LOCKPORT, N.Y. – The Metro Jets played a two-game road series this week, sweeping the Buffalo Stampede Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon from the Cornerstone CFCU Arena.

In the opening game, Tyler Bautko scored three goals with an assist and Alex Bedenko added three goals of his own in a 12-1 win for the Jets.

Tyler Husted (pictured below) pitched in with a goal and four assists, Luke Gaffney posted a goal and two assists, and Mason Cole and Robert Vanderdonck each had a goal with a helper.

Alex Blankenship and Ethan Hellman (pictured front) scored one each, and Ugo Lollier, Steven Miller, and Jack Noonan all had two assists apiece.

Taylor White made 10 saves in goal as the Jets outshot Buffalo 67-11.

For Buffalo, Gavin Lafferty scored and Liam Letters finished with 55 saves between the pipes.

Wrapping up the series Wednesday, Carson Redd popped two goals and two assists in a 10-2 Jets’ win.

Yarne Vaerewyck and Brock Hart had a goal and two assists each, and Bedenko, Cole, and Lollier went for a goal and a helper apiece. Gaffney chipped in two assists.

Vanderdonck, Seve Litz, and Steven Miller also scored in the win as Carson MacKenzie made 12 saves in goal.

The Jets outshot Buffalo 46-14.

Matthew Riblett scored both Stampede goals and goaltender Lucas Prince stopped 36 shots.

The Jets, MJDP, and Metro Jets Elite teams are all idle this weekend.

All USPHL games are available on FloHockey.tv.

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – In what was perhaps an instant classic, the MJDP team scored late to down the Metro Jets 3-2 Friday afternoon at Mount Clemens Ice Arena.

Lucas Millmine’s second goal of the game at 19:44 of the third period snapped a 2-2 tie to win it for the MJDP.

“Both teams came out with a lot of energy,” said Jets associate coach Jake Howie, who was behind the bench for the MJDP. “At times, we were lazy and sloppy, but for the most part, we played a good 50-minute hockey game and found a couple bounces that went our way.”

Millmine also added an assist for a three-point game.

Oliver McClough, with a goal and an assist, opened the scoring 24 seconds into the first period, giving the MJDP an early 1-0 lead.

Robert Grasso picked up three assists in the win, while Ugo Lollier and Tyler Husted scored for the Jets.

In goal, Andrew Parmentier made 46 saves for the win and Taylor White stopped 28 in suffering the defeat on his 20th birthday.

The game also marked Jets broadcaster Matt Prieur’s 300th hockey broadcast.

Saturday night, the Jets rebounded with a 10-0 win over the Battle Creek Kernels at The Rink Battle Creek.

Carson MacKenzie notched the 15-save shutout and Mason Cole went for three goals and an assist in a game that was scoreless after 20 minutes.

“Ran into a goalie (Galvin Reagan) who was making big saves again in the first period, but we finally got that first one and the floodgates opened up after that,” said Jets associate head coach Jamie Lovell. “Obviously, that second period was the difference (eight goals) and we just played smart the rest of the way.”

Michael Lucia contributed two goals and an assist, Carson Redd a goal and three assists, and Seve Litz added a goal and a pair of helpers.

Jack Noonan, Luke Gaffney and Lollier all scored one each, while Brock Hart chipped in three assists and Carson Finney and Ethan Hellman tacked on two assists apiece.

Reagan, Joe Weber and Anders Smith combined to make 36 saves.

Earlier Saturday at the SportONE/Parkview Icehouse in Fort Wayne, Ind., the MJDP fell 3-2 to the Fort Wayne Spacemen in an eight-round shootout and the Metro Jets Elite team lost 3-2 in overtime to the Spacemen.

For the MJDP, Millmine and River Lewis each had a goal and an assist and Austin Muirhead finished with 25 saves in goal.

“Thought we came out and played our most complete game of the season,” said Howie. “Unfortunately, we ran into a hot goaltender tonight (Maxim Zinchenko, 29 saves). Overall, really happy with the effort and our play and getting at least one point on the road is something to be happy about.”

Alex Toussaint and Hunter Mangan scored in regulation for Fort Wayne, who got the shootout winner from Danylo Shpak.

Peter Spiridonakos had a goal and an assist and twin brother John Spiridonakos also scored in the Jets Elite team’s setback.

Zach Robert was sharp in goal making 40 saves.

“The boys started off strong, but we could not put a full 60 minutes together,” Jets associate coach Tina Ciraulo said. “We need to get back to work on Monday and focus on the little things.

Samuel Baldry tallied the winner for the Spacemen. Will Moynahan and Joe Richardson potted the other goals and Timur Teplitskyi added two assists.

Brendan Kusbel made 50 saves for the win between the pipes.

Just two games this coming week as the Jets are on the road to play the Buffalo Stampede from Cornerstone Arena in Lockport, N.Y., Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. and Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.

All USPHL games are available on FloHockey.tv.

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – The Metro Jets, MJDP, and Jets Elite teams played seven games over the past week, coming out on the winning side in five contests.

Last Friday, the Jets Elite and MJDP squads downed the Decatur Blaze on home ice at Mount Clemens Ice Arena, while the Jets fell in overtime on the road against the Toledo Cherokee.

Then Saturday, a triple header at Mount Clemens saw the Jets Elite and MJDP teams each gain sweeps over Decatur and the Jets knock off the Columbus Mavericks.

Kicking off the weekend, Emrik Froding scored four goals for the Jets and Ugo Lollier had two assists at the Team Toledo IceHouse, but Wes Hatz won it 5-4 for the Cherokee at 4:16 of overtime.

Taylor White finished with 19 saves in goal as the Jets outshot Toledo 47-24.

Caleb Kril stopped 43 shots in the Toledo crease, while captain Jacob Ammar tallied a goal and two assists in the win.

Saturday afternoon, Carson MacKenzie turned aside all 17 shots he faced for the shutout in his junior hockey debut as the Jets blanked Columbus 12-0.

Froding had a goal and three assists, Tyler Bautko two goals and an assist, and Mason Cole scored twice for the Jets in the victory. Michael Lucia added three assists, and Lollier recorded a goal and two helpers.

Josh Boze, Ethan Hellman, Tyler Husted, and Alex Bedenko posted a goal and an assist each, and captain Devon Mastay and Carson Redd each contributed two assists.

