The Metro Jets are looking for an organizational trifecta for the first time. After three straight years of the Metro Jets-MJDP duo making it to the USPHL Nationals, the Jets for the first time have a chance to bring three teams to the “big dance.”

This is the first season of the USPHL Elite’s Midwest Division, and thus the first season of the Metro Jets Elite team, along with that of their opponents, the Decatur Blaze. The Blaze also have a Premier team within their organization, one that earned the organization’s only Nationals berth in 2020, before that year’s Nationals were canceled.

The two teams come together after very different seasons, with the Jets finishing at 31-12-2-1 for 63 points, while Decatur’s Elite team was only able to win once during the regular season before eking out two first round wins against the No. 3 seed Motor City Gamblers last week.

The Jets, by virtue of finishing first in the division, earned a first round bye.

“We are fortunate that we earned a weekend off by winning the division,” said Jets Associate Head Coach Tina Ciraulo. “We took advantage of the break to heal up and focus on approaching our first playoff series. For many of our guys this is their first taste of playoffs, so we have been prepping for this for a while now and the guys are excited.”

During the regular season, the series went entirely to the Jets, 7-0, but the Blaze did push them once to overtime, as recently as Feb. 3, when the Jets won 3-2.

The Jets finished the season as the only team with three players in the top 10 of league scoring, led by Peter Spiridonakos (83 points), Blake Botterill (66 points) and Peter’s twin brother John Spiridonakos (64 points). Defenseman Avery Byron, with 30 points, was one of four defensemen to register at least 20 points. In net, always a strong point across the Jets organization, saw Elliot Duerr finish 9-5-0-0 and Zachary Robert finish 11-4-1-0, with save percentages of .916 and .911, respectively.

The Blaze’s leading scorer in the playoffs Jakub Tomecek was acquired from the Premier’s Hudson Havoc and played in five Blaze Elite games before registering four points in the two-game playoff series. Morgan Heck, who played in 18 games for the Elite season, went 2-0 in net against the Gamblers after stopping 79 of 88 shots during the season.

We know this is a different Decatur team than what we have seen all season. Our concern is “our approach to details and the most important is to stay disciplined,” added Ciraulo. “They are riding a high coming off an upset in their first series and our job is to ensure it stops with us.”

Midwest Division

Decatur Blaze (6) at Metro Jets (1)

All Games To Be Played At Mount Clemens Ice Arena, Mount Clemens, MI

Sunday, March 10, 12 p.m. EST

Monday, March 11, 11:30 a.m. EST

Tuesday, March 12, 11:30 a.m. EST (If Necessary)

The Metro Jets are proud to be one of the three teams to join the USPHL Premier after its 2017-18 inaugural season to have qualified for each USPHL Nationals of their existence through 2023. They hope to extend their total Nationals trips to a second hand for six total qualifications – including the eventually canceled 2020 Nationals.

The Buffalo Stampede know they have a gargantuan task in front of them if they are to both stop this historical run and also to make their own Nationals debut. They won their second playoff series in their six-year history when they beat the fourth-seeded Columbus Mavericks in two 5-4 victories to move on to one of the two Great Lakes finals.

“The opportunity to face a top program like the Jets is a challenge we’re certainly looking forward to,” said Stampede Head Coach Brian Thompson. “We’ve played some pretty good hockey the last month and we hope to be able to come in and make life difficult for them and compete for a spot at the national tournament.”

Metro, who won the season series 4-0 against Buffalo, earned a bye after capturing their fifth Great Lakes Division regular season title and first since 2022.

“Playoffs are the best time of year. We are excited for our guys to finally get going after having the week off,” added Jets Head Coach Jamie Lovell. “We approach each week throughout the season the same way — we ask ourselves ‘how can we develop our guys and help them reach their full potential as hockey players?’ From there, we put together a plan for the week both on and off the ice we feel addresses those things.

“Playoffs are no different,” Lovell added. “Yes, the stakes are higher and winning matters, but we have instilled in our guys that if they trust the process, the success will come.”

Metro brings its typical veteran-heavy group to the fore, whether completely with the Jets or having come up from the Metro Jets Development Program (MJDP). The Jets are fourth in most games played by players on their roster, at 1,769 (or 69 games per player). Leading the way in experience are third-year Jets forward Alex Bedenko, with 128 points in 107 games, and defenseman Devon Mastay, with 62 points in 110 games.

The Jets had the league’s best offense this year, averaging 8.35 goals per game, and not surprisingly, they had 14 players who averaged better than a point per game over a whole season. Second-year players Ugo Lollier and Carson Finney had 81 and 72 points, respectively, to lead the team – and both have more than 100 points in their career. First-year Jet Tyler Bautko had a huge debut season with Metro coming in from the Belle Tire AAA program – he scored 71 points in 41 games this year.

The Jets also had the No. 1 defense in the USPHL Premier, averaging just 1.65 goals against per game. Defensemen Carson Redd and Brock Hart finished 1-2 in plus-minus at +89 and +84, respectively. Defenseman Michael Lucia registered 38 blocked shots to lead the team. In goal, a crew including Taylor White – tied for most shutouts in a Premier career with 10 – and Carson Mackenzie. The two averaged .925 between them.

