseman from Powell, Ohio, started this past season with the Mavericks and played in eight games, scoring six goals and adding one assist for seven points. He was the only player from the 2023-24 USPHL Premier season to be selected.

Alumni

Tyler Dysart, F, Rockets Hockey Club (2021-22)

Round 8, 117th Overall, Sioux City Musketeers

Dysart, an ‘04 from Sunnyvale, Calif., played the entire 2021-22 season with the Rockets, putting up a 9-19-28 line in 49 games, and he also had two goals in five playoff games that year.

Luke Santilli, D, New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs NCDC (2021-22)

Round 9, 133rd Overall, Youngstown Phantoms

Santilli (‘04/Reading, Mass.) played in the Islanders Hockey Club and former New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs Midget programs between 2018 and 2021 before joining the Monarchs NCDC team in 2021-22. The defenseman played in 44 games and registered one assist.

Kyle Rohrer, F, Rockets Hockey Club NCDC (2022-23)

Round 14, 203rd Overall, Sioux Falls Stampede

Rohrer came out of Team Wisconsin when he joined the Rockets in 2022-23, having been drafted in the first round, 10th overall, by the Rockets in the 2022 NCDC Entry Draft. He joined in November 2022 and played right through March 2023, getting additional call-ups to six USHL games with the Sioux City Musketeers during his time with RHC. With the Rockets, he scored 27 points in 28 NCDC games in the regular season, plus two points in two playoff games. He is bound for NCAA Division I Lindenwood University in 2025-26.

Zackary Ferris, G, Rockets Hockey Club (2022-23)

Round 15, 214th Overall, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

Ferris (‘05/Venetia, Pa.) went 10-7-2-2 with the 2022-23 Rockets, coming out of the prestigious Long Island Gulls AAA program.

Landon Wright, F, Idaho Falls Spud Kings USPHL Premier (2022-23)

Round 16, 235th Overall, Waterloo Black Hawks

Wright, a University of Maine recruit, joined the Spud Kings – formerly of the USPHL Premier Conference – in November 2022 and spent the remainder of that 2022-23 season with Idaho Falls, scoring 24 points in 30 regular season games, and he also played in all four of the Spud Kings’ playoff games.

By Joshua Boyd / NCDCHockey.com

The National Collegiate Development Conference and United States Premier Hockey League are gearing up for their second Combine Series event of this season, as the 2024 USPHL NCDC Chicago Combine kicks off Saturday morning and runs to Sunday afternoon. All the action will take place at the Fifth Third Arena in downtown Chicago, Ill.

Dozens of NCDC and USPHL junior teams’ coaches are expected to be in attendance, and will be meeting with select players to discuss opportunities with their teams.

There are currently two spots open for hopeful registrants (forward or defense only). Register NOW, as this opportunity will not last!

This event also comes immediately prior to the NCDC Entry Draft on May 13. The Draft will have a Phase I focusing on 2007-and 2008-born players, but will also feature a four-round Phase II where teams will have the opportunity to draft players born between the years 2004 and 2006. All of the NCDC Entry Draft will be broadcast live on the USPHL’s YouTube channel.

For those players registered, Team Assignments will be sent out today, including Game Schedules. We wish all the players the very best of luck in paving Their Path To College Hockey.

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