Bryson Stern and Kyle Diehr combined on a 40-save effort for the Mavericks, who were outshot 52-17 in the game.

Friday night, the MJDP team used a 15-save shutout from goalie Austin Muirhead in a 5-0 win over Decatur.

Austin Combs and Jacques Lavrack each had a goal and two assists, while Royal St-Cyr and Jake Taylor registered a goal plus a helper in the win. Jacob Lawrence also scored.

Blaze goaltender Blake Schwendeman made 37 saves in suffering the defeat.

The MJDP team outshot Decatur 42-15.

In the finale Saturday afternoon, Alek John scored four goals, Robert Grasso netted three goals with an assist, and Oliver McClough added two goals and two assists in a 15-1 win over the Blaze.

Oka Forsberg went for a goal and three assists, Athen St-Cyr scored two goals, and Pierce Ashcroft and Joseph Martin each tallied a goal with a pair of assists.

Andrew Parmentier stopped 10 shots in goal, while Schwendeman made 39 saves before giving way to Gabe Rotruck, who finished with five saves.

Final shots were 59-11 in favor of the MJDP team.

Starting the week Wednesday night, the Jets Elite team fell 6-5 to the Motor City Gamblers at Big Boy Arena in Fraser.

Peter Spiridonakos and Lawrence each had a goal and an assist, while Benny Vanderdonck made 46 saves in net.

“I thought we did a lot of good things tonight, but unfortunately we just made a couple too many mistakes to overcome,” Jets associate coach Jake Howie said. “Hockey is a game of mistakes and how you react to a mistake to dictate what happens the rest of a shift. Unfortunately tonight, too many of our mistakes ended up in the back of our net, but that’s part of growing and learning as players at this level.

“There were plenty of good things that we can build on going forward.”

Blake Botterill, Jackson Hinkle, and Robert Poliski also scored for the Jets.

For Motor City, Dylan Statham’s second goal of the game at 17:04 of the third period stood as the game winner.

Braedyn Sullivan finished with 35 saves in goal for the Gamblers and Trevor Touchton went for a goal and a pair of assists.

Then Friday night, Botterill went off for four goals and three assists in a 12-2 romp over Decatur.

Spiridonakos added two goals and two assists, John Spiridonakos tacked on two goals and an assist, and Avery Byron had a goal and three helpers. Ryan Lemker contributed four assists.

McKenna Baker and Joey Goff each had a goal and an assist and Hinkle chipped in two assists.

In goal, Zach Robert and Eliot Duerr combined to make 18 saves.

Decatur goalie Zach Follo made 51 stops as the Jets outshot the Blaze 63-20.

Wrapping up the series Saturday morning, Duerr, Crew Petty, and Tabor Hatch needed to make only six saves in a 12-0 win as the Jets outshot Decatur 61-6.

Goff had two goals and two assists, Caleb Simpson four assists, and Landon Graham and Botterill two goals and a helper apiece.

Sean O’Connor added two goals and John Spiridonakos, Poliski, and Tyler Dix notched a goal and an assist.

Ayden Linville and Follo stopped 49 shots in the Decatur net.

This coming weekend, the Jets and MJDP play at 2 p.m. Friday at home and then the Jets Elite and MJDP teams are in Fort Wayne to play the Spacemen Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and 6:40 p.m. from the SportONE/Parkview Icehouse. The Jets are in Battle Creek Saturday to visit the Kernels at 7 p.m. at The Rink Battle Creek.

Also Friday, the Kernels and Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones play at Mount Clemens with a 5 p.m. puck drop.

Stream all USPHL games on FloHockey.tv.

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – On an emotional Saturday night at Mount Clemens Ice Arena surrounding the pre-game ceremony retiring Braydin Lewis’ No. 47 jersey, the Metro Jets came out firing and defeated the Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones 16-0.

Lewis’ family took part in the ceremony (pictured front) that saw a banner unveiled in the Jets’ rink (pictured below).

On the ice, Carson Finney led the attack with two goals and three assists, while Josh Boze and Tyler Husted had two goals and two assists apiece.

Taylor White earned the shutout in goal, turning aside all 12 shots he faced.

“It was good to get the first game in and see the guys put up points,” said Jets associate coach Tina Ciraulo. “It was great, and it gears us to the next game.”

Ugo Lollier chipped in two goals and an assist, Robert Vanderdonck and Alex Blankenship scored two goals each, and Mason Cole and Jack Noonan added a goal and two assists apiece.

Emrik Froding went for a goal and an assist, Brock Hart three assists, and Alex Bedenko posted a pair of helpers in the win. Carson Redd also scored his first junior goal.

“It’s going to be an emotional start when you have a beautiful ceremony like that to remember Braydin,” Jets captain Devon Mastay said. “It doesn’t do it justice to who he was, but we came out hard and obviously have to carry on his legacy and play the way he did, just keep it going for him.”

Cincinnati goalies Nick Gingold and Jadon Atchison combined on a 50-save effort as the Jets outshot the Jr. Cyclones 66-12.

On the road at The Rink Battle Creek, Jacques Lavrack’s hat trick and Andrew Parmentier’s 34 saves lifted the MJDP past the Battle Creek Kernels 8-1 on Saturday night.

Jack Rivera, Nicco DeStefanis, Max Rastello, and Joey Martin all had a goal and an assist for the MJDP.

“Really loved the way the team showed up on the road ready to go tonight,” said Jets associate coach Jake Howie. “Before the game, we talked about the importance of being ready from puck drop and not settling into the game and waiting to get going. As a coach, you love when you have a full 20-man effort and every guy pulling on the rope. That’s how you get two points on the road at this level.”

River Lewis added a goal and Austin Combs and Landon Graham contributed two assists each.

For the Kernels, Ryan Jaros scored, and Galvin Reagan and Anders Smith stopped 68 shots in net.

This week, the Jets Elite team plays the Motor City Gamblers at Big Boy Arena Wednesday at 5 p.m., followed by two games at home against the Decatur Blaze Friday at 4 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m.

The MJDP also hosts the Blaze for two, starting Friday at 6:30 p.m. and wrapping Saturday at noon.

