On Monday, the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League (USHL) signed forward Liam Kilfoil to a tender agreement for the 2023-24 season. Kilfoil becomes the eighth tender in Saints team history, and the first since 2015.
The native of Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Canada, has split duties this season with the Buffalo Regals and Salisbury School. In 25 games for Buffalo, Kilfoil recorded 16 goals and 36 points. In another 26 games for Salisbury, he added six goals and 15 points.
Kilfoil recently competed for Team New Brunswick in the Canada Winter Games, where he recorded four goals and eight points in six contests.
Per league rules, the USHL allows each of its 16 member teams to tender up to two players that are eligible for the upcoming Phase 1 USHL Draft this spring. However, as a result of tendering Kilfoil, Dubuque will surrender its first-round pick in the draft. This year’s USHL Draft is scheduled to take place on May 2nd.
Speaking to Dubuque’s official team website, Fighting Saints president of hockey operations and general manager Kalle Larsson shared his thoughts.
“We are thrilled that Liam Kilfoil has decided to continue his development in Dubuque,” said Larsson. “We feel strongly that he fits our profile of what it means to be a Fighting Saint. Our scouting staff have tracked Liam closely since his U14 season, and we have watched him multiple times in various settings with and against both players his age and older competition.”
Kilfoil went on to praise the organization as well.
“It’s always been my goal to get a tender in the USHL,” added Kilfoil. “We started talking maybe mid-way into the Salisbury season. They (Dubuque) expressed interest in maybe doing a tender. Since then, I’ve been connected with Kalle [Larsson] and we went through the process of how it would work out. We talked about Dubuque and the role I would have on the team. I had Dubuque as the top option after seeing the history of the organization.”
The final day for USHL teams to receive signed tenders is April 29th. Each tendered player will be on their respective team’s roster the next season, and must play at least 55 percent of the team’s regular season games.
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With the 15O, 16U and 18U Massachusetts-based youth hockey teams already securing their spots at USA Hockey Nationals, only the 14U division remained undecided. From March 3-5, the Boston Jr. Eagles, Neponset Valley River Rats, South Shore Kings, Assabet Valley Patriots, Valley Jr. Warriors, East Coast Militia, North Suburban Wings and Top Gun all took part in the state tournament.
Going undefeated, the 2008-born Boston Jr. Eagles earned their spot to represent their state with a thrilling overtime victory in the championship game against Neponset.
The Jr. Eagles kicked the tires off on their pool-play schedule with a big victory over Top Gun. They then went on to collect two more wins against the Jr. Warriors and Patriot Hockey to finish preliminary-round play at 3-0-0. Their incredible ability to score was on display, tallying 29 goals while just allowing two.
Early tournament success led to a semifinal matchup with South Shore. In the regular season, the two teams had previously met three times, with the Jr. Eagles winning twice. It would be a similar script once again as they downed the Kings, 3-1, to move on to the championship game.
The River Rats were waiting for the Jr. Eagles in the title match. Skating to a 3-0-0 record themselves, they outscored their opposition 14-2. The two teams only played each other once before, back in August in a 2-0 win for Neponset. In what would be a close-fought game, overtime was needed following a scoreless regulation frame. Draped by a defender, Noah Survilas skated into the zone and whipped a low shot in from the left circle, securing the victory.
U14 Elite win 1-0 in OT over the @NVRiverRats in the @Mass_Hockey State title game on a Noah Survilas snipe! #GWG #NattyBound @fedhockey pic.twitter.com/60CLKPuikw
— Boston Junior Eagles (@BostonJrEagles) March 6, 2023
They join the following teams who have also earned automatic bids to USAH Nationals:
Boston Jr. Eagles (Massachusetts)
Pittsburgh Vengeance (Mid-American)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Los Angeles Jr. Kings (Pacific)
Neponset Valley River Rats (Massachusetts)
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (Mid-American)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Los Angeles Jr. Kings (Pacific)
Boston Little Bruins (Massachusetts)
Cleveland Barons (Mid-American)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Anaheim Jr. Ducks (Pacific)
Boston Jr. Eagles (Massachusetts)
Culver Academy (Mid-American)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Anaheim Jr. Ducks (Pacific)
The Mid-American districts – consisting of teams from Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia – had bids awarded to two teams from Pittsburgh, one from Ohio and one from Indiana.