“We expect our group to be ready for Game 1 Thursday. It’s a new season, everyone is back to zeros statistically and they are all excited to get going,” said Lovell.

Buffalo’s Liam Letters was impressive in the first round in net, stopping 72 of 80 Columbus shots for the two straight wins. Up front, returning forward Caden Cavalieri led the team in the regular season (38 points in 40 games) and in the playoffs so far with four points over the first two games. Matthew Riblett (28 points), Jeremiah Rausch (21 points in 22 games) and Gavin Lafferty (16 points) rounded out the top five, both in the regular season and the postseason.

“As far as Buffalo is concerned, we expect them to be a much improved team from when we last saw them earlier in the season,” he said. “Plus, they are going to be a confident group coming off a first round series sweep. It’s going to a good series, and we welcome the challenge.”

Great Lakes Division

Buffalo Stampede (5) at Metro Jets (1)

All Games At Mount Clemens Ice Arena, Mount Clemens, MI

Thursday, March 7, 2:30 p.m. EST

Friday, March 8, 2:30 p.m. EST

Saturday, March 9, 11:30 a.m. EST (If Necessary)

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – The Metro Jets, MJDP, and Metro Jets Elite teams were all in action during the final week of the 2023-24 USPHL regular season.

All three teams also earned first-round byes as regular-season division champions for the upcoming playoffs that start this weekend.

The MJDP defeated the Motor City Gamblers last Tuesday at Big Boy Arena in nearby Fraser before taking both from the Chicago Crush on home ice at Mount Clemens Ice Arena this past Friday and Saturday.

“I thought all weekend we played some of our best hockey of the season,” said Jets associate coach Jake Howie. “The entire lineup played with pace, moved the puck extremely well, and were extremely detailed in every facet of the game. It’s always great when a team can peak at the end of the season going into playoffs, and I’m really excited about how the group is playing heading into the postseason.

“An entire season’s work, culminating in a division championship, but the guys know that’s just step one and the most fun hockey of the year is about to begin.”

Against the Gamblers, Austin Muirhead made 38 saves in goal and Pierce Ashcroft scored twice in a 5-2 win.

Jacques Lavrack added a goal and an assist, while Austin Combs and Alek John scored and Josh Boze chipped in two assists.

Jaden Meeke and Jake Knieling scored for Motor City and Robert Allport finished with 39 saves between the pipes.

Then back home, the MJDP beat the Crush 6-1 and 5-2.

In the opener, Jack Rivera went for a goal and an assist, Robert Grasso popped two goals, and Lucas Millmine and Nicco Destefanis each had two assists.

Boze, Ashcroft and Joseph Martin also scored in the win, while goaltender Andrew Parmentier made 20 stops.

Spencer Kaule scored the lone Crush goal and Patrick Johansen turned aside 38 shots in goal.

Saturday, Boze tallied a goal and an assist, Jake Taylor had two assists, and Muirhead collected 27 saves.

Rivera, Jacob Lawrence, Jack Noonan and Lukas Nies also scored in the victory.

Peter White and Nick Zehelein scored for the Crush and Jack Sundhall made 36 saves.

The Elite team took two of three from the Crush, winning Friday 3-1, losing Saturday 5-1, and then winning 4-1 Sunday, all at Mount Clemens Ice Arena.

Friday, Peter Spiridonakos and McKenna Baker each had a goal and two assists and John Spiridonakos registered a goal and an assist.

Jets goalie Zach Robert made 34 saves in net.

Austin Kessel scored for Chicago and Kyle Tyszkiewicz stopped 29 shots.

In Saturday’s setback, Matt Hopersberger scored and Eliot Duerr made 34 saves between the pipes.

Wrapping up the weekend Sunday, Hunter Folgmann scored two goals, Hopersberger went for a goal with an assist, and Tyler Dix added a goal.

Tabor Hatch stopped 29 shots in goal and also turned aside Joe Coglianese’s penalty shot late in the third period.

Cole Darlas scored for the Crush and netminder Chris Stamos finished with 21 saves.

“We showed up Sunday and we knew going in that since we lost Saturday that it was going to be a challenge for us,” said Jets associate coach Tina Ciraulo. “The guys played hard and we ended up on top; I was proud of them. After we clinched the division Friday, we went into Saturday’s game light, thinking we got the division and we’re good, but the guys realized that we can’t play that way.

“We came ready to play Sunday.”

The Jets played just one game, falling 4-3 in overtime Saturday night to the Toledo Cherokee at the Team Toledo IceHouse.

Mason Cole recorded a goal and an assist, Jack Waldo tacked on two assists, and Rostislav Efremov made 36 saves.

Michael Lucia and Carson Beattie added goals for the Jets.

“It’s too bad to finish the end of the regular season in that fashion,” said Jets associate head coach Jamie Lovell. “We just were off the whole game. Yes, we made some good plays at times, but it was just too inconsistent, and frankly, not good enough to win a hockey game.”

Robbie Aranos scored the winner for Toledo 3:41 into overtime.