The Jets are in Toledo to play the Cherokee Friday at 7 p.m. from the Team Toledo IceHouse and then host the Columbus Mavericks Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

All USPHL games are streamed live on FloHockey.tv

ADDISON, Ill. – The MJDP and Metro Jets Elite teams began the 2023-24 USPHL season on the road over the weekend, each playing a pair against the Chicago Crush at the Addison Ice Arena.

The MJDP lost 4-3 in a shootout Saturday before coming back for a 2-0 win Sunday, while the Jets Elite won 3-1 Sunday after falling 4-1 Saturday.

Saturday night, Lukas Nies’ goal at 19:41 of the third period brought the MJDP into a 3-3 tie after a 3-1 deficit and forced overtime and then the shootout, where Crush goalie Jack Sundhall stopped all three MJDP attempts. Nick Zehelein scored the lone goal for Chicago.

“You know, I think we came out of the gates a little bit slow tonight and at this level, not playing for a full 60 minutes can be the difference in a hockey game,” said Jets associate coach Jake Howie. “With that said, we did a lot of good things, and I thought we controlled the pace of the game for the final 40 minutes. I love the resiliency of the group to battle back from down two goals in the third period to get the game into overtime.

“There’s plenty of positive things we can build from as this season progresses.”

Jake Taylor (pictured below) and Jack Rivera also scored, and Austin Muirhead stopped 25 shots between the pipes.

Sundhall made 28 saves, with Zehelein, Owen Rycerz and Caden Day scoring in regulation.

Finishing up Sunday, Andrew Parmentier (pictured front) turned aside all 25 shots he faced as Taylor and Nicco DeStefanis found the back of the net.

“The boys came out ready today,” Jets associate coach Tina Ciraulo said. “Parmentier did his job for us. Taylor had a nice goal to help us get two up on them. Overall on the weekend, I’m happy with the boys’ play but still got a lot of work to do moving forward.

“Happy with leaving the weekend with three out of the four points.”

Andrew Young finished with 37 saves for Chicago.

For the Jets Elite squad, Peter Spiridonakos scored 33 seconds into the first period Saturday and Ben Vanderdonck was strong in making 33 saves in goal.

“First game under us showed what we need to work on,” Ciraulo said. “There are a lot of positives that we can build on, so we’re really excited about where we can go as a group from here. This group is excited and eager to learn and develop. It was great having Benny Vanderdonck in net tonight. He did a great job of keeping us in the game and giving us a chance.”

Ryan Brown scored twice for the Crush and Johnny Augusta made 13 saves in net. Vincent Cerrentano and Joseph Coglianese also scored in the win.

Wrapping up the weekend on Sunday, Zach Robert was superb in making 38 saves and Robert Poliski scored a pair of power-play goals to gain the victory. Spiridonakos scored for the second straight game.

“Winning at this level is never easy,” said Howie. “The group came out and played hard for 60 minutes and dug deep to get two points. Special teams were great, with two big power-play goals from Robert Poliski, and the kill was perfect including a five-minute major in the third. Zach Robert was solid in net for us and was able to steady the ship when we needed.

“Really happy for this group getting their first win of the year but still plenty we can clean up, too.”

Crush goalie Tyler Siuda kicked out 26 shots, while Coglianese scored again.

This coming weekend, the Metro Jets open their season with a 5:15 p.m. puck drop at Mount Clemens Ice Arena against the Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones in a game that will be preceded by a special presentation to recognize Braydin Lewis. The MJDP stays on the road at 7 p.m. Saturday to play the Battle Creek Kernels from The Rink Battle Creek.

Watch all Jets games on FloHockey.tv.

The 2023-24 season is one of not just some new teams in a couple of the USPHL junior leagues, but the story is one of entire divisions. In the NCDC, the Mountain Division has made its Tier II debut, and now the spotlight will also be on six teams that are set to make their USPHL Elite debuts this year. The Elite, traditionally an Eastern Seaboard league, has gone west – as far as Chicago, in fact.

The first-year division will see new feeder programs for USPHL Premier teams in the Midwest East Division, helping to provide those organizations with depth and the ability to get internal program competition for Premier spots.

Alphabetical Order

Chicago Cougars

Season Opener: Sept. 29 at Decatur Blaze

The Cougars Elite team would love to have anything close to the success the Cougars enjoyed at the Premier level, which included making every National Championships tournament between 2018 and 2022. They’ll certainly accept simply pushing some new, young players through their first junior season and on up to the Premier Cougars, as well.

“This is a team with a high quality work ethic with strong depth. Being that’s it is still early in the year it’s hard to tell what our strengths and weakness may be but given the tempo and pace of our practices, a combo of our speed and competitiveness will be an asset for our team as we go through the season,” said Head Coach David Heflin. “With the core of younger plays on our roster, we have a hungry group looking to accomplish big things on a team and individual basis.”

“I’m excited and looking forward to the inaugural season for the Chicago Cougars at the Elite level. Long term, I believe this division level will foster an entirely new development path for many players’ careers who are striving to grow their game and continue onto higher levels of Junior and College, and/or Professional hockey,” added Pete Olson, owner of the Chicago Cougars and Chicago Crush.

With no returning players, this is a chance to make a whole new culture within the Cougars program, one that works hand in hand with the higher level.

“[Premier Coach] Josh Dallmann has established a specific culture that breeds success. At the Elite level, we’ll be looking to establish the same strong habits that have made the organization a top Premier USPHL team, but now at the Elite level too,” added Olson.

The team is excited about players like Rocco Bifano and Jack Powers, who can “provide the necessary leadership qualities necessary to be successful in the junior circuit.”

“Even with a relatively inexperienced team, the guys in our locker room are highly motivated and looking forward to the challenges that come at them throughout the year,” Heflin added.

Chicago Crush

Season Opener: Sept. 23 vs. Metro Jets Elite

The Crush were a new team at the Premier level in 2022-23, but they are certainly looking to grow in terms of development and advancement to colleges, which was a big reason why they brought on the Elite team. This provides a pipeline for young players to work their way up the ladder.

“We feel like we have done a nice job of assembling a roster full of competitive players this fall. Our organizational goal is to develop all of the guys to be a part of our Premier team in the future, so we know that we will have a significant amount of movement between the two levels all season,” said Head Coach Phil Bushbacher. “We have a number of players that have experience at not only the CSDHL (top local tier II Midget level), but with AAA clubs and even in the USPHL Premier. We think that this will help us create a culture right away, both on and off the ice.”