The Pittsburgh Vengeance went undefeated among fellow ‘08 squads at the Mid-American district playoffs. While they were led by prolific scorers such as Sean Miller (8A), Rhys Medved (4G, 2A) and Caden Harvey (6G), their netminders were the true stars.
Tyler O’Keefe and Giovanni Scally were virtually unbeatable across four games. Alternating time between the pipes, O’Keefe helped the team get off to a hot start in a 7-0 win against the Cleveland Barons. Over the next two games, Scally collected a shutout and O’Keefe notched his second. Setting up a championship game against fellow Steel City foe, No. 15 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite.
Pens Elite took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission before the Vengeance tallied four unanswered goals to take a 4-1 lead after the second. Drew Grasser would score in the third to cut into the lead, but it wasn’t enough to mount a full comeback attempt.
The Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 2007-born roster fared better than their ‘08 counterparts in the championship game, besting the Esmark Stars 4-0. After handling the South Hills Panthers, Ohio Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Vengeance, their final test was Esmark.
Like the Pens Elite, Esmark had skated to a 3-0-0 record in pool play. However, their skill level was no match for that of the Penguins Elite. Through their four games, the Pens Elite were led by Jacob Cloutier’s seven goals and 12 points. Holding onto a 2-0 lead in the third period, Cloutier cemented his club’s win by adding two more goals for the 4-0 lead. Jake Shingles also stopped all 18 shots he faced for the shutout.
15U are MidAm District Champions. Congratulations and good luck @usahockey Nationals! #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/WOH1U8sGMX
— Penguins Elite (@PghPensElite) March 5, 2023
The Cleveland Barons began their road to the championship game at Mid-Atlantic districts against the Esmark Stars. The Barons secured a 4-2 win, their first of four consecutive victories to win the 16U division. The Stars kept things close, erasing a 2-0 deficit with two quick goals in the third period. The Barons would regain their lead shortly after that before Troy Hunka put away any hope of a comeback with a late goal in regulation for a 4-2 lead.
After dispatching the South Hills Panthers and Ohio Blue Jackets, a rematch was in the cards against the Stars for the division championship. It would be another close battle, with both goals coming in the second period from Ryan Rucinski and Mykyta Yalovyi. With overtime underway, Dan Ramirez scored at 13:25 to put the Stars away for good. He would finish as the second leading scorer for the Barons behind Landon Watson (1G, 4A), collecting three goals and four points. Hbleb Subach did all he could for the Stars in net, turning aside 47 of 49 shots that came his way.
Culver Academy and Pittsburgh Penguins Elite have had numerous tilts this season. Entering district playoffs for the 18U division, they had played each other three previous times with Culver coming out on top each time. Those contests were close, so it was not a surprise that overtime was needed to figure out a winner for this matchup.
The story of the game was goaltending, as Culver had a 75-41 shot advantage. Eliott Pratt, goaltender for Pens Elite. Despite the loss, Pratt recorded 71 saves on 75 shots, easily the most impressive goaltending performance of the weekend. Vaughan Makar’s 38 saves in the other crease in Culver’s winning effort was also impressive. Zach Zhang recorded the heroics for Culver in the extra frame, where he netted the game-winning goal, which was also his second of the game.
USA Hockey District playoffs will continue this week. Michigan, New England, Rocky Mountain, Southeastern, Central District, New York District and Atlantic playoffs will take place this week. WHH will have continued coverage of each of the 12 USA Hockey District playoffs, as well as Nationals next month!
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On Wednesday, the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) signed Lev Katzin to a tender agreement for the 2023-24 season. Kaztin is the fifth overall tender in the history of the Gamblers and first since 2013 when they signed Brent Gates, Jr.
Gamblers Tender Katzin ‼️ The Green Bay Gamblers are proud to announce we have signed forward Lev Katzin to a tender. Katzin is the first tender signed by the Gamblers since 2013. Welcome to Green Bay Lev! #GoGamblers pic.twitter.com/Dhmrfg3VQD
— Green Bay Gamblers (@GamblersHockey) March 1, 2023
The USHL allows each of its 16 member teams to tender up to two players that are eligible for the upcoming Phase 1 USHL Draft this spring. However, as a result of tendering Katzin, the Gamblers will surrender their first-round pick in the draft. Other players born in 2007 will make up the eligible options for teams when they make their selections on May 2nd.