Cameron Reel had a goal and an assist, while Santino Multari and Seve Litz also scored for the Cherokee.

Jacob Ammar and Brett LoGelfo chipped in two assists each and Auston Nowak finished with 31 saves in goal.

The three teams are off this weekend and will play at home next weekend for each best-of-three series against opponents that will be determined this coming weekend.

All USPHL games are available on FloHockey.tv.

BENSENVILLE, Ill. – The MJDP and Metro Jets Elite teams ventured to suburban Chicago this week for their respective series with the Chicago Cougars at Edge Ice Arena.

The Jets Elite won all three of its games, while the MJDP split a pair of 5-4 overtime games with the Cougars.

Kicking off the Chicago trip Wednesday, the Jets Elite took a 5-3 win as Max Rastello, Matt Hopersberger, Jackson Hinkle, John Spiridonakos and Peter Spiridonakos, also with two assists, all scored.

Eliot Duerr finished with 30 saves in goal.

For the Cougars, Josh Roman, Mark Shibalov and Rocco Bifano scored and goalie Jared Ablack made 39 saves.

Thursday, it was another 5-3 Jets win as McKenna Baker tallied two goals, Caleb Simpson went for a goal and an assist, John Spiridonakos had a goal plus a helper, and Hinkle also scored.

Peter Spiridonakos added two assists and Zach Robert turned aside 29 shots between the pipes.

Lukas Kurowski had two goals and an assist for Chicago, while James Gudino chipped in a goal with Kole Wendt making 23 saves in net.

Wrapping up Friday, John Spiridonakos collected two goals and two assists and Rastello also scored two goals in a 6-3 victory to sweep the three-game series.

Simpson and Peter Spiridonakos each had a goal and two assists and Baker and Avery Byron each tacked on two assists apiece.

In goal, Duerr made 24 saves.

Bifano and Kurowski each had a goal and an assist for the Cougars, while Caleb Lind also scored and Ablack kicked out 29 shots.

Next action for the Jets Elite is a three-game series at Mount Clemens Ice Arena against the Chicago Crush – Friday at 2:30 p.m., Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m.

The MJDP team started its two-game set with the Cougars with a thrilling 5-4 overtime win on Thursday.

Lucas Millmine (16:02) and Jake Taylor (19:59) scored late in the the third period to send the game to overtime, where Royal St-Cyr won it at 2:52.

Taylor added another goal and two assists and Josh Boze put up four assists. Jacques Lavrack added a goal and Austin Combs posted a pair of assists to back Andrew Parmentier’s 23 saves in goal.

Gerdas Paulaskas scored twice with two assists for Chicago, Arthur Pawlik also collected two goals, and goaltender Cameron Boville stopped 37 shots in net.

In the finale Friday, Lavrack’s second goal of the game tied it 4-4 at 19:15 of the third period before Paulaskas won it for the Cougars 4:10 into extra time.

Lavrack also added an assist for a three-point game, while Combs had a goal and an assist, Oka Forsberg netted a goal, and Millmine chipped in two assists.

Austin Muirhead made 31 saves in goal.

Paulaskas, Cooper Brackett, Cameron Krause and Alex Musyakevych all had a goal and an assist and Kevin Hanly also scored. Landon Edwards contributed two assists and in goal, Bennett Pieters finished with 23 saves.

The MJDP wraps up February with a road game against the Motor City Gamblers next Tuesday at noon from Big Boy Arena in Fraser, followed by two with the Crush at Mount Clemens, Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

On Friday, the Jets hosted the Columbus Mavericks and came away with two points.

Next week, the Jets play the Toledo Cherokee at the Team Toledo Ice House on Saturday at 7 p.m.

All USPHL games are available on FloHockey.tv.

HUDSON, N.H. – The Metro Jets, MJDP and Metro Jets Elite teams all traveled to the USPHL Northern Cyclones Showcase last weekend at Cyclones Arena, coming back better teams with an eye on postseason play.

The Jets went 4-0, defeating Gatineau Universel 4-3, the PAL Jr. Islanders 11-4, the Northern Cyclones, last season’s national champions, 1-0 in overtime, and then the Utica Jr. Comets 4-1. With the win over the Cyclones, the Jets secured first place in the Great Lakes Division, winning the regular-season division title for the ninth time in 10 seasons.

“I have said it before, but this is why we come to these showcases, to give our guys the best environment and chance to showcase their talents against the top competition,” said Jets associate head coach Jamie Lovell. “Our guys are confident right now. Our staff is very proud of how we handled ourselves throughout the entire four games of this event, but especially during the games with Gatineau and Northern Cyclones. Those two games had a playoff-like atmosphere. They were tight checking and we faced adversity in both. Gatineau was well structured and made us earn our goals, and in the Cyclones game, we had multiple goals called back against us, but we knew we deserved the two points based on our play and found a way to overcome and eventually take the game in OT. These are the types of teams we will be facing and the games we will be in come playoff time, so it’s good to get those experiences now to help prepare us for the coming weeks ahead.

“Clinching our division is nice, but it was just one step in the process. Back to work to prepare for the playoff season ahead.”

