Premier, Elite Alumni Win World Championship Gold Medals
The United States Premier Hockey League (“USPHL”) congratulates all 44 of its alumni of the USPHL Premier and Elite conferences who played in IIHF World Championship tournaments, which ran from April through May in cities around the world. The top level of World Championships was held in Sweden and Denmark and the United States of America won its first World Championship since 1933. One USPHL Premier alum was a member of that team, and 11 other USPHL Premier and Elite alumni also played towards Gold Medals at additional levels for a total of 12 Gold Medalists.
World Championship Top 16 Group
Joey Daccord (Boston Junior Bruins / 2014-15) – USA / GOLD MEDALIST
Daccord, who played 11 games with the Junior Bruins in the second overall season of the USPHL, made his IIHF and World Championships debut and came out with a Gold Medal after helping Team USA win their first Worlds Gold in 82 years (they had won three Golds in the B Division in the 1970s and 1980s). Daccord, who plays with the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, played in three World Championship games, going 2-1-0-0 with a .919 save percentage.
WC Division 1 Group A
Lucas Brine (Utah, Wisconsin and Potomac Premier, 2021-23) – Great Britain / GOLD MEDALIST
Brine was on the roster for the Gold Medal-winning Great Britain team in the D1A tournament. Great Britain earned promotion into the top group, including the U.S. and Canada, in 2026. Brine played a total of 29 USPHL Premier games for the Utah Outliers – prior to their move to the NCDC – as well as the Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings and Potomac Patriots, averaging a .929 save percentage for his career between regular season and playoffs.
Aleksander Pereshunko (Springfield Pics Premier, 2017-18) – Ukraine
Pereshunko was the NCDC Forward Of The Year in 2019, the year that he helped the Junior Bruins win their only Dineen Cup thus far. He also played One year before joining the Junior Bruins in their inaugural NCDC season, where he’d team up with Drew O’Connor, Peresunko won his first of six IIHF championship medals, a World Under-18’s Gold in Division 1 Group B. This year marked Peresunko’s fourth senior World Championship, his first at the D1A level. He had two assists in five games.
Andrei Deniskin (Hampton Roads Whalers Elite, 2016-17) – Ukraine
Deniskin competed in his ninth IIHF tournament this spring, registering nine points in five games to lead Ukraine en route to a Bronze Medal. He also led the entire division in scoring and was voted Ukraine’s Top Player. Deniskin scored 23 goals and 20 assists for 43 points in 29 Elite games in 2016-17, and then 11 goals and six assists for 17 points in 12 playoff games. Along with this year’s Bronze, he also has an additional Gold, Silver and Bronze from across all of his IIHF appearances. He is a member of the HK Torun team in Poland.
Division 1 Group B
Julius Andrekus (Islanders HC and Worcester Railers JHC Premier / 2023-25) – Lithuania / GOLD MEDALIST
Andrekus joined Lithuania for his fourth IIHF tournament and second World Championship, helping them to a Gold Medal. He played briefly this past season with the Railers’ NCDC and USPHL Premier teams. He also played during the 2023-24 season with the Islanders Hockey Club. He went into the net for Lithuania’s game against Spain on April 27 and stopped all three shots he faced in relief. He also helped Lithuania’s WJC Under-20 team win Gold in the winter, elevating them from Division 2A at that level to next year’s Division 1B tournament. He was named Best Goaltender at this year’s Division 2A World Juniors. His medal collection also includes a WJC Under-20 Silver Medal and Bronze Medal, as well as a WJC Under-18 Gold Medal in 2022-23.
Arkadijus Grigaravicius-Reyzin (Junior Bruins Premier, 2022-23) – Lithuania / GOLD MEDALIST
Grigaravicius-Reyzin was on Lithuania’s roster as they won their 2025 D1B Gold Medal, his first Gold and overall IIHF medal in four appearances with Lithuania. He played briefly with the Junior Bruins in 2022-23, registering a .926 save percentage.