The Crush coach couldn’t really imagine just how the division might look, in terms of standings, as this is obviously brand new ground for all the teams and organizations.

“We are interested to see how the level takes shape this year. With it being the first season for Elite in the Midwest, we are eager to see what clubs decide to do,” said Bushbacher. “Our philosophy at the Crush is to use Elite as a farm club for the Premier team. While it is nice to win, our focus is on development first. We will certainly have a lot of players moving between the two teams, as we are sure other clubs will too.

“When considering the top clubs, we think that Fort Wayne and MJDP will be teams to reckon with. Both clubs have established themselves as the class of the [Premier] Division, and we look for them to be solid this season.”

Decatur Blaze

Season Opener: Sept. 29 vs. Chicago Cougars

The Blaze are looking to build something truly special, right up there with when the Premier organization pushed through tough competition and qualified for the 2020 USPHL Nationals, which were unfortunately canceled. The Blaze have brought in some very young players – including 2008-born athletes – to start building up both their Elite and Premier teams towards future success and increased player development towards college hockey.

“From day one, we wanted to establish our identity early on,” said Head Coach Justin Cohn. “As a team, we want to be the hardest-working team when we step on the ice and the players are embracing that. There is a healthy mix of younger and older guys hungry to move on to the next level.”

The ‘08’s coming in are Easton Gbeyetin, Hammad Khan and Gavin Meisner and “all are going to be key pieces.”

Gbeyetin comes in from St. Louis Park, Minn., Khan is from Naperville, Ill., and the CSDHL’s Highland Park Falcons, and Meisner comes to them from Cranbrook, B.C.

“Carter Murphy and Jeremy Zarvos are both defenseman who will help lead the back end,” Cohn added. “Some key forwards for our team will be Fischer Smith and Trevor Balagna who are both older and will be a huge resource for our younger players.”

Cohn is excited to get started against the Blaze organization’s traditional Illinois rivals in the Chicago Cougars.

“Looking around the league and seeing rosters, the Midwest Elite division should be highly competitive,” Cohn added. “It should be a battle every game and every point is going to matter trying to get into playoffs.”

Fort Wayne Spacemen

Season Opener: Sept. 29 at Chicago Crush

The Spacemen are excited to see all of the work they’ve been doing come to fruition when their season begins next Friday against the Chicago Crush.

“I believe we have a strong roster for our inaugural season. So far through training camp and one week of practice, our veteran experience has proven to be a strength and has really made a positive and competitive environment for our squad,” added Head Coach Cam Wirick.

He’s looking forward to the contributions to come from some new players like Trevor Evans, Alex Zinoviev, Dylan Davis, and Jack Backstrom. All could help to build the Spacemen Elite culture from the start.

“The inaugural season for the USPHL Midwest-East Elite Division will be ultra-competitive,” said Wirick. “I feel very confident in our roster and how we develop our players here in Fort Wayne and believe we will have a successful season and open a lot of eyes.”

Metro Jets Elite

Season Opener: Sept. 23 at Chicago Crush

The Metro Jets organization became the only non-NCDC team this year to field three junior teams when the Midwest Elite Division was formed last spring. Between the Great Lakes Division’s Jets team and the Midwest East Metro Jets Development Program and this new Elite squad, a common thread of development first will run throughout as General Manager Justin Quenneville has big plans for the new team.

“We are excited to add an Elite schedule to our program. We have operated a three-team model before and we have the staff as well as the platform to run it smoothly,” said Quenneville. “Our Elite model is different than others, where we want to be able to provide more games and development for our players. Elite will serve as another opportunity for our players and we look forward to continue focusing on player development across all 3 Jets teams as they work together.”

Motor City Gamblers

Season Opener: Oct. 1 vs. Fort Wayne Spacemen

The Gamblers are on the rise again, coming back to the upper echelon of the Premier Midwest East, and now they have even more program depth with the addition of their Elite team.

“We are very excited to be part of the new Midwest Elite Division. The opportunity to develop more young athletes is something we look forward to, as that is our organization’s number one goal,” said GM Chase Crawshaw. USPHL veteran Carter Schluckbier is taking on a leadership role with the Elite team as he and forward Dylan Statham will help to develop some future stars such as Defensemen Isaac Bunk and Asher Taylor.

“Our 2007 goalie trio of Tyler “Fridge” Houle, Braedyn Sullivan, and Massimo “Mojo” De Vita offer us a lot of upside in the net as well,” Crawshaw added.

The Fort Wayne Spacemen made quite the statement in their first season of winning the division title. Their title was followed up by their first trip to the USPHL Nationals, where the Spacemen made their way to the Round of 8. It’s not expected to be a standalone chapter in their history, as the Spacemen have put together strong teams since the moment they entered the league in 2019.

That said, they still regularly have to contend with perennial division title contenders the Chicago Cougars and the Metro Jets Development Program. The MJDP made their third straight Nationals trip, and in their first game, pushed one of the league’s best programs – the Florida Eels, eventual semifinalists – to a shootout.

The Motor City Gamblers experienced a 46-point improvement for their best season since making the Nationals in 2019, so watch for them as a revitalized power. The Chicago Crush and Battle Creek Kernels were new to the league in 2022-23 and will likely make big steps forward while the Decatur Blaze are determined to put their toughest season in their history far behind them in this new campaign.

Order is based on 2022-23 finish

Fort Wayne Spacemen

Season Opener: Sept. 29 at Chicago Crush

The Spacemen seem to be continuing to gain altitude and will do everything in their power to keep the division title in Fort Wayne and send themselves back to Nationals for the completion of unfinished business. The team lost some of their longtime name-makers to college and even pro teams, but they’ve built enough recruiting brand power that they’re able to quickly reload with talent. That said, their scoring may be more by committee this year than by a smaller pack of All-Stars. Noah Maine is not walking through that door, fans, to paraphrase Rick Pitino.

“We’ll be a fast team. We’ll be deeper than last year especially at forward but may not have the star power. It will take all four lines to produce,” said Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock, the Spacemen’s head coach and a local celebrity from his days as longtime captain of the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets. “We’re definitely younger. Not as much top end talent, but we still have core pieces coming back from last year’s team.”

