2026-27 USPHL Premier Season Preview: Southeast Conference
The 2026-27 USPHL Premier Season Preview Series continues with a look at the Southeast Conference.
Six organizations make up the Southeast this season, with several programs coming off strong 2025-26 campaigns and others beginning new chapters. Across the conference, player development and advancement remain central as organizations work to prepare players for opportunities in the NCDC, college hockey and beyond.
Here is a team-by-team look at the Southeast Conference entering 2026-27.
Carolina Jr. Hurricanes
Head Coach: Marc Genest
General Manager: Brad Gaylord
2025-26 Record: 13-25-4-2, 32 points
The Carolina Jr. Hurricanes enter 2026-27 looking to use team play, defensive structure and speed in transition to take another step forward.
“The biggest strengths to our team this year will be our team play, being sound defensively and using our speed to transition into offense,” Gaylord said. “Adding to that will be our relentless forecheck.”
Spencer Tanner and Jacob Kuhn are among the returning players expected to take on larger roles.
Tanner has continued to trust Carolina’s development process and will be given an opportunity to make his mark before pursuing higher levels of junior hockey. Kuhn returns following a strong rookie season and is expected to continue developing toward NCDC opportunities.
Carolina enters the season with a deep recruiting class, while the offseason also included a heavy emphasis on improving play in its own zone.
“We want to be much cleaner on our exits,” Gaylord said. “Wall play in our zone will be a heavy focus for us.”
That work should complement an identity built around pace.
“Sound defensively, a very fast transitional team, a team that plays with pace and has a relentless forecheck,” Gaylord said.
The Hurricanes believe staying committed to that structure will be the key to competing consistently in the Southeast.
Player development remains central to Carolina’s approach, with the organization intentionally maintaining manageable roster sizes to give players the individual attention and repetitions needed to improve.
“If both teams buy in and learn the game, get bigger, faster and stronger throughout the season, and all players understand what it truly means to be and continue to be a good person, then the Jr. Canes have had a successful 2026-27 season,” Gaylord said. The Premier team is led by Head Coach Marc Genest.
Charleston Colonials
Head Coach: Tyler Morin
2025-26 Record: 19-22-2-1, 41 points
The Charleston Colonials enter 2026-27 with an emphasis on their facilities, coaching staff and commitment to developing future college hockey players.
Cooke and Wingerter are among the returning players Charleston expects to take on larger roles, while Payton Sommers and Briggs Mitchell could make immediate impacts.
The organization also invested in its player-development environment during the offseason, including improvements to its workout area and recovery room.
Morin expects the Colonials to establish a confident and hardworking identity.
“A confident, hard-working team that works hard to get possession back and attack against other teams’ weaknesses,” Morin said.
Consistency throughout both practices and games will be essential.
Charleston believes its daily environment gives players the resources they need to continue progressing.
“Our recovery room, on-ice schedule and workout area give players every tool needed to succeed at this level and impact the next,” Morin said.
For the Colonials, success ultimately centers around player advancement and personal development.
Charlotte Rush
Head Coach: Anthony Yurkins
2025-26 Record: 23-17-3-1, 50 points
The Charlotte Rush enter the new season with an experienced returning group that should provide an important foundation for the team.
“Our strength is our returning players,” Yurkins said. “Having a strong group of players who already understand our expectations, culture and standard gives us a great foundation to build around.”
Evan Williams, Chase Welton and Gustav Anderson are among the returners expected to take on larger roles after gaining valuable experience last season.
Newcomer Max Jouran is one player Charlotte believes can immediately contribute with his combination of speed, skill and offensive ability.
The Rush also focused on strengthening the defensive core during the offseason, targeting players who can defend reliably, move pucks effectively and contribute in transition.
On the ice, Charlotte expects to play aggressively.
“We are going to be a fast and skilled team that plays an in-your-face style of hockey,” Yurkins said. “We want to dictate the pace every night by playing with speed, pressure and relentless competition in all three zones.”
That mentality will need to be present every night in the Southeast.