Vadim Vasjonkin (Boston Junior Bruins / Philadelphia Flyers Premier, 2015-17) – Estonia
Vasjonkin played in his seventh IIHF World Championship tournament and 14th overall IIHF tournament. Vasjonkin put up three assists in five games, and helped Estonia win Bronze, his fourth Bronze in IIHF play and fifth medal overall. He also won a Gold Medal in 2013-14 with Estonia’s WJC Under-18 World Championship team. In the USPHL, Vasjonkin totaled 51 points in 75 games. He played the 2024-25 season in Latvia for HC Panter.
Konrad Kudeviita (Minnesota Blue Ox, 2023-24) – Estonia
Vasjonkin’s HC Panter teammate Kudeviita played in his second World Championship and sixth overall IIHF championship tournament. He played in all five games for Estonia, earning his second Worlds Bronze medal and third overall IIHF medal. With the Minnesota Blue Ox in 2023-24, he played in 40 games, putting up 11 points between the regular season and playoffs.
Paul Cerda (Richmond Generals Elite and Premier / Okanagan HC Europe Premier, 2014-15 / 2016-17) – Spain
Cerda returned to IIHF play for the first time since 2017, suiting up again for Spain. He has played in six IIHF tournaments in his career. A former Buffalo State College teammate of Vadim Vasjonkin, Cerda split the 2014-15 season between the Elite and Premier Generals. Two seasons later, he went to Okanagan HC Europe and posted 23 points in 45 combined regular season and playoff games. Cerda has won four IIHF Silver Medals in the U18 and U20 levels between 2014 and 2016. He will play for Gap in France’s Ligue Magnus next year.
Yuyang Hou (Team Beijing Elite, 2016-19) – China
Hou represented China in an IIHF tournament for the seventh time in his career, and his second time in the World Championships. A two-time medal winner at the World Under-20 level, Hou was the former Team Beijing’s all-time leader in scoring during his three Elite seasons, posting 51 goals and 109 points in 107 games. He has been a point-per-game player thus far in two World Championships, with 10 points in 10 games. He currently plays for the Beijing Lions in China’s professional league.
Haomiao Wu (Team Beijing Elite, 2018-19) – China
A defenseman, Wu made his first appearance at the IIHF World Championships and second overall appearance in an IIHF tournament after last playing in the 2019-20 World Under-20 Championships D2B Tournament. Wu currently plays in the China professional league for KRS Shenzhen, where he’s posted 14 points in 18 games this past season.
Mingju Zheng (Team Beijing Elite, 2017-19) – China
Zheng played in his sixth IIHF tournament when he represented China at the 2025 Worlds. He played two seasons for the former Team Beijing in the first two years of the current USPHL Elite. He has previously won a Bronze medal at the World Under-18 D2B tournament in 2019 and a Silver Medal at the World Under-20 D2B tournament in 2020.
WC Division 2 Group A
Guus Van Nes (Boston Junior Bruins Premier 2015-17) – Netherlands / GOLD MEDALIST
Van Nes has just finished his 11th IIHF tournament for his home country, and also won his third IIHF Gold Medal, which was Netherlands’ eighth and first since 2017-18, also in D2A. With tournament-leading totals of seven goals and five assists for 12 points, he was also voted Best Forward for the D2A tournament and won his third Top Player On Team award. He has also won Gold Medals in 2012-13 (World Under-18 D2B) and 2015-16 (World Championship D2A). Van Nes played for the Netherlands in 2024 in the Olympic Games qualifier, scoring seven points in three games, but Netherlands did not qualify for the 2026 Olympics. He has 23 points in 20 career World Championship games and has represented Netherlands in more than 50 IIHF games. The Quinnipiac University alum is currently in Europe’s ICEHL playing in Austria with Villacher SV. During his time in the USPHL Premier, he led the 2016-17 Junior Bruins in scoring with 45 points in 43 games.
Raymond van der Schuit (Palm Beach Hawks Elite, 2015-16) – Netherlands / GOLD MEDALIST
Van der Schuit wore his second World Championships Gold Medal this spring, after previously winning in 2018. He played his only North American season to date with the former Palm Beach Hawks, leading the team in scoring in 2015-16. He has played in more than 400 professional games since then in Europe, as well as 19 World Championship and 45 overall IIHF contests, winning a total of five medals in his international career. In 2012-13, he won his first Gold at the Under-18 D2B level, where he was voted the Netherlands’ top player and scored the most goals.