The MJDP downed Gatineau 2-1 in a shootout while suffering a 4-3 overtime loss to the Jr. Islanders, a 5-2 setback to Utica, and a 3-0 loss to the Islanders Hockey Club.

“I thought we played really hard all three days and were able to secure some much-needed points as we come down the stretch,” Jets associate coach Jake Howie said. “I think it’s always good when we can travel and see some teams we don’t get to see on a regular basis, and I love that we can get some really good, hard-played games in to gear up for the playoffs. Low-scoring defensive battles are a part of playoff hockey, and we’re getting an early taste of it. Still some things to clean up to make us the best possible team we can be at the correct time of the year, and we’re going to use these last couple weeks to really hammer those details into our game.”

The Jets Elite fell 4-1 to Somang Prep, 4-1 to College Universel, 6-2 to the CSJV Black Vees, and 3-2 to the Islanders Hockey Club.

“We knew going into the showcase these were going to be tough games,” said Jets associate coach Tina Ciraulo. “We did struggle a bit to put full games together. This time of the year, we can’t pick and choose when we want to play. By the fourth game, we started playing like ourselves. Just couldn’t get the win. It was a little bit of a learning experience for our guys this weekend and coming together more as a team. I feel the boys learned a lot this weekend and are ready for the next six games coming up here to finish out the season.”

This week, the Jets play a home-and-home with the Columbus Maverickk, starting Friday at Mount Clemens Ice Arena at 2 p.m. and wrapping Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. from the OhioHealth Chiller North. The MJDP is back on the road, playing two against the Chicago Cougars, 12:40 p.m. Central on Thursday and 1:50 p.m. Friday, from the Edge Ice Arena. The Jets Elite team is also in Chicago, playing the Cougars Wednesday at 2:20 p.m. Central, Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and Friday at 10:40 a.m.

All USPHL games are available at FloHockey.tv.

The Largest Junior Hockey League In The United States, the USPHL Premier, will become not only larger but even more international than its first foray into Canada during this 2023-24 season.

An entire new Ontario-and Quebec-based division will be joining in 2024-25, with five teams being announced right from the start and additional announcements expected in the coming months as negotiations continue with some of Canada’s top junior organizations looking to become part of the United States Premier Hockey League.

The USPHL Premier of 2023-24 is a 61-team league with a completely national footprint in the United States, ranging from Maine to Miami, and Seattle to San Diego. The addition this 2023-24 season of College Universel Gatineau, located in Gatineau, Que., saw the Premier add its first Canadian team to the league membership. College Universel Gatineau will be joined in the new Canada Division by Somang Laurentides Lanaudiere (SLL) Hockey, Hawkesbury Knights, Kingston Wranglers, Montreal BlackVees, and College Universel Sherbrooke.

During the 2024-25 season, these teams will generally only face each other throughout the season (44 games per team), with the exception of playing in different USPHL Showcase Series events.

The Canada Division teams are joining a United States Premier Hockey League that, including all its tiers and conferences, has sent more than 8,000 players to college hockey at all levels, and more than 250 players to the pro levels. Several current NHL players cut their teeth in the USPHL, including Tage Thompson (P.A.L. Jr. Islanders), Jordan Harris (Islanders Hockey Club), John Marino and Ryan Donato (South Shore Kings) and Joey Daccord (Boston Junior Bruins), with many more pre-USPHL alumni of Member Organizations also currently playing in the NHL.

“A Canadian Premier division truly makes the USPHL international and this alone shines the light even brighter on the largest and best Tier 3 junior league in North America,” said USPHL Commissioner Bob Turow. “The ownership groups are experienced, strong and proven, and will be added to shortly.”

Below, we are excited to introduce each of the exciting new members of the USPHL Premier and its new all-Canadian division for 2024-25.

Montreal BlackVees

The BlackVees will play at the arena hosted by their academic partner College St-Jean-Vianney. The BlackVees are a proud organization with a history dating back 25 years. This proud history features many illustrious alumni including NHL players Laurent Dauphin (selected in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft) and current New York Islander Julien Gauthier (a first round selection in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft). In recent years, the BlackVees have also sent players to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (six), the Tier II Canadian Junior Hockey League (15) and to U.S. junior leagues (20).

“Our varsity program annually places between 12 to 15 players to junior levels and all these players will now be able to play within the organization, in our own USPHL Premier Montreal BlackVees team,” said President Claude Fortin.

The BlackVees will be coached by former Florida Panther Francois Cloutier, who will be joined by a staff with QMJHL and BCHL experience. Over the past four seasons (excluding two COVID seasons), the BlackVees have won two regular season championships and one league title.

“We are currently first in the North American Prep Hockey League, as well as first in the NAPHL Division of the USPHL Elite conference,” said Fortin. “We build teams that play hard and we come to play. Our organization is pumped about joining such a high caliber league in the USPHL Premier. We promise that the BlackVees will host its players in the best environment a student-athlete requires and that the BlackVees will become a league standard.”