Those that helped the Spacemen become one of the feel-good stories of Nationals include Tucker Tone, Dyllan Uehlin, R.J. Rollman, Noah Takitani, Danylo Shpak, Reece Lukowiak and Fisher Moore. Tone, Rollman, Takitani and Moore were all top 15 scorers for the Spacemen last year and they’re all a year older and wiser to the ways of the Premier now.

Adding to this group are some exciting newcomers, like goaltender William Ferland, an ‘05 from Ulysse Prep in Quebec, along with forwards Oscar Axelsson and Alexis Toussaint (a Ulysse teammate of Ferland’s) and defenseman Brandan Young, who has three years of USPHL Premier and Elite experience already.

It’s going to be a tough road ahead for the Spacemen, because everyone in the division has made improvements.

“The Chicago Cougars and Crush will be better than last year. Battle Creek as well,” said Schrock. “I expect MJDP and hopefully Fort Wayne to be top teams. The division should continue to improve. Last year was a step in the right direction.”

Metro Jets Development Program (MJDP)

Season Opener: Sept. 23 at Chicago Crush

As mentioned above, the MJDP has become both regular contenders for the Midwest East title as well as now regular attendees at the USPHL Nationals, making the trip three straight years alongside their Great Lakes Division Metro Jets brethren. The MJDP won the Midwest East Division in 2020-21 and they have registered at least 50 points in each of these three seasons.

“We were one of the youngest teams in junior hockey and our group did a great job with a difficult schedule,” said General Manager and Head Coach Justin Quenneville. “Making Nationals again was a great story with such a young core and a challenging schedule with so many out of division games and showcases.”

Goaltenders Austin Muirhead and Andrew Parmentier, both ‘04’s, and ‘03 forward Lucas Millmine are the key returning players that will drive the MJDP this season.

When Quenneville looks at the Midwest East, he sees a rising group amongst the USPHL Premier that is improving in terms of both parity and its National-level competitiveness.

“Last year was another step forward for the Midwest East Division and it does not look to be slowing down,” said Quenneville. “Fort Wayne will be tough competitor as always and others look to be building strong rosters.”

Motor City Gamblers

Season Opener: Sept. 22 vs. Battle Creek Kernels

The Gamblers had the Premier’s best year-over-year improvement last season, improving by 46 points (the best year-to-year improvement in Premier history) to claim third in the Midwest East Division. Of course now, they want to keep it going in the right direction and hope they can stand atop the division for their first time.

The Gamblers (formerly known as Motor City Hockey Club) were back-to-back Nationals competitors in 2018 and 2019, so despite a couple tough seasons, they know how to win. On top of that, owner Jason McCrimmon even has an NHL award to his name, having captured the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award, which he accepted as part of the NHL Awards Night this past June.

“We are incredibly excited about the roster that we have put together. We have a group that is going to build off of our strong 2022-2023 campaign,” added General Manager Chase Crawshaw. “Our roster is very well-rounded with a strong returning group of leaders ready to strengthen the standard set last year.”

The team really did its rebuilding already following the 2021-22 season, so they actually have a very strong core coming back including 2023 Midwest East Division All-Stars Jake Mullins (defense) and Brian Bell (forward). Add to these statistical leaders returning forwards Preston Stenzel, Nathan Ayuyu and Shaun Zatelli, and defenseman Jace Weimer.

“Jace is looking to bounce back from a season-ending injury,” added Crawshaw.

“Our squad from the previous season was built completely from scratch, with very few players returning from the 2021-2022 season. It took time for a brand new roster to gel,” said Crawshaw. “Our players this year have already begun to integrate both the returners and new signees. Not having to overcome that hurdle is the biggest difference between the two seasons.”

New forwards to watch for include Angelo Massaro (St. Viator High, Illinois), Jaxson Wesley (Florida Alliance) and Patrick Patton (Dayton Stealth), and defensemen Richard Biszant (Tampa Bay Juniors / USPHL Elite) and Brody Vachon (Timmins Majors 18U AAA).

The Gamblers were in the middle of a lot of the talk about greater parity in the division last season and they see a number of other rising teams who are likely to make trouble for the established order this year.

“The division had a lot of major turnover as a whole. I am more excited than ever for this division as I think it will be the most competitive it has been in years,” said Crawshaw. “Battle Creek’s Triston Jensen did a good job laying the foundation in Year 1, and I think he will have the Kernels on the rise in Year 2.”

Chicago Cougars

Season Opener: Sept. 29 at Decatur Blaze

Chicago Cougars ended last season with a large class of college commitments, which was a testament to the program. This left the Coaching staff with a summer focused on recruiting new talent.

“With just eight returning players, the Cougars are fortunate to have a solid core of players that will be a great mix for our team to feed off of,” said Premier Head Coach and GM Josh Dallmann. “Our team displays a lot of toughness and grit.”

The veteran core will certainly help push the younger players to new heights.

“We have a lot of older leadership to guide our new young players,” added Dallmann. “We will be relying on the new recruits to make a big impact for us this season. I’m looking forward to seeing how they grow.”

Coach Dallmann believes that the Midwest-East has made huge strides from top to bottom the last few years.

“The division’s talent level has increased tremendously making each game a battle with no days off.”

Chicago Crush

Season Opener: Sept. 16 at Battle Creek Kernels

The Crush are back for Year 2, and will start to face their fellow “Class of 2022” league entrants, the Battle Creek Kernels, in their season opener. The organization is very excited about where things could go this year, especially with former NHL player Steve Maltais. In addition to his NHL career, Maltais was a legend with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, who retired his number and whom he captained for 11 seasons.

The Crush look forward to continuing their mission of building the Path to College Hockey as well as higher levels of junior hockey in the Chicagoland area. Maltais worked hard throughout the off-season building 2023-24 rosters alongside GM and Elite Crush Head Coach Phil Bushbacher.

“The success from last season can be measured in the fact that there are over 60 percent returning players from that roster,” said Maltais.

“We have been solely focused on player experience, development, and advancement,” added Pete Olson, owner of both the Crush and the Chicago Cougars. “With this many players returning, it proves the program is delivering a true junior Hockey experience, developing players, and helping players on their journey to the next level.