Maxim Lyashenko (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights Premier, 2022-24) – Australia
Lyashenko made his World Championships debut this year with Australia, also scoring his first goal at that level. His prior IIHF experience came during the 2022-23 season, while a member of the Knights, when he helped Australia to the Under-20 Division 3 Gold Medal. The current Perth Thunder professional player scored 35 points in 86 combined regular season and playoff games for the Knights.
Mackenzie Bolger (Bellingham Blazers Premier, 2023-24) – Australia
Bolger, who registered 27 points in 21 games with Bellingham in 2023-24, made his World Championships debut, playing all five games. Currently an ACHA player with Waldorf University, Bolger also previously played for Australia in the World Under-20 Division 3, where he joined Lyashenko in winning Gold.
Sacha Rapchuk (San Diego Sabers and Atlanta Mad Hatters Premier, 2023-24) – Australia
Rapchuk was another member of the 2022-23 Australia Gold team. He split both of that season and the next between his USPHL Premier teams and his home country’s Brisbane Lightning. He completed his first IIHF World Championship this spring, and third IIHF tournament. In 61 total USPHL games, he scored 37 points with the Sabers and MadHatters.
Casey Kubara (Atlanta Knights Elite, 2014-16) – Australia
Kubara has played in 20 games over four World Championship tournaments, and for his full international career dating back to 2012, he has won two medals and played in 45 games including taking a Gold at the 2014 World Under-18 Division Division 3A tournament, where he was voted Australia’s Top Player. With the Knights, who evolved into today’s Atlanta MadHatters, he scored 35 points in 43 games at the Elite level. Kubara currently plays for the Newcastle Knights in Australia.
Amit Ben Tov (Potomac Patriots Premier and Elite / Long Beach Shredders Premier 2022-24) – Israel
Ben Tov had originally played in the USPHL with the Potomac Patriots’ two teams before moving to the Shredders for 20 games in 2023-24, scoring 12 points. He made his World Championships debut this spring, but has been a member of Team Israel for six total IIHF tournaments. He helped Israel’s Under-20 team advance from D3A to D2B by winning the D3A Gold Medal in 2024. He won Silver at that level one year earlier and in 2021-22, he was voted Israel’s Top Player at the World Under-18 D3A tournament.
Yuval Halpert (Southern Oregon Spartans Premier, 2020-21) – Israel
Halpert has played in 19 IIHF World Championship games dating back to 2018-19, when he first played with the Southern Oregon Spartans prior to their entry into the USPHL, a year in which Israel won the World Division 2 Group B Gold Medal. One year earlier, he won Gold at the Under-20 level in Division 3. In his second World Under-18 tournament in 2017, he was named Israel’s Top Player. Halpert plays professionally in Israel.
Yuval Turner (New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs Premier, 2022-23) – Israel
Turner played in his third IIHF World Championship tournament and fifth overall IIHF championship event. He won an IIHF Under-20 D3A Gold Medal in 2024, and a Division 3 Silver Medal in 2023, also at the Under-20 level. He played in 38 games for the former Monarchs in the USPHL Premier in 2022-23.
Yonatan Reisinger (Hartford Jr. Wolfpack Premier, 2018-19) – Israel
Reisinger just completed his ninth IIHF event and second World Championship. Named the Best Goaltender three straight years in the Israel Elite Hockey League, Reisinger played in one game with Israel in this year’s Worlds tournament. In 2018 and 2019, he won back to back Under-20 Gold Medals, first at the Division 3 level and then in Division 2B. He was voted Israel’s Top Player in 2019. In 2017, when he earned Silver at the Under-18 D3A level, he was named Best Goaltender at that tournament. He currently plays with the Ashdod Chiefs in Israel.
Mathijs Lievens (Utica Jr. Comets Premier, 2023-24) – Belgium
Lievens made his IIHF and World Championships debut this spring. He played in the USPHL for 23 games with Utica, registering a 1-13-14 line on defense, before joining the Chiefs Leuven in the Central European Hockey League this year. Prior to joining Utica, he’d also played in the Somang Hockey program, prior to their membership in the USPHL.