Hawkesbury Knights

The Knights will hit the ice in the Ottawa River town of Hawkesbury, Ont., which lies almost directly between Ottawa and Montreal, with the new team run by former NHL defenseman Shawn Anderson.

“I am very excited about joining the USPHL Premier Division as an owner-operator. It is the right league for many of the players here in the Quebec/Ontario regions that are just one year away from Tier II hockey,” said Anderson. “I look forward to working with my other Canadian colleagues in representing the USPHL Premier across the border.”

Anderson played professionally in the NHL, minor leagues and European leagues for 18 years, before opening his own hockey-specific training business in 2004. This encapsulates his ownership of the Canadian Tier II Hawkesbury Hawks and also the Le Sommet Faucons prep team. The latter is part of the USPHL Elite’s North American Prep Hockey League team. Anderson is a huge believer that all the credit goes to the players that have moved on to junior and professional hockey through his programs and teams.

The Knights, playing out of the Robert-Hartley Sports Complex in Hawkesbury, will be announcing their staff in the coming months after multiple interviews with some of the region’s top hockey people.

Somang Laurentides Lanaudiere HC

The USPHL is also pleased to welcome Somang Laurentides Lanaudiere (SLL) HC, an academy program that is enjoying its 10th anniversary in 2024.

“USPHL membership means that Somang will now have the ability to seamlessly accompany players from the 16U level through juniors, creating even more pathways for players to achieve their hockey dreams,” said Michael Bujold, a co-director of Somang Hockey. “It will also make it possible for more players from the world over to discover our beautiful region on the North Shore of Montreal. With a staff composed of highly qualified professionals from both the coaching and managerial standpoint, Somang expects to hit the ground running and ice a competitive team from Year 1 in our home base on the North Shore of Montreal. Hockey fans, buckle up because it’s going to be an exciting ride!

“SLL Hockey is excessively proud to be part of the new Canadian division of the USPHL Premier, a dénouement that it has long seen as the next natural step in its emergence as a force to be reckoned with not only on the local hockey scene, but also on the international stage,” Bujold added.

Somang has come a long way from its roots of four players signing on for 2014, to become a leading destination for promising international and local players.

“Somang’s unwavering focus on development and advancement has already led to many of its alumni going on to play in some of the highest leagues available including Major Junior, USHL, NAHL, NCDC, EHL, and OJHL at the Junior level, the NCAA and ACHA at the collegiate level, and professional leagues in Germany, France, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, and Great Britain.”

Kingston Wranglers

Celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2024, the Wranglers’ ownership group RELM Sports hosts nearly 30 sports tournaments across Ontario, manages spring and summer teams and provides hockey development programs out of its base of Kingston, Ontario. RELM Sports was founded after a rebrand of a previous tournament company and today is led by its owner Ryan Thompson.

“We’re eager to bring Junior Hockey back to Kingston as the Wranglers join the USPHL Premier hockey league next season. This marks a significant chapter for our organization, and we’re committed to fostering talent and contributing to the local hockey community,” said Thompson.

Coming in as head coach is Mark Major, a native of North York, Ont., who was drafted 25th overall in the second round of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. After a 15-year playing career, he has dedicated his time the past two decades coaching in Kingston and making a positive impact on young athletes.

“Through his coaching, Mark has not only helped his players develop their hockey skills, but also instilled in them important values such as teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship. His passion for the game and commitment to his community have made him a true role model for aspiring hockey players and coaches alike,” said Thompson.

Assistant Coach Dave Mullins has been an on-ice officials assignor, travel program administrator, and coach of six All-Ontario champions and one Jr. C league championship team. At the junior level, he’s coached the Amherstview Jets (Provincial Junior League), and in youth hockey, he’s worked in Napanee Minor Hockey, Cobourg Minor Hockey, and Greater Kingston Minor Hockey.

College Universel Sherbrooke

The new College Universel Sherbrooke team will be run by the same management that is currently running the USPHL Premier member team from College Universel Gatineau, including College Universel Sports Director Marco Pietroniro and Hockey Director Alex Gagnon. For its first year, the new team will play out of Bishop University and the Thibeault Sport Complex, both in Sherbrooke. The team’s staff will be hired during the upcoming off-season. The basic tenets will be followed by both Universel teams in terms of recruiting, development, advancement and education.

College Universel Sherbrooke (and Gatineau) will continue to look for players in Europe, Canada and the eastern U.S. while they attend multiple summer events and work with different advisors. They will also run two selection camps for their Gatineau and Sherbrooke teams. Development will focus on each player’s confidence, self-evaluation and creativity. College Universel will work with teams at all levels – NCAA and USports (Canada’s interuniversity sports governing body), as well as pro hockey teams in North America and Europe for player placement. Education is extremely important, with players being able to pursue an IB High School Diploma, a Pre-University/CEGEP Diploma and keep themselves open to opportunities either in Canadian or U.S. universities.

College Universel Gatineau

The College Universel Gatineau is the one individual out of these six Canadian Division teams that is currently playing in the USPHL Premier.