Clearly, the scouting staff for the Gamblers saw something special in Katzin for them to be willing to part with their first-round pick. With the season that Katzin has had up to this point, it is easy to see why.
The left-shot forward has split his duties this season between St. Andrew’s College and the No. 2 Toronto Marlboros U16 club, which plays in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). A dynamic and skilled two-way center, he has scored 42 goals and 120 points in 64 games this season. Stellar play that has propelled the Marlies to a 55-10-0 record and a consistent spot among the top-tier programs in the World Rankings. In fact, they were just named WHH’s top Canadian team for the month of February.
Speaking on the Gamblers’ website, Head Coach and General Manager Michael Leone shared his thoughts on the signing.
“We are thrilled to add a player of Lev’s caliber to our group for next season and beyond,” said Leone. “He’s intelligent and dynamic; a winning hockey player with the character and values that embody the Green Bay Gamblers organization and all we stand for.”
The Gamblers sit tied with the Youngstown Phantoms for second place in the Eastern Conference with 55 points. They are aiming for a strong finish to their season to get back to the playoffs; a spot where they missed out last year. An organization known for fostering elite talent, with notable alumni such as Blake Wheeler, Casey Mittelstadt and Anders Lee.
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With the 2022-23 regular season beginning to wind down, teams across youth hockey are emptying the tanks before hopeful playoff runs. The ‘07 Toronto Marlboros and Tappara are on our teams of the month list for the second time. The Los Angeles Jr. Kings were one of the busier U.S. ‘08 clubs. Nacka HK and CSKA Moscow solidified their spots at the top of their respective ‘07 and ‘09 birth years as well. WHH takes a look at a few programs across all countries and birth years that established themselves among the best of the best in youth hockey.
It was a jam-packed month for the 2008-born No. 23 Los Angeles Jr. Kings. Suiting up in 14 contests across regular season, playoff and district play, they took care of business with wins in each matchup.
After opening the month with a 4-0-0 record, their next task was the Tier-1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL) playoffs. In the 14U division, they rattled off five consecutive victories for the championship. Their run culminated in a hard-fought 5-3 victory over No. 25 Dallas Stars Elite. Tyus Sparks and Noah Davidson were the main point getters for the team, each collecting 12 points.
After a few days to recuperate, the Jr. Kings were back in action at the Pacific District playoffs with the hope of nabbing a spot at the upcoming USA Hockey Nationals. It was here they found the win column in another five straight games, outscoring opponents 31-4.
Next up will be a trip to Nationals, but as an added bonus they will have some company. The 15O Jr. Kings earned a trip as well, after securing their division. The Los Angeles program will be well-represented on the national stage later this month.
For the second time this season, the ‘07 No. 2 Toronto Marlboros have skated to ‘Team of the Month’ honors for Canada. Having last earned the honor in December, the Marlies continued to run the table in their birth year, going 7-0-0. Three of those victories came against ranked teams, twice over the No. 10 Toronto Jr. Canadiens and a 5-3 win vs. against No. 22 Mississauga Rebels.
With the GTHL playoffs around the corner, the Marlboros will look to build upon their current seven-game win streak.
Impressing in February was ‘07 No. 13 Nacka HK with a 5-1-0 record. The team did not have a light schedule, lacing up the skates against four powerhouses in the Top 10 of Sweden. After winning their opening 8-5 showdown with No. 3 Swedish-ranked Djurgårdens IF in thrilling fashion, they followed it up with another win over Trångsunds IF.
Despite a slight setback in a 3-2 loss to No. 8 Viggbyholms IK, they rebounded with solid showings against world-ranked No. 19 Täby HC, Almtuna IS and No. 5 Södertälje SK.
Ruben Westerling may be the club’s overall leading scorer with 16 goals and 32 points, but Neo Hirsch and Olle Därth had a month to remember. Across all six contests, Hirsch compiled four goals and 11 points to go along with Därth’s six goals and 10 points.
Like the Marlboros, ‘07 No. 15 Tappara is another program to be featured on our Teams of the Month list for a second time. Tappara was included in our list from November. Dropping the puck in seven games, Tappara skated to a 6-1-0 record, with a lone ‘blemish’ being a 5-4 loss to No. 5 Ilves.
Other than that, Tappara fared quite well against some top competition from Finland. They kicked off their schedule with the defeat to Ilves, but wasted no time in getting back on track with a 3-2 win against No. 10 KalPa. Following that, five more wins over No. 1 Kiekko-Espoo, Pelicans, No. 7 TPS, a second victory against KalPa and finishing off with Jokipojat.
It certainly didn’t hurt having the top two scorers of the group, either. Joonas Rajala and Eetu Orpana have each collected 30 points in 13 and 12 games, respectively. Orpana alone tallied in the team’s last five games of the month, garnering 3 goals and 10 points alone. Both players also spent time last month with the Finnish National Team at the 3 Nations Tournament in the Czech Republic.
No. 3 CSKA Moscow went a perfect 5-0-0 in February, highlighted by wins against No. 4 Spartak Moscow and No. 14 Atlant Mytishchi. The five victories combined with the four they ended January with give the club an impressive nine-game streak currently.
Nazar Privalov, the teams’ leading scorer, was on fire across all matches. Unable to be slowed by any opponent, he struck for six goals and nine points. Privalov has found the scoresheet in every game dating back to Jan. 22.
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The 2008-born No. 23 Los Angeles Jr. Kings, fresh off stellar showings at the T1EHL Playoffs and Pacific Districts, enjoyed a pleasant bump in the rankings. Downing some of the best teams their birth year has to offer provided the Jr. Kings a track to maneuver their way up the Top 10 U.S. teams. A run of play highlighted by holding off No. 25 Dallas Stars Elite in the 15O division TIEHL title game.
After falling out of the top spot in our last rankings, No. 1 Little Caesars is back at the top of the ‘07 Top 25 thanks to crucial victories over No. 17 Shattuck-St. Mary’s and No. 10 U.S.-ranked Compuware by a combined 19-0. Since their last loss — a 2-1 overtime defeat to No. 20 Long Island Gulls back on Feb. 2 — they have rattled off six consecutive wins.
But they are not the only team back in first place. Pittsburgh Penguins Elite settled back in as the No. 1 squad among 2011 programs by taking care of business against fellow Top 10 opponents. With recent wins against No. 2 Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers, No. 8 Rochester Coalition and a two-game split with No. 5 Little Caesars, Pens Elite has proven once again they are the team to beat in the age group. With an impressive week of their own, the South Shore Kings nabbed the No. 10 spot, having beaten the likes of the Jr. Rangers twice and No. 9 Philadelphia Hockey Club.
No. 9 Anaheim Jr. Ducks and No. 10 Philadelphia Hockey Club are back in the ‘09 Top 10 after extended absences. With wins over No. 8 Dallas Stars Elite and No. 2 St. Louis Blues, the Jr. Ducks bolstered their resume enough to be back among the elite after spending the last rankings out on the bubble. Not seeing a spot in the Top 10 since back on Sept. 28th, Philadelphia slid back in as winners of their last 12 as well.
No. 8 Jokerit held their own in three major ‘07 matchups, including a two-game set against No. 1 Kiekko-Espoo. Lauri Kouhia and Rasmus Kämäräinen each collected four points in a 5-2 victory in the first tilt against K-Espoo. In the second, Kouhia and Kämäräinen notched multi-point games once more, but Jokerit dropped a thrilling 6-5 decision in the shootout. The team rebounded with a winning effort against No. 9 Ässät, 6-3 the next time out.
In the 2008 age group, No. 7 Kärpät Musta raised eyebrows with multiple Top 10 victories. First, they dispatched No. 8 Kärpät Valkoinen, 6-3. Next, a 4-1 winning effort against No. 9 KalPa. Taking care of the teams previously ahead of them usually leads to good things, and Musta is a prime example of that fact.
Not to be outdone, but there was one other Finnish club that worked its way back into the Top 10 among ‘08s. KJT Haukat Blue, absent from the Top 10 since Nov. 9th, paved their way back in with three wins; two of them against ranked programs. Handling No. 6 Pelicans Turkoosi and No. 1 HIFK, provided enough of a lift to get them into a No. 10 placement.
Be sure to check out the complete world rankings, including Top 10s by country and World Top 25s for each of the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 birth years.
The youth hockey season is nearing its end, and USA Hockey Nationals are on the horizon. Teams from across the U.S. look to win their respective district playoffs in order to earn one of the 12 automatic bids to the national tournament, slated to begin on March 29th.
Two of those bids have already been awarded at each of the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U age groups. And, over this past weekend, four more teams punched their ticket to nationals by winning the Pacific District playoffs.
The Pacific District bids — which consists of youth hockey teams from Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington — were awarded to two teams from the Anaheim Jr. Ducks organization and two teams from the Los Angeles Jr. Kings organization.
They join the following teams who have also earned automatic bids to USAH Nationals:
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Los Angeles Jr. Kings (Pacific)
Neponset Valley River Rats (Massachusetts)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Los Angeles Jr. Kings (Pacific)
Boston Little Bruins (Massachusetts)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Anaheim Jr. Ducks (Pacific)
Boston Jr. Eagles (Massachusetts)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Anaheim Jr. Ducks (Pacific)
The No. 25-ranked ‘08 team in the world, Los Angeles Jr. Kings displayed their talent and depth with a 5-0-0 showing among fellow 2008-born teams. Outscoring opponents in the round-robin stage by a combined 13-2, they continued their torrid pace by besting the California Wave and Team Alaska to cement their championship.
The high-flying trio of Brendan Russell, Tyus Sparks and Noah Davidson were standouts. Each collected eight points for the Jr. Kings, with Sparks and Davidson doing most of their damage in the semifinal and championship games.
The ‘07 Los Angeles Jr. Kings made quick work of a four-game schedule that saw them best teams such as the San Jose Jr. Sharks, California Golden Bears and Las Vegas Jr. Golden Knights. Luke Norcross led all players with four goals and seven points, tallying three of them on the power play. Additionally, 11 players totaled at least two points across four games. Norcross would also finish first among all players in the division in points.
However, special teams — especially the penalty kill — is where the team really had their time to shine. Killing off 13 of 15 penalties, the penalty killing unit was also able to collect a shorthanded goal as well. On the man advantage, the Jr. Kings found the back of the net four times across 15 opportunities. Seven players recorded at least one power-play point, with Norcross leading the charge with three (2G, 1A).
The power play unit would also secure the team the division championship. In the final game against the Jr. Sharks, the score was knotted at 1-1 in the third period. With Griffin Brown in the box for interference, Timofei Runtso finished off a passing play with Benjamin Kaven to put the Jr. Kings up 2-1 with 8:48 left. The tally would stand as the game-winning goal, as the Jr. Sharks were unable to find the equalizer for the remainder of regulation.
A fitting ending for the No. 7 ranked team in the country.
One team separated themselves from the other 2006-born teams at the Pacific District playoffs. It was the Anaheim Jr. Ducks.
After the round-robin stage of games, the top five scorers all hailed from the Jr. Ducks, with Tanner Hendricks topping the list with eight points. He would add three more points in the semifinal and championship games to push his point total to 11 (3G, 8A). Closely behind him were Ty Ziadi (3G, 7A) and Colin Frank (5G, 4A).
When a team’s penalty kill is better than others power play, odds are that the club is destined for good things. That is what happened with the Jr. Ducks and their run to the 16U division championship. While scoring one power-play goal, they flipped the script on the penalty kill by notching four short-handed goals. Three of which came in their opening game against the Las Vegas Jr. Golden Knights.
In the title tilt, they faced off against the Junior Ice Dogs, who they defeated in the round-robin stage by a 3-2 final. The second time around, things would not be as close. Frank and teammate Brendan Dunphy each recorded multi-point performances en route to a 4-0 victory. Goaltender Jack Kavetsky also stopped the 22 shots he faced as well.
After a rocky round-robin performance that saw them go 1-0-2, the Anaheim Jr. Ducks rallied in their semifinal and championship appearances to take the 18U division title.
Opening their schedule with a large win against the Las Vegas Jr. Golden Knights, it seemed as if the road to the championship game might be a cakewalk for the Jr. Ducks. However, they proceeded to drop consecutive games in overtime and a shootout. The pendulum quickly shifted to a potentially early exit instead.
They bounced back with a 4-2 win against Team Alaska to put the Jr. Ducks into the finale against the San Jose Jr. Sharks. There, they took a 1-0 lead into the third period before the offense really picked up.
Each side would strike twice in the final frame, with Makar Klochkov notching a goal and an assist. Owen Crudale backstopped his squad with 34 saves to help the Jr. Ducks nab their second district trophy of the weekend.
USA Hockey District playoffs will continue over the next two weeks. Michigan, Mid-American, 14U Massachusetts and Atlantic qualifiers will take place this week. WHH will have continued coverage of each of the 12 USA Hockey District playoffs, as well as Nationals next month!
Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, top performers and more.
The Tier-1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL) held its annual playoffs at Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota from Feb. 17-20. Teams from the 2006, 2007 and 2008 birth years were in attendance to battle it out for division supremacy. First, league members competed in three pool-play games. After that, four teams advanced to the semifinals, and then championship games of their respective age groups.
No. 25 Los Angeles Jr. Kings were feeling confident in their play heading into the league playoffs. Fresh off a newly appointed position in the World Rankings, they hoped to continue to make some noise against their fellow U14 T1EHL teams. They made quick work of their first three opponents of the weekend, outscoring the Washington Little Capitals, Cleveland Barons and Nashville Jr. Predators by a combined 19-5 total. That 3-0-0 run set up a semifinals clash with the Sioux Falls Power.
Tyus Sparks and Noah Davidson, the two leading point getters for the Jr. Kings continued their playoff dominance in that game. With Davidson tallying three points and Sparks nabbing two of his own, the L.A. defeated Sioux Falls 5-2 to reach the championship. Across five playoff games, Sparks and Davidson each collected 12 points.
The final hurdle for Los Angeles was No. 23 Dallas Stars Elite. Entering the game with extra motivation, the Jr. Kings were bested by Dallas, 3-2 back on Nov. 12. Winning all four games on their schedule, the stage was set for an exciting winner-take-all tilt. Each club would find the back of the net in the first period before the Jr. Kings pulled away in the second. Tallies by Sparks, Sean Burick and Karsten Hirasawa gave their squad a commanding 4-1 lead heading into the final frame.
But Dallas was not going to go away quietly.
Jeff Turcotte led LA Jr. Kings 14U AAA team won the Tier 1 Elite League Championship in Blaine, Minnesota with a 5-3 win over the Dallas Stars. Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/XD2KQ273n7
— LA Jr. Kings (@JrKingsHockey) February 21, 2023
After two scores by Landon Amrhein and Dennis Emesibe, the Jr. Kings suddenly found their lead dwindle to just one goal. DSE proceeded to throw everything but the kitchen sink at the L.A. net, but were unable to find the equalizer. Then, Jake Brown cemented the 5-3 victory with a late shorthanded goal.
Now winners of their past nine and a fresh division championship to their name, it will be exciting to see what this Jr. Kings group does with the rest of their season.
Heading into the postseason portion of its season, Victory Honda had suffered tough defeats at the hands of two premier U.S. teams. Dropping consecutive decisions to No. 1 Little Caesars and No. 10 Compuware, VH was in search of a spark to get back into the win column. They not only found that spark but caught fire as they rolled their way to a league championship among fellow 2007-born programs.
After taking down the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals 6-1, it seemed that Victory Honda got its mojo back by rattling off two more wins to reach the semifinal round. A narrow 5-4 win over Fox Motors put VH into the title game against the Buffalo Jr. Sabres. There was some familiarity between the two teams, as they split two games during the regular season. With the score knotted at 1-1 entering the third period, the heroics of Mike Zielinski arrived just in time. He found the back of the net twice about three minutes apart to give VH some breathing room. Two more late tallies would secure the 5-1 final.
What became apparent over their run was that VH had depth that most clubs in the league lacked. Led by Luc Plante’s five goals and seven points, by the end of the weekend, 11 players had two or more points. Plante was also a menace on special teams, notching two power-play goals and a shorthanded one as well.
We have had Cullen Potter and the 2006-born Dallas Stars Elite on our radar all season long. They have shown they are capable of skating with the top-tier clubs of their birth year and can pretty much play in any game situation.
Alexander Dicker got his playoff stretch off on the right foot by backstopping Stars Elite to a 5-0 win over the Colorado Rampage. Connor Addington would take over net-minding duties in their next contest against the Jr. Admirals, a 7-1 victory. In that win, the Dallas blue line showed its strength as well, allowing only 12 shots on net. In fact, across three pool-play matchups, DSE did not give up more than 19 shots on goal in any game.
Potter collected the only hat trick of the playoffs in a come-from-behind 4-2 win against the Anaheim Jr. Ducks. Despite peppering Addington with 31 shots, the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes were unable to get more than one goal past him in a 3-1 defeat, allowing Stars Elite to move on to the title game.
Dallas Stars Elite Hockey Club…16U Tier 1 Elite Hockey League Champions!!!
— Dallas Stars Elite (@DSEHC) February 20, 2023
Congratulations to all the coaches and players!#gostarselite #elitedna #GreenHelmets #t1ehlplayoffs2023 pic.twitter.com/4Aim4ljolZ
Ready to drop the puck against them were the Cleveland Barons, and fans certainly got their money’s worth in this one. After falling into a 2-0 hole in the first period, Jackson Crowder injected some life into the Dallas lineup by cutting into the deficit. Landon Watson responded for the Barons, reinstating the two-goal lead. Shortly after, Potter deposited a sweet pass from Carter Murphy to make it a 3-2 score with his team-leading 10th point of the playoffs. Sent to a late power play, Caleb Mahar tied it up in regulation to send it to overtime.
Both sides traded chances once the extra frame began, but it was Landon Hafele with the late-game heroics for DSE. With 3:43 left in overtime, Hafele notched his first goal of the playoffs, beating Gino Texter to cement the Stars Elite’s championship.
Want more coverage of the Tier-1 Elite Hockey League and other major leagues from around the world of youth hockey? Follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube!
From Feb. 8-19, 28 2010-born AAA youth hockey teams participated in the 63rd annual Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. After a stretch of highly competitive and fast-paced action, the Czech Knights were crowned champions on Sunday with a 4-2 defeat of the Detroit Red Wings.
It was not an easy road for the Knights despite being the odds-on favorite to win their third tournament in the past five years. After opening up play with back-to-back victories over Lions Lac St-Louis and Laval Patriotes, the real tests began. The Philadelphia Flyers were on deck, armed with one of the best offenses of any club. The Flyers had outscored opponents by a combined 8-1 in their two contests heading into the tilt.
Tobias Orechovsky was chosen as the netminder to help the Czechs get past the Flyers, which he did in perfect fashion. Orechovsky turned aside every shot he faced en route to a 3-0 victory. He was also in net for their next game against No. 9 U.S.-ranked Buffalo Jr. Sabres, who he also held to no goals in a 1-0 win. Two shutout performances that set the table for a semifinal appearance against the No. 8 World-Ranked Sun County Panthers.
After taking a 2-0 deficit into the first intermission, Lucas Andrejko decided to change the script in the second period. Shortly once things got underway, Andrejko nabbed his fourth point of the tournament by cutting into the Panthers’ lead. Just 43 seconds into the third period, the Knights’ second leading scorer Nicolas Novak would knot things up at two. Robin Mach would eventually net the winning goal to advance the Knights into the championship.
Awaiting them there were the Detroit Red Wings, a squad whose roster was made up of skaters from No. 5 Little Caesars. It was the Red Wings’ first appearance in the final game since 2015, and leading point getter A.J. Moore was focused on propelling his team to a championship. However, it just so happened that Andrejko decided to have his best game of the tournament in this meeting.
With Orechovsky manning the crease once more, the Czechs kicked off the scoring just over two minutes into the opening frame before Moore equalized things just 13 seconds after. The second period would be scoreless but set the stage for a dramatic goal-filled third period. The Knights opened up a 2-1 lead thanks to a pretty passing play between Novak and Andrejko that was put home by Andrej Adamkov. Andrejko would get in on the scoring with a goal just before the halfway point of the period for a 3-1 advantage. Detroit kept things close by cutting into the deficit to make things 3-2 before Andrejko struck again. The powerhouse forward added his second goal and third point of the afternoon to restore the two-goal advantage, which the Knights would not relinquish.
After being held scoreless in the team’s first matchup, Andrejko notched at least one point in the next five, compiling six goals and two assists. Not to be outdone, Orechovsky was perfect between the pipes, going 5-0-0 with two shutouts and a 1.60 goals-against average. Without stellar goaltending, winning the Pee-Wee Quebec is almost impossible. Orechovsky and fellow goalie Matyas Novotny went above and beyond for the Czechs.
Since 2018, the Knights have played in every AAA championship game, going 3-2-0. As a reminder, there was no 2021 tournament due to circumstances surrounding COVID-19. They also were runners up at the 2016 Pee-Wee Quebec.
Head coach Adam Jonak shared words of praise and thanks to his team and to the organizers of the games on his Instagram.
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