Jelle Lievens (New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs Premier, 2022-23) – Belgium
A former teammate of Israel’s Yuval Turner with the Monarchs, Lievens played in all five games of the 2025 Worlds for Belgium, earning a .912 save percentage and being voted Belgium’s Top Player. One year earlier, he helped Belgium to a Gold Medal at the Division 2B level, also being named Best Goaltender last year. He was also Belgium’s Top Player in 2022 at the World Under-20 Division 2B tournament, one year before helping Belgium win silver at that level. Lievens played in 28 games with the Monarchs in his single USPHL campaign. He plays with his brother Mathijs on Chiefs Leuven, and is also a Somang program alum.
WC Division 2 Group B
Konstantin Dikov (South Shore Kings Premier, 2020-22) – Bulgaria
Dikov, a regular with the South Shore Kings’ Premier team over two seasons, also enjoyed a call-up with the NCDC Kings in 2021-22. With three assists in five games at the D2B tournament, he completed his sixth IIHF World Championship with Bulgaria this spring. He has won six medals in his IIHF career that dates back to 2016-17, including two Golds in 2018-19 at both the WJC Under-20 D3A and World Championship D3 levels. He has also won Silver and Bronze in past World Championships. He was voted Bulgaria’s Top Player at both the 2018 and 2022 Worlds, and he was Best Defenseman at the WJC Under-20 D3 tournament. With the Kings Premier team, he scored 25 points in 82 combined regular season and playoff games.
Veselin Dikov (Okanagan, Northern Cyclones, Connecticut Nighthawks Premier, 2016-18) – Bulgaria
Dikov recently completed his 19th IIHF tournament and ninth overall World Championship, and he has won six medals (including a 2019 Worlds Gold) during his international career that stretches back to 2012. He scored three points in five games for Bulgaria this year, and he now has 38 points in 43 games. In the USPHL Premier, he posted 14 points in 65 games with three different teams. With 136 points in 54 games in Bulgaria’s professional league – most recently with Irbis Skate Sofia – he is ranked sixth in points in that league’s 74-year history.
Tomislav Georgiev (Connecticut Nighthawks Premier, 2017-18) – Bulgaria
A longtime teammate of Veselin Dikov, including their time in the USPHL and with Irbis Skate Sofia since 2018, Georgiev has completed his 10th IIHF World Championship, and his 19th overall IIHF tournament. He scored three goals and added one assist for four points in five games for Bulgaria this year, and he has 20 points in 47 career Worlds games. He has eight medals, including the 2019 World D2B Gold. With 105 points in 53 games with Irbis Skate Sofia, Georgiev is 11th all-time in Bulgaria pro league scoring.
Jacob Carey (Rockets HC, Springfield Pics Premier 2023-25) – New Zealand
Carey jumped from a strong season with the Pics this season, in which he scored 59 points in 37 regular season games and another 13 points in 11 games as the Pics reached their first-ever Premier National Championship game. At the Worlds, where he helped New Zealand win a Bronze Medal, he scored a 3-1-4 line in five games. This came after a winter that saw him win the World Under-20 D3A Gold Medal and be named the Best Forward. He has played in 25 all-time IIHF tournament games, also winning a Gold Medal at the 2022-23 World Under-18 D3B tournament. He was voted New Zealand’s Top Player in that tournament. In 2024, he won Silver at both the World Under-20 and Men’s World Championship tournaments.
Alex Regan (Charleston Colonials Elite, Charleston and Atlanta Premier, 2019-22) – New Zealand
Regan put up three strong years in the USPHL Elite and Premier, scoring 14 points in 26 Elite games and 16 points in exactly 100 combined regular season and playoff Premier contests. He has been a regular with the West Auckland Admirals in his home country since 2022, and he has represented New Zealand in each of the past three World Championships, winning Bronze this year and Silver last year. He is also an IIHF Gold Medalist, having won with New Zealand’s Under-18 Team 2018, when he was also voted in as his nation’s Top Player in that year’s D3B tournament.