“We are currently in our first USPHL season. We are competing well and have been competing and placing players within many junior leagues including the USPHL levels for several years now,” said Universel Sports Director Marco Pietroniro. “We strongly believe that developing the USPHL Levels within the Quebec and Ontario provinces will provide a strong option for athletes to achieve NCAA or USport College Hockey options.”

College Universel was created in Montreal, Que., in 2013. It expanded into Gatineau, Que., in 2017, and just added a location in Sherbrooke, Que. The school provides high school level, pre-university and CEGEP diplomas. Universel provides a premier private education for student-athletes with a selection of sports. Hockey has been at the school for four years and is looking forward to starting its fifth year. The team will play out of the Meredith Centre in nearby Chelsea, Que., as their home rink.

Pietroniro first got on the hockey map as a member of the Trois-Rivieres Draveurs as a player in 1986, moving on to become Captain of the team before an 11-year pro career took him to Europe and the former West Coast Hockey League (whose teams were later brought into the ECHL). He began coaching in his final playing year in Idaho Falls and founded a non-profit youth hockey development program. He has had many coaching stops including the Arizona Sundogs (CHL), Team Quebec’s Canada Games U15 team, and Team Canada’s U17 team, in addition to QMJHL coaching stints with Val D’Or and Baie-Comeau, the latter as Head Coach. In addition to College Universel, Pietroniro has also been Director of Hockey Operation at Bishop’s College School for the last six years, directing BCS to a very competitive level with strong recruiting.

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – The Metro Jets earned two huge wins on home ice last weekend over the Nashville Spartans and Toledo Cherokee, while the MJDP and Metro Jets Elite teams went on the road and won all four against the Decatur Blaze.

The Jets downed Nashville Saturday afternoon and Toledo Sunday afternoon, both by 5-2 scores at Mount Clemens Ice Arena.

Yarne Vaerewyck, Ugo Lollier, Carson Beattie, Brock Hart and Alex Bedenko scored in the win over Nashville and Rostislav Efremov made 28 saves in goal.

“We were pretty good in the first period and our second period was probably one of the worst periods we’ve played all year,” said Jets associate head coach Jamie Lovell. “The guys regrouped and we challenged them in the third period and they certainly responded. We were very happy with that.”

Trent Van Gels and Sean Karaman scored for Nashville and Daniel Duzek finished with 34 saves between the pipes.

Against the Cherokee, Jack Waldo, Tyler Bautko, Michael Lucia and Carson Finney scored, Lollier had a goal and an assist, Mason Cole chipped in two assists, and Taylor White turned aside 22 shots in goal.

Jacob Ammar and Theodore Rowell scored for Toledo and Austin Nowak stopped 31 shots in net.

At the Decatur Civic Center, the MJDP defeated the Blaze 7-1 Saturday night and 3-0 Sunday afternoon.

In the opener, Austin Combs collected six assists, Josh Boze had two goals and two assists, Jacques Lavrack a goal and two assists, and Jake Taylor and Lucas Millmine a goal with a helper each. Robert Grasso and Oliver McClough also scored, and Andrew Parmentier made 17 saves in goal.

Boris Posinger scored Decatur’s goal and Lukas Janicina finished with 55 saves.

Wrapping up Sunday, Austin Muirhead pitched a 21-save shutout, while Combs tallied a goal and an assist and Lukas Nies and Millmine added goals.

Janicina made 47 saves for Decatur.

“Solid weekend of play from the guys and good trip bringing home four points,” Jets associate coach Jake Howie said. “It was really nice to see the power play get on track this weekend, scoring five times on the man-advantage. Hopefully, we can keep that confidence going down the stretch. It’s nice to keep this train moving into the showcase and look forward to a good trip.”

McKenna Baker’s goal 1:14 into overtime lifted the Jets Elite team to a 3-2 win Saturday. Baker also had an assist for a two-point game.

Hunter Folgmann and Jackson Hinkle also scored and Crew Petty turned in a 19-save effort in goal.

Dylan Kennedy and James Eggleston scored for Decatur and goaltender Morgan Heck made 59 saves.

Sunday, Tabor Hatch stopped all 25 shots he faced in an 8-0 win over Decatur.

Harry Dembowski and John Spiridonakos each collected two goals and an assist, Peter Spiridonakos and Ryan Lemker both had a goal and two assists, and Sean O’Connor and Robert Poliski also scored.

In goal for the Blaze, Heck kicked aside 70 shots.

“We did not come ready to play on Saturday night, but the boys figured a way to pull through and get the OT win,” Jets associate coach Tina Ciraulo said. “Going into the second game, we knew we needed to pull it together and come ready to play. And we did just that, the boys came out hard and didn’t stop. We kept it simple, played hard, and we were first on pucks. And keeping it simple and playing hard, helped us find the back of the net.”

Wrapping up recent action, the Jets Elite shut out the Fort Wayne Spacemen 5-0 on Wednesday at Mount Clemens.

Eliot Duerr made 32 saves and Peter Spiridonakos scored twice and added an assist, while Baker, Avery Byron and Landon Graham scored, and Caleb Simpson tacked on three assists. John Spiridonakos and Max Rastello chipped in two assists apiece.