“We have invested heavily this summer to prepare for the season and are very excited to be adding the Elite Level to the clubs as it provides further opportunities and options for local players here in the area,” he added.

The Crush are able to return All-Star defenseman Jonathan Wood (‘04), as well as their leading scorer from last year, Nick Zehelein. That is only the tip of the iceberg.

“With the return of our Captain and leading scorer Nick Zehelein and Jonathan Wood, many key returners that were part of our core group and some new additions, the Midwest East Division will see a deeper team, allowing us to keep taking strides, moving forward and getting better in all facets of our game,” said Maltais.

Battle Creek Kernels

Season Opener: Sept. 16 vs. Chicago Crush

The Kernels hope to keep building a fantastic franchise in Cereal Land in mid-Michigan, with Triston Jensen building a reputation as a consummate builder. The Kernels picked up some big wins last year against established teams like Motor City and Decatur, along with the Dells Ducks outside of division play. They won all four of their games against Decatur, and also swept their four games against the Crush.

“We have a roster full of players who are hungry to leave their stamp on Battle Creek hockey. A group of dogs,” added Jensen. “Overall, between returners and adding free agents we have gotten older, bigger and faster.”

For returning players, Jensen is looking to ‘03’s Ryan Jaros and Connor Hasse to be leaders. They had 44 points combined last year, while defenseman Josh Getson saw regular time last year as an ‘05. Galvin Reagan (‘05) led all Kernels goaltenders with 20 games in net last year.

Among newcomers, keep an eye on forwards ‘04 Connor Barone (Connecticut Chiefs 18U AAA) and ‘05 Alex Yeung (Elmira Jr. Enforcers / USPHL Elite) along with ‘04 defenseman Eli Bailey (Wenatchee Wild 18U AAA).

“The division is going to be wide open,” Jensen added. “A full-on race for first. MJDP is always solid, and Motor City returns an excellent forward group. Should be a dogfight.”

Decatur Blaze

Season Opener: Sept. 29 vs. Chicago Cougars

It really wasn’t very long ago in the grand scheme that the Blaze qualified for the 2020 Nationals, so this is an organization that certainly knows how to win in the Midwest East Division. The 2022-23 season is well behind them now and it can’t be far enough in the rearview mirror, as just about anything could be an improvement on last year.

“We are excited to get the season rolling after having a down season last year. We decided to do a rebuild and bring in a new staff and almost a whole new team. We have only two returning Premier players coming back so we look forward to having a fresh start for the upcoming season. We will be young so we will be looking to outwork the other team every chance we get,” said Blaze Owner, GM and Head Coach Zac Pearson. “We do have less experience, but I think our goaltending is stronger this year than it was last year.”

The team is returning only ‘04 forward Connor Wilson and ‘05 forward Bruin Schwendeman.

“We are looking for Connor to make the biggest difference for us. Bruin will also be returning after playing only half of last season for us,” Pearson said.

With essentially the whole team being newcomers, it was impossible more than two weeks out to predict who will be the top contributors in that group.

“I think we have so many newcomers that I am excited to see who will step up and take the opportunity that they are given,” he added.

The Blaze, celebrating their 10th anniversary season here in 2023-24, are excited to see what the next chapter in Blaze history looks like, especially in the battleground of the Midwest East Division, of which they were charter members.

“I think our division has gained a lot of respect the past year and I think, with adding the Elite Midwest Division, it will continue in that direction as well,” said Pearson.

We’re back and just days away from the start of the 2023-24 USPHL Premier season! The Great Lakes and Southeast Divisions both kick off play on Friday, Sept. 8 and then we’re off and running until the final puck is dropped at the USPHL Nationals in March! Below, we take a look at the six-team Great Lakes Division and hear from the coaches on what they expect this season.

Order is based on 2022-23 regular season finish.

Toledo Cherokee

Season Opener: Sept. 15 at Columbus Mavericks

The Cherokee hope to continue their roll of making the USPHL Nationals, having been there three straight years now, but they hope to be able to get to that final game and try to win that cup. Their 345 points since entering the Premier Conference in 2018-19 is in the top 10 of the league, showing that they are always a powerhouse. The Cherokee’s 38-6 regular season gave them the Great Lakes Division championship for the first time, knocking off the previous winner of four straight – and not coincidentally their historic rivals – the Metro Jets. Optimism reigns supreme for another great year in 2023-24.

“I really like the team Nic Saenz (Director of Player Personnel) has assembled so far. The returners we have coming back were difference-makers last year and we feel they should take their games to the next level this season,” said Head Coach and General Manager Kenny Miller. “We have added some really good young players that will be difference-makers for us this season.”

“We are going to be younger this season but I think we still have good veteran leadership up and down our lineup that will lead this year’s young players,” Miller added.

Watch for second-year forward Cameron Reel (‘03) to build upon his 57-point campaign last year, and fellow second-year forward Jacob Ammar (‘03) is coming off a 23-25-48 point season in just 37 games. Reel and Ammar had 10 points in six postseason games apiece last year to help lead the Cherokee after February and right through their time in Utica.

Additionally, watch for veteran forwards ‘04 Brett LoGelfo (43 points) and ‘03 Santino Multari (32 points) to continue their great contributions, as well as ‘03 defenseman Nick Minghine.

Other USPHL Premier veterans joining the Cherokee are ‘04 Grant Hendrickson and ‘05 Alex Atchison. They will help to lead some other newcomers that include ‘04’s Leo Crawford on defense and Austin Nowak in goal, and forwards Will Poolton and Justin Wen, as well as ‘05 forward Aidan Gonzalez.

The Cherokee know their road to potentially repeating at the top won’t be a clear one.

“I think the division got stronger adding Nashville and Buffalo. We went from a four-team division to a six-team division, so we know that every night we are going to have to be ready to play,” added Miller. “I really like our showcase schedules as well. We get some really good teams when we go to Detroit and Tampa.”

Metro Jets

Season Opener: Sept. 30 vs. Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones

The Jets did not like coming in second in the division, so many familiar faces are back and looking for redemption as well as that long-sought National Championship (the Jets played in the final game in both 2019 and 2022). No organization has a better winning percentage going back over their first five Premier seasons than the Jets’ .855 mark, and they also are the current Premier leaders for wins (207) and points (424) since they entered the league in 2018.

