USPHL Premier Conference Standouts: Oct. 19-25, 2026
The USPHL Premier has announced its Conference Standouts for games played Oct. 19-25, 2026, recognizing one forward, defenseman and goaltender from each of its 10 conferences.
Alberta Conference
Forward: Markus Hancock, Claresholm Cowboys – 3 GP, 2-5-7
Hancock recorded two goals and five assists in three games, leading Alberta Conference skaters with seven points. His production included a power-play goal and a power-play assist, providing Claresholm with both finishing and playmaking throughout the week.
Defenseman: Carter Andrews, Hanna Havoc — 2 GP, 1-5-6
Andrews delivered six points from the blue line, scoring once and adding five assists in two games. His contributions included a power-play assist and a game-winning goal, giving Hanna timely offense while averaging three points per game.
Goaltender: Ryan Myers, Claresholm Cowboys — 2 GP, 2-0, .937 SV%, 2.00 GAA
Myers stopped 59 of 63 shots across two victories, opening with 12 saves in Friday’s 5-4 win before delivering a 47-save shutout in Sunday’s 3-0 victory. His perfect Sunday performance capped an unbeaten weekend for the Cowboys.
Honorable Mentions: Hayden Kallichuk, Ciaran Henry and Jayden Montanez, Hanna Havoc.
Atlantic Conference
Forward: Alex Labos, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders – 2 GP, 4-5-9
Labos led Atlantic Conference forwards with nine points in two games. Against Rockets Hockey Club, he scored the tying goal with 21 seconds remaining before delivering the shorthanded overtime winner. He followed with two goals and five assists against Connecticut.
“He had goals, even strength, power play and shorthanded this weekend, showcasing his ability to play and be successful in all areas of the game,” said P.A.L. Head Coach Frank DiChiara.
Defenseman: Justin Marino, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders – 2 GP, 2-4-6
Marino recorded two goals and four assists in two games, leading players listed as Atlantic Conference defensemen with six points. His production included a power-play goal, complementing P.A.L.’s forward scoring during a productive weekend.
Goaltender: Jack Hunter, West Chester Wolves – 1 GP, 1-0, .964 SV%, 1.00 GAA
Hunter stopped 27 of 28 shots to earn a victory against the Connecticut Jr. Rangers. His .964 save percentage led Atlantic Conference goaltenders during the award week.
Honorable Mentions: Maxime Vernier, Octavian Czarnecki and Christophe Martin, Mercer Chiefs; Dmitrii Zelenkov, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders; Nolan Stott and Parker Jordan, West Chester Wolves.
Florida Conference
Forward: Anton Ariaratnam, Typhoon Hockey Club – 2 GP, 4-1-5
Ariaratnam scored four goals and added an assist in two games, leading Florida Conference forwards in goals during the week. His production included a power-play goal and a game-winning goal, providing Typhoon with timely finishing.
Defenseman: Gavin Weibler, Typhoon Hockey Club – 2 GP, 2-4-6
Weibler recorded two goals and four assists across two games. He opened the weekend with four assists in Typhoon’s 8–1 victory over the Florida Surge before scoring twice against Tampa Bay. His six-point performance earned him Florida’s weekly defenseman recognition.
Goaltender: Nathan Morin, Florida Eels — 1 GP, 1-0, .950 SV%, 1.00 GAA
Morin stopped 19 of 20 shots to earn a victory in his lone appearance. He allowed just one goal across a full 60-minute performance. “Nathan Morin has commanded the net,” said Eels Head Coach Cale Cookenmaster. “He makes every save he is supposed to and some he shouldn’t.”
Honorable Mentions: Noah Harvey and Michael O’Connor, Florida Eels; Trevor Walmsley, Typhoon Hockey Club; Reilly Faucher, Mark Wilson and Lucas Ahlholm, Tampa Bay Juniors.
Great Lakes Conference
Forward: Nolan Fischer, Toledo Cherokee — 2 GP, 6-4-10
Fischer recorded back-to-back hat tricks and added four assists, finishing with 10 points in two games. He scored six of Toledo’s 14 goals during its two-win weekend, with two power-play goals and a game-winning goal included in his production.
“Nolan continues to produce offensively for our club and did it again this past weekend,” said Cherokee Head Coach Kenny Miller. “He was a very big part of our team’s success in getting two very important wins.”
Defenseman: Xander Kert, Toledo Cherokee — 2 GP, 0-6-6
Kert led Great Lakes defensemen with six points, collecting six assists in two games. Four came on the power play, making him an important distributor in Toledo’s special-teams attack.
Goaltender: Arnaud Paradis, Metro Jets — 1 GP, 1-0, .958 SV%, 1.00 GAA
Paradis turned aside 23 of 24 shots to earn a victory for Metro. His .958 save percentage led Great Lakes goaltenders during the award week.
Honorable Mention: Ben Meyer, Fort Wayne Spacemen.
Midwest Conference
Forward: Logan Eshelman, Flint Icelanders — 2 GP, 5-3-8
Eshelman led Midwest forwards with eight points in two games, scoring five goals and adding three assists. His weekend included a hat trick in the second game and a game-winning goal.
“Eshelman carried a huge part of our weekend sweep with eight points and a hat trick in the second game,” said Flint Head Coach Jake Lainesse.
Defenseman: Logan Swiercz, Flint Icelanders — 2 GP, 2-2-4
Swiercz made an immediate contribution after joining Flint, recording two goals and two assists in two games. His four points tied for the conference lead among defensemen, with his total coming in one fewer game than fellow four-point producer Casey Schumacher.
Lainesse highlighted Swiercz’s immediate impact, including a two-goal, one-assist performance on Sunday.
Goaltender: Theo Dull III, MJDP — 1 GP, 1-0, .938 SV%, 3.00 GAA
Dull stopped 45 of 48 shots before turning aside all three shootout attempts to secure a victory for MJDP. His performance combined a heavy workload with a perfect shootout effort.
Honorable Mention: Aesa Jingles, Flint Icelanders.
New England Conference
Forward: Oli Lareau, Worcester Railers JHC – 3 GP, 5-5-10
Lareau led New England forwards with 10 points in three games, scoring five goals and adding five assists. His week included a power-play goal, a shorthanded goal and two game-winning goals.
“Oliver Lareau has quickly adapted to the speed of junior hockey,” said Worcester Head Coach John Fine-Lease. “He has settled in nicely and is depended on by the coaching staff to produce offensively.”
Defenseman: Domenic Visocchi, Worcester Railers JHC – 3 GP, 1-6-7
Visocchi led New England defensemen with seven points, recording a goal and six assists in three games. His contributions included a power-play goal, three power-play assists and a shorthanded assist.
“Domenic Visocchi has become a leader,” said Fine-Lease. “He plays in all situations and can control the pace of a game.”
Goaltender: Rocco Mastrovito-Smith, Utica Jr. Comets — 1 GP, 1-0, .919 SV%, 3.00 GAA
Mastrovito-Smith turned aside 34 of 37 shots to earn a victory for the Jr. Comets. His 34-