Fort Wayne goalie Brendan Kusbel made 28 saves.

“We’re coming down to that final stretch, that playoff push, and trying to chase down a division championship with this group,” Howie said. “Two points, every single chance you have to get them, they’re big.”

This weekend, all three teams are playing at the USPHL Northern Cyclones Showcase in Hudson, N.H., at Cyclones Arena.

JETS SCHEDULE
MJDP SCHEDULE
JETS ELITE SCHEDULE

All USPHL games are available on FloHockey.tv.

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – All three Metro Jets teams were in action last week and into the weekend, picking up five wins and losing one game in a shootout.

The Jets Elite squad took both ends of a home-and-home series with the Motor City Gamblers, winning 4-1 Wednesday night at Big Boy Arena in Fraser and then picking up an exciting 4-3 shootout win Friday afternoon at Mount Clemens Ice Arena.

In the opener, Blake Botterill had a goal and an assist, while Cameron Maxwell, Jackson Hinkle and Peter Spiridonakos all scored to back Eliot Duerr’s 19 saves in goal.

Trevor Touchton broke the shutout at 19:49 of the third period for Motor City. Braedyn Sullivan stopped 32 shots in taking the loss.

Back at Mount Clemens, Botterill won it in the shootout after scoring once with a helper in regulation. Spiridonakos popped two goals with an assist and Zach Robert finished with 35 saves between the pipes.

Touchton, Easton Plater and Cameron Kitts scored for the Gamblers and goaltender Massimiliano De Vita made 38 saves.

The MJDP fell 2-1 in a shootout Wednesday in Fraser to the Gamblers before regrouping and downing the Battle Creek Kernels 3-0 Saturday night at The Rink Battle Creek.

Josh Boze scored the lone goal Wednesday and Andrew Parmentier made 27 saves.

Shaun Zatelli scored the shootout winner for Motor City in the fourth round. Preston Stenzel scored in regulation and Robert Allport finished with 24 saves in goal.

In Battle Creek, Austin Muirhead stopped all 32 shots fired his way in the win.

Austin Combs scored two goals, Nicco DeStefanis one, and Jacques Lavrack chipped in two assists.

Sebastian Wigfield made 51 saves in net for the Kernels.

The Jets also got into the win column, defeating Battle Creek 9-1 Friday night on the road and the Columbus Mavericks 14-0 Saturday night at the OhioHealth Chiller North in Lewis Center, Ohio.

Jack Waldo had two goals and an assist in Battle Creek, while Ugo Lollier added a goal and two assists and Rostislav Efremov made 26 saves in goal.

Mason Cole, Carson Finney, Emrik Froding and Tyler Husted all had a goal and an assist, Brock Hart tacked on three assists, Lucas Cassel two assists, and Tyler Bautko and Vikton Sandell scored one apiece.

Skylar Luo netted the only goal for Battle Creek and Wigfield turned aside 58 shots.

Then against the Mavericks, Carson MacKenzie made 16 saves for the shutout.

Yarne Vaerewyck and Steven Miller each had two goals and an assist, Waldo a goal and three assists, Sandell added two goals of his own, and Luke Gaffney, Robert Vanderdonck and Finney all scored a goal with two assists.

Lollier, Cole and Alex Bedenko each went for a goal and an assist, and Seve Litz also found the back of the net.

Carson Redd, Froding and Bautko each collected two assists in the win.

Garrett Ambrose and Anders Smith combined on a 63-save effort in the Columbus net.

This week, six more games for the trio of Jets teams as the Jets host the Nashville Spartans Saturday at 3:15 p.m. and the Toledo Cherokee Sunday at 4 p.m., the MJDP is in Decatur to play the Blaze Saturday at 7:45 p.m. CST and Sunday at 4:45 p.m. from the Decatur Civic Center, while the Jets Elite is also in Decatur, playing Saturday at 5 p.m. CST and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

All USPHL games are available on FloHockey.tv.

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – The Metro Jets swept the Toledo Cherokee by identical 5-2 scores over the weekend, winning Friday night in Toledo and then Saturday night on home ice at Mount Clemens Ice Arena.

With the wins, the Jets claim the Coney Cup, a trophy symbolic of the team’s growing rivalry over recent years.

“It’s nice to have something to play for in the middle of the season, but we know what our end goal is here,” Jets associate head coach Jamie Lovell said. “We want a championship, and we want the real trophy at the end.”

In the win at home, Carson Finney posted a goal and two assists, Ugo Lollier netted a pair of goals, and Jack Waldo and Ethan Hellman scored one each. Carson Beattie added two assists in the win.

Taylor White picked up the win in goal making 18 saves after relieving Carson MacKenzie 9:45 into the first period after Toledo took a 2-1 lead.

For Toledo, captain Jacob Ammar and Kaden Coon scored and Austin Nowak finished with 39 saves in goal.

Opening the series Friday night at the Team Toledo IceHouse, Lollier had two goals with an assist, Emrik Froding chipped in a goal and an assist, and Tyler Bautko and Tyler Husted also scored. Finney and Mason Cole each recorded two assists and White turned aside 16 shots between the pipes.

“We played very well tonight,” said Lovell. “Our first period was as close to a perfect road period you could get in a coach’s eyes. We gave them nothing and controlled the play from the get go, and then we got even better to start the second period. I would have liked our third period to look a little more like the first two offensively, but we still managed the puck very well.”

Will Poolton scored both goals for Toledo, Brett LoGelfo assisted on both, and goalie Caleb Kril made 41 saves.

In the Elite Division, the Jets defeated the Fort Wayne Spacemen 4-3 in overtime Friday afternoon at Mount Clemens on a Blake Botterill goal at 3:04 of the extra session.

John Spiridonakos registered a goal and an assist, Caleb Simpson and Robert Poliski also scored, and Avery Byron notched three assists to back Zach Robert’s 29 saves in goal.

The Spacemen were led by Joe Richardson, who had a goal and an assist, and Oleksandr Zinoviev and Timur Teplitskyi, who scored one apiece. Brendan Kusbel finished with 31 saves for Fort Wayne.

Also Friday afternoon at Mount Clemens, Fort Wayne downed the MJDP team by a 4-1 count.

Jake Taylor scored the lone goal and Austin Muirhead stopped 31 shots in goal.

This week, the Jets play at Battle Creek Friday at 7 p.m. from The Rink Battle Creek and at Columbus Saturday at 7 p.m. from the OhioHealth Chiller North, the MJDP is at Motor City Wednesday at 1 p.m. from Big Boy Arena in nearby Fraser and at Battle Creek Saturday at 7 p.m., while the Jets Elite team is at Motor City Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. and hosts Motor City Friday at 12:30 p.m.

All USPHL games are available on FloHockey.tv.

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – It was another solid stretch for the three Metro Jets teams last week as the squads took three of four wins against their competition.

The Jets defeated the Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones 12-4 Thursday afternoon on the road before coming home to take a 6-4 victory Friday night over the Nashville Spartans on home ice at Mount Clemens Ice Arena.

Also on home ice, the MJDP doubled up the Motor City Gamblers 6-3 Thursday afternoon and the Jets Elite team dropped a close 4-3 decision to Motor City last Wednesday afternoon at Mount Clemens.

“I liked our guys’ compete level,” Jets associate coach Jake Howie said after the Nashville win. “We get down two goals there and we battled to come back and not give up. That’s a big hockey game to get two points out of and give us a little cushion for first place.”

Tyler Bautko, Tyler Husted, Carson Finney, Ugo Lollier, Luke Gaffney and Yarne Vaerewyck all scored in the win. Carson Redd tacked on two assists.

Taylor White picked up the victory in goal making 18 saves after relieving Carson MacKenzie, who allowed three goals on 14 shots through 24:02 of action.

For the Spartans, Chris Free, Austin Micale and Sean Karaman scored, Khyle Flynn and Gino Indelicato each posted two assists, and Daniel Duzek made 37 saves in goal.

Thursday at the Queen City Sportsplex, Gaffney had two goals and three assists, Finney and Redd two goals and two assists each, Lollier went for a goal and three assists, and Ryan Lemker put up four assists in the lopsided win.

Steven Miller added a goal and two assists, and Alex Bedenko and Vaerewyck chipped in a goal and a helper apiece. Avery Byron and Robert Vanderdonck also found the back of the net and Lucas Cassel tacked on a pair of assists.

In goal, Tabor Hatch made 16 saves and Shawn Bromley finished with six.

Cincinnati was led by Patrick Patton, who scored two goals, and Alex Atchison and Louis Allen, who scored one each. Emmitt Guest recorded two assists and Nick Gingold and Carter Herheim combined to make 50 saves between the pipes.

This weekend, the Jets play a home-and-home series with the Toledo Cherokee, starting Friday night at 7 p.m. from the Team Toledo IceHouse and wrapping Saturday at 6:15 p.m. from Mount Clemens Ice Arena.

“We just have to keep it simple and play our game,” said Howie.

Royal St-Cyr potted two goals and Pierce Ashcroft added a goal and an assist in the MJDP win over the Gamblers.

Alek John, Josh Boze and Jack Noonan also scored and Lucas Millmine and Nicco DeStefanis each registered two assists.

Andrew Parmentier started in goal and made four saves through 15:31 before Austin Muirhead played the rest of the way, finishing with 21 saves for the win.

Jake Mullins, Shaun Zatelli and Preston Stenzel scored for Motor City and goaltender Logan Givens made 36 saves.

In the Jets Elite loss, John Spiridonakos netted two goals and Landon Graham one as Eliot Duerr made 38 saves before an injury forced Hatch into the game where he stopped both shots he faced over the last 7:01.

Peter Spiridinakos and Blake Botterill had two assists each in the game.

For Motor City, Josh Koza, Trevor Touchton, Dustin Fretter and Cody Adams popped goals and Braedyn Sullivan turned aside 33 shots in net.

This weekend, the Jets Elite hosts the Fort Wayne Spacemen Friday at 1:30 p.m., followed by the MJDP and Spacemen at 4 p.m.

All USPHL games are available on FloHockey.tv.