“We are excited about our group this year,” said longtime Head Coach and General Manager Justin Quenneville. “We are returning nearly 75 percent of our roster while adding some additional experience and leadership from last year. Our goal is to be more consistent out of the gates and play a full 60 minutes. With more experience in the roster, we know that has been addressed.

“We are not only a little older, but a little bigger. We expect to be better and tougher to play against in the hard areas,” Quenneville added.

Devon Mastay (‘03) will play his third year with the Jets as their Captain for this season. Fellow returning ‘03 players include forwards Alex Bedenko (who split last year with the NCDC’s Northern Cyclones), Carson Finney, Seve Litz, Ugo Lollier, and Yarne Vaerewyck, as well as ‘04 forwards Ethan Hellman and Tyler Husted and ‘03 defensemen Michael Lucia and Alex Blankenship.

Among the most promising newcomers to the Jets are former Metro Jets Development Program (MJDP) goalie Taylor White, who led the USPHL Premier in save percentage last year at .944, as well as other USPHL veterans in Brock Hart, Luke Gaffney and Emrik Froding. Lucas Cassel is a new ‘03 defenseman from Sweden’s Vannas program and is definitely someone to watch.

The Jets know what they’re getting in the reigning champ Toledo as well as many other Great Lakes veteran teams, but Quenneville said to keep an eye on the new division entry Nashville Spartans.

“We are expecting a tough division again this year. Newcomer Nashville looks to be building a strong program and our long-standing rivalry with Toledo is always a must-watch matchup,” Quenneville added.

Columbus Mavericks

Season Opener: Sept. 8 vs. Nashville Spartans

The Columbus Mavericks are hitting Season No. 5 here in 2023-24, and heading into this next phase of their future, they’ve made a lot of changes – from ownership to the bench and many places in between.

Joey Recktenwald not only became the full owner of the Mavericks this off-season, but also took over the GM and Head Coach positions.

“The Mavericks have a roster with a lot of new faces this year. As always, it’s a work in progress, but the staff and myself are pleased with what we’ve accomplished so far. This should be a fast group that plays wide open,” said Recktenwald. “A lot of our work so far has been to erase the fear of making mistakes, and replace it with the confidence to make plays. Hockey is supposed to be fun, and we’re going to focus on what we do right. With that in mind, as well as creating a culture where guys are constantly improving and competing, we’re only going to get tougher to play against as the year goes on.”

Three Maverick veterans that Recktenwald is looking forward to seeing hit the ice are ‘04’s Graham Wood, Hunter Gentz and Kyle Diehr.

Wood is three games away from his 100th career USPHL Premier regular season game, all with Columbus.

“ I expect him to take on a big role. Our D-men will go as he goes and I’m excited to see him thrive in a leadership position,” said Recktenwald. “Hunter Gentz is a guy that has come in faster and stronger than last season and looks like he’s ready to make a big impact.

Kyle Diehr returns in net with a new confidence and knows what it takes to compete in this division and lead our goalie group.”

Tryston Harrell comes out of Northview High School in Ohio as “a high-energy, high-skill rookie who gelled immediately with our group.”

Two other newcomers, both ‘04’s like Harrell, bring prior year USPHL Premier experience. Dalton Zulka played in 2021-22 for the former Pittsburgh Vengeance while also playing for Montour High School, also in Pennsylvania. Defenseman Braden Medved, another Pennsylvanian from West Allegheny High School, played the entire 2022-23 season for the Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings.

“Zulks is a junior vet who checks a lot of boxes for the systems we’re installing,” added Recktenwald. “Bringing in Braden Medved was huge for our D group. He’s a USPHL veteran who will have a big impact on our roster.”

Recktenwald is excited for the position-jockeying in the expanded Great Lakes Division in 2023-24.

“This division is a whole new beast this year. Adding Nashville and Buffalo brings new challenges and welcome competition,” said Recktenwald. “We’re also eager to keep chipping away at the clubs who finished ahead of us, and growing our rivalry with our neighbors in Cincinnati.”

Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones

Season Opener: Sept. 16 at Toledo Cherokee

The Jr. Cyclones enjoyed some moderate success in Year 1 in 2021-22 winning 19 games as a first-year franchise, but struggled more during the 2022-23 season. Head Coach Jim Mitchell expects more parity in the division this year with the expansion to six programs.

“We are aiming to build our culture in Cincinnati to one where our players develop both on and off the ice, and make the Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones an integral part of the hockey community,” said brand new Head Coach Lee Lansdowne. “Player development is going to be the major focus for this upcoming season and with that, we hope to be a competitive organization in a very difficult division.”

The Jr. Cyclones are bringing back a couple veterans that they hope can teach so many new faces what the USPHL Premier is all about. One is goaltender Jadon Atchison, an ‘06 from Louisville, Ky., who played in five games last year. Additionally, Jack Kirschling is entering his fourth USPHL season, playing one year in the USPHL Elite and the last two in the Premier conference.

“I hope [Atchison and Kirschling] make big steps and play like veterans this year,” said Lansdowne. “Among newcomers, Tyler Hilliker is a guy I expect big things from.”

Hilliker, from Muskegon, Mich., comes in with 57 games of USPHL Premier experience earned between 2020 and 2022.

Buffalo Stampede

Season Opener: Sept. 15 vs. Nashville Spartans

One of two existing USPHL Premier teams moved into the Great Lakes Division, the Buffalo Stampede joined from the Atlantic Division. Head Coach Brian Thompson can’t wait to get started, although the Stampede have a lot of experience against Great Lakes opponents. They played 12 games against GLD opponents last year, representing more than one-quarter of their overall schedule.

“We’re really looking forward to playing the top teams around day in and day within our division. I think the greatest strength of our division is the depth. From top to bottom there are no easy nights,” said Thompson, who coached with Columbus prior to taking the head coaching position with Buffalo last fall.

With one full year behind the bench, Thompson was also able to work with his staff on getting more of his own recruited players on the ice for this year.

“Overall I really like where we’re at. We’ve added depth across the board which will allow us to be difficult to play against while establishing a competitive, development driven culture,” he added. “The biggest difference [from last year] is our depth. I feel we’ve built a roster from top to bottom that can compete with anyone.”