Axel Ruski-Jones (Florida Jr. Blades Premier, 2023-25) – New Zealand
Ruski-Jones has had a fantastic first season of representing his home country, winning World Under-20 Gold and adding a World Championship Bronze Medal. He originally signed on with the Florida Jr. Blades in 2023-24, and over two seasons, Ruski-Jones has produced 23 points in 72 games.
Chiung-Yuan Chen (Henderson Force Premier, 2024-25) – Chinese Taipei
Chen played in nine games for the Henderson Force, after playing the prior two seasons with the Vegas Jr. Golden Knights 18U AAA team. He has played in six IIHF Tournaments as a member of the Chinese Taipei National Team. His 12 points scored in the winter at the World Under-20 D3A tournament were third most ever at a WJC tournament by a player from his nation.
Brody Hsiao (Rock Springs Prospectors Premier, 2022-23) – Chinese Taipei
Hsiao, currently a San Diego State University student and ACHA player, completed his sixth IIHF tournament this spring, and third World Championship. With a .935 save percentage and a 2.41 GAA, Hsiao was named Best Goaltender of the D2B Tournament, giving his third overall Best Goaltender award. He also won that award in 2022-23, when Chinese Taipei won the Worlds D3A Gold Medal. He also won Gold Medals at the 2021-22 World Under-20 Division 3 tournament and the 2019 World Under-18 D3B Championships, which also saw a Best Goaltender award.
Yung-Hsuan Wang (Carolina Jr. Hurricanes Elite, 2023-24) – Chinese Taipei
Wang has played in seven IIHF tournaments and played in his second World Championship this past season. Prior to playing 21 games for the Jr. Canes Elite squad in 2023-24, Wang won Gold Medals at both the 2021-22 World Under-18 D3A and World Under-20 D3 Championships. He was voted Chinese Taipei’s Top Player at the 2023-24 World Under-20 D2B tournament.
WC Division 3 Group A
Ernazar Isamatov (Florida Jr. Blades Elite and Premier, 2021-22) – Kyrgyzstan / GOLD MEDALIST
Isamatov is an IIHF World Championships Gold Medalist for a second time, having won in both 2023 and this spring. He scored a 1-2-3 line in four games to help his team win its third Gold in four years, having moved from Division 4 to D3B to D3A and next year up another level to D2B, a great rise for a nation that only just started playing in the IIHF World Championships in 2019. Isamatov, a defenseman, is in the Top 10 of his nation’s scoring leaderboard with 23 points in 15 games. He was voted Best Defenseman at the 2022-23 Worlds. With the Jr. Blades, he scored 13 points in 29 Elite games, and four assists in nine Premier contests.
Tarik Mrkva (South Shore Kings Elite and Premier, 2024-25) – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Mrkva played in his ninth IIHF tournament and he has played in three World Championships, and ranks seventh in his country’s World Championships history with 12 points in 14 games. He scored three points in five games this spring, after scoring 13 points in 27 games with the Kings Premier team. He also scored a goal in his only USPHL Elite game. He also has a Silver and Bronze in past World Championships. Mrkva is his country’s all-time leader in scoring at the World Under-20 level with 29 points in 18 games, helping Bosnia and Herzegovina to the 2023-24 Gold Medal in the World Under-20 D3B tournament. Additionally, he is his country’s all-time Under-18 scoring leader with 22 points in nine games, and won Gold with that squad in 2021-22, earning Best Forward honors at the D3B level.
WC Division 3 Group B
Marcello de Antunano (Springfield, Toledo and Minnesota Blue Ox Premier, Springfield Elite 2020-22) – Mexico / GOLD MEDALIST
De Antunano won his first IIHF Gold Medal in his third World Championship run, getting into one game during their championship run and earning a win over the Philippines. The University of Utah rising senior originally played in the USPHL Premier in 2020-21, splitting the season between the Toledo Cherokee and Springfield Pics, including a single Elite game for Springfield that year. He had his best season in 2021-22, winning 16 games out of 20 starts for the Minnesota Blue Ox, and adding a playoff game win that year as well. De Antunano has represented Mexico in a total of 20 IIHF games and won a Silver Medal at the 2017-18 World Under-18 D3A Championships.