“There are no easy nights in our conference,” Yurkins said. “Every team is capable of beating you if you are not prepared to compete.”
Charlotte continues to place significant emphasis on individual skill development and hockey IQ, using both on-ice work and video to help players improve their decision-making.
“Our goals are simple: advancing our players and winning a championship,” Yurkins said. Anthony Yurkins leads the Rush Premier team as head coach.
Hampton Roads Whalers
Head Coach: Chris Hille
2025-26 Record: 36-7-1-0, 73 points — Southeast Division Champions
The defending Southeast Division Champion Hampton Roads Whalers enter 2026-27 after a 36-win season and with another roster built around depth and culture.
“Our depth throughout the lineup and our culture,” Hille said of the Whalers’ biggest strengths.
Zane Price, Brandon Tough, Mikey Marzitello and Joseph Dube are among the returning players expected to take on increased roles.
Newcomers Ethan Finlay and Tiegan Elwyn are also expected to contribute.
Hampton Roads focused its offseason recruiting on high-character players capable of fitting the program’s preferred style.
“We focused on good character guys that could play a fast, physical game,” Hille said.
That will once again define the Whalers.
“Fast, relentless, disciplined,” Hille said.
Preparation will remain a major part of Hampton Roads’ approach as the team looks to defend its conference title.
“Always being prepared to outwit, outlast and outplay our opponents,” Hille said.
The Whalers also have an established internal development model, utilizing significant ice availability and promoting players from within the organization.
The objectives remain ambitious.
“To win a championship and move players to higher levels of junior or college hockey,” Hille said.
Potomac Patriots
Head Coach: Michael Shelley
2025-26 Record: 33-10-0-1, 67 points
The Potomac Patriots enter 2026-27 following a 33-win campaign and with an organization built around a team-first culture.
“Our biggest strength is first and foremost our culture,” Shelley said. “We have great people in every role from top to bottom.”
Integrity, honesty and communication are among the standards the Patriots emphasize throughout the program.
Mason Monroe returns on defense and is expected to take another step after an injury ended his previous season early. Breyen Hanna and goaltender Tommy Prate Jr. are also among the returners Potomac expects to play important roles.
Newcomers Nik Freeman and Paco Kuleszka are expected to strengthen the defensive end. Freeman arrives after developing with Charlotte, while Kuleszka comes from Germany and is expected to compete for a major role in goal.
Potomac’s offseason was centered around strengthening its culture and making expectations clear from the beginning.
“High-caliber people need to have high-caliber standards,” Shelley said.
The Patriots describe their identity simply as TEAM: Together, Each, Accomplishes, More.
Consistency will be crucial in a conference Shelley views as one of the league’s strongest.
“The Southeast is a powerhouse division,” Shelley said. “Every team here is a potential national champion, so we can’t afford lapses in how we prepare and how we perform.”
Potomac points to a long history of advancing players to NCAA, ACHA and higher levels of junior hockey as evidence of its development model.
The ultimate team goal is equally straightforward.
“Our ultimate goal is to win a National Championship,” Shelley said.
Yorktown Admirals
Head Coach: Joey Carroll
2025-26 Record: First Premier Season
The Yorktown Admirals begin their inaugural USPHL Premier season with culture and preparation at the center of the program.
“We’re placing a high demand on our culture and preparation,” Carroll said.
As a first-year team, training camp will give players the opportunity to earn roles and help establish the program’s identity. Yorktown built its inaugural roster with a strong emphasis on character and coachability.
The Admirals expect that approach to create a clear identity.
“Team first, earn it every day,” Carroll said.
The Southeast’s strength is not lost on Yorktown as the organization prepares for its first season.
“We know how difficult this division is, but all we can focus on until the season starts is our culture and preparation,” Carroll said.
The organization also sees its Premier team as a key part of its development pathway, with the goal of preparing younger players for its NCDC program while helping age-out players advance to college hockey.
“Our primary goal is to develop our young players to the ability to play on our NCDC team next season and to move all our age-out players to college hockey,” Carroll said. Joey Carroll is listed as the Admirals’ Premier head coach.