Among the team veterans, watch for Caden Cavalieri and third-year Stampede Cameron Coogan to help lead this year’s first Great Lakes Division team. Cavalieri posted 18 points in 26 games last year as a junior rookie, and Coogan comes in with 34 points in 75 career Premier games.

The team added three-year junior veteran ‘03 Gennaro DeMaio in net. DeMaio comes in after two years in the NA3HL with Danbury, and he’d also played the 2020-21 season with the Jersey Hitmen Premier team.

James Somero joins the Stampede after last year captaining the Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) High School team and Brendan Reetz is joining from Pittsburgh’s always strong Shady Side Academy. Both are ‘05’s.

Nashville Spartans

Season Opener: Sept. 8 at Columbus Mavericks

The Spartans, a new USPHL organization in 2022-23, joins the Great Lakes Division from the Southeast Division. Their trips to face some Southeast opponents were longer than their shortest trips in the Great Lakes, so they have proven to be a good fit geographically for the GLD.

They may as well be in a new division because they are essentially new from top to bottom. Liam Tully is a first-year Head Coach who has put together a largely new squad from the team that finished just outside the Southeast Division top four playoff picture last year.

“This will be my first year coaching in the USPHL. I expect every team to be competitive,” said Tully. “We have a tremendous amount of depth this year, especially defensively. I have high expectations from our goaltenders as well. I was not here last season, this will be my first year with the Spartans. However, I expect to have more production spread throughout the lineup.”

The team’s most experienced player is Ryan Grant, a third-year USPHL veteran with 78 games of combined Elite and Premier experience. He joined the Spartans in a trade from the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes last year.

“One of our top returning players would be Ryan Grant. He is a highly skilled offensive player with a great deal of junior hockey experience. We are excited to have him back,” said Tully.
On the defensive side, keep an eye on junior veterans Austin Micale and Duncan Chisholm. Micale played last year with the Atlanta Capitals in the NA3HL and had also played with the Jersey Whalers’ former team in the USPHL Premier in 2021-22. Chisholm is a big 6-foot-3-inch hard-nosed defenseman who played with the Provo Predators in the USPHL Premier last year. Adding to this group of defenseman newcomers is Cooper Walling, an ‘05 from the Atlanta Fire organization, with whom he won the Tier II 16U National Championship in 2021.

Kyle Flynn, a forward, was a teammate of Chisholm’s on the Predators last year. Flynn scored 44 points in 48 games. Hunter Mangan comes in with USPHL 18U experience (Northern Cyclones Academy) and also with one ACHA season under his belt (University of Northern Colorado). Gus Immken, ‘04, is another former NA3HL coming to the USPHL Premier after two seasons with the St. Louis Jr. Blues.

As a rookie in 2021-22, Devon Mastay and the Metro Jets went to the USPHL national championship game.

Two years later, Mastay is a veteran defenseman with the Jets and will wear the ‘C’ for the team after recently being named captain for the Detroit-area club.

“I want to thank God and the coaching staff for the opportunity and honor to be named captain,” said Mastay, a Westminster, Colo., native. “It is a blessing that I get to be in a leadership position for such a prestigious program. When it comes to playing at Metro, there is always a high standard. The coaching staff prepares us for all situations so all we have to do is rely on our training.”

When Mastay was a rookie, his older brother Cody, now starting his sophomore season at NCAA Division III Arcadia University, served as Metro’s captain, so leadership obviously runs in the family.

“My leadership style is show don’t tell,” said Mastay. “I show up every day and hold myself to a high standard and try to make everyone around me better. I’ve learned a lot from my past captains. Josh German has an intensity and compete level that is infectious. Cody taught me how to lead with actions. It never mattered what the situation was. He was ready and willing to do whatever it takes to win.”

Over his two seasons with the Jets, Mastay has tallied seven goals and 24 assists for 31 points in 78 regular-season games. He has added three goals and seven points in 14 postseason games.

Mastay is looking to add to those totals this season.

“My expectation for the team is to win our last game,” said Mastay. “Only one team does it every year and there is no team in hockey that has more to play for this season.”

Back in April, Jets teammate Braydin Lewis lost his courageous battle with cancer. The team is dedicating this season to Lewis.

“This year means a lot more than any other,” Mastay said. “We are playing for Braydin Lewis. Being side by side with him throughout his battle, he is my inspiration. There is nothing I want more than to get a big fat ring with his name on it.”

Courtesy Colorado Rubber Magazine

The Lake Superior State University (LSSU) hockey program has added Vincent Pietrangelo as an assistant coach, as announced by Head Coach Damon Whitten on Thursday.

“We want to welcome Vinny to Laker hockey,” said Whitten. We are looking forward to his addition to our staff and program.”

Pietrangelo, a native of Traverse City, Mich., has spent the past two seasons as the head coach of NCAA Division III Arcadia University where he led the Knights to an 11-37-3 overall record.

Prior to his time with Arcadia, Pietrangelo served as the lead assistant coach for the State University of New York (SUNY) at Canton hockey program. While with SUNY Canton, he helped lead the Kangaroos to a 14-9-2 overall record in the 2018-19 season, the program’s most wins since 2012. He would also contribute to key victories over then No. 14 Fredonia and No. 3 Adrian College, marking the program’s highest ranked victory in school history.

Pietrangelo has also served as a volunteer assistant coach at Ferris State University (FSU) during the 2015-16 season, working with skill development, video breakdown, statistical analysis, and practice planning. While with FSU, the Bulldogs would go on to finish the season with a 20-15-6 overall record, capture the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Final Five Championship, and earn the program’s most recent bid to the NCAA National Tournament.

As a player, Pietrangelo competed in collegiate hockey as a defenseman at Finlandia University where he was one of only two freshmen to dress every game during the 2010-11 season, and he was drafted second overall in the 2009 CSHL Draft by the Metro Jets.

“We’ve been fortunate to get to know Vinny, working with him the last few summers,” Whitten said. “He brings tremendous passion and energy to the game. Among his greatest strengths are his ability to relate and connect with players, allowing for maximum development, and as a former head coach, he will bring a unique perspective to our staff as well.”

Pietrangelo graduated with a bachelor of science in healthcare services administration from Ferris State University in 2015, and he earned a masters degree in sport management from SUNY Cortland in 2021.

With the Jets in 2009-10, Pietrangelo tallied a goal and eight assists for nine points in 47 games.