Alonso Tapia (Fresno Monsters Premier, 2022-23) – Mexico / GOLD MEDALIST
Tapia remains a top scoring threat for his home country, ranking in Mexico’s all-time Top 10 for goal scoring with 14 tallies in 15 games. This spring, he posted an 8-4-12 line in five games en route to his first IIHF Gold Medal in his third World Championship tournament. He enjoyed a 4-2-6 game against Singapore and scored a hat trick in the championship game against North Korea. Tapia spent many seasons playing in Canada prior to joining Fresno, where he scored 29 points in 49 combined regular season and playoff games. Tapia, a University of Alberta student-athlete, also has a World Under-20 D3 Silver Medal from 2021-22 and was voted Mexico’s Top Player in the 2023-24 World Championship D3A tournament.
Daniel Cuellar (Fresno Monsters Premier, 2022-24) – Mexico / GOLD MEDALIST
A former Monsters teammate of Tapia, Cuellar also won his first Gold Medal after dishing out nine assists in five games for Mexico, including four in the May 3 title match. This was Cuellar’s fifth IIHF appearance for Mexico, and his second medal. He joined Tapia on the 2021-22 World Under-20 D3A Silver-winning team. In the Under-20 D2B tournament of 2022-23, he was voted Mexico’s Top Player. That same season, he put up 27 points in 44 games for Fresno, and the next year had an even bigger showing for the Monsters with 43 points in 42 combined regular season and playoff games.
Brandon Mendez (Long Beach Bombers Premier, 2024-25) – Mexico / GOLD MEDALIST
Another two-time medal winner for Mexico, Mendez hauled in his first IIHF Gold after scoring a goal and an assist at the D3B Worlds, his seventh overall IIHF tournament appearance. This past season, his second in North American junior hockey, he put up four goals and added one assists for five points in 42 games for the first-year Bombers.
Daniel Ripstein (Elmira, Vernal and Brooklyn Premier, Elmira and Richmond Elite, 2022-24) – Mexico / GOLD MEDALIST
Ripstein, who is headed to George Mason University to begin his college hockey career this fall, won his first international Gold Medal in his first international tournament. Ripstein joined the USPHL’s Elmira Jr. Enforcers (now the Elmira Impact) in 2022-23, playing games for both of their Premier and Elite teams. He also played nine games with the Richmond Generals Elite and 10 games with the Vernal Oilers Premier teams that season. The next season, he played the full season with the Brooklyn Aviators. All told, the blueliner played in 79 USPHL junior games, scoring 14 points.
Yi Yam (Atlanta MadHatters Elite, 2021-22) – Hong Kong
Yam joined the MadHatters briefly for a nine-game stint in 2021-22, already amidst an international tournament career that would see him play in his fifth IIHF tournament this spring, and he has earned a medal every time out. He has earned Bronze in three straight Worlds and was a Silver medalist twice at the World Under-18 D3B level. He scored a goal and four assists for five points in five Worlds games this year.
Carlo Angelo Tigaronita (Columbia Infantry Elite, 2022-23) – Philippines
Tigaronita competed in his third straight World Championships, originally winning a Gold Medal in 2022-23 to push Philippines from Division 4 to Division 3 Group B. For the second straight year, he registered a 1-2-3 line at the Worlds. With the former Infantry, he scored three goals and three assists for six points in 32 games.
World Championships Division 4
Eduard Malakyan (Florida Eels Premier, 2020-21) – Armenia
Malakyan made his World Championships and IIHF debut this year in style, being named a Captain for Armenia. He posted a goal and five assists for six points in four games as Armenia came in second to Uzbekistan for the D4 championship. Malakyan split the 2018-19 NCDC season between the Cyclones and Jr. Rangers, before spending the full 2019-20 season with Connecticut. He played in 64 total NCDC games and scored eight points, before also playing in the USPHL Premier for the Florida Eels in 2020-21
Valentin Kovalenko (New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs Premier, 2018-19) – Armenia
Kovalenko made a heck of a Worlds debut, scoring 15 points in five games to rank in the Top 10 overall for the tournament, in which Armenia won a Silver Medal. In 2018-19, Kovalenko put up a 4-2-6 line in 33 games for the former Jr. Monarchs.
Summaries by Joshua Boyd (media@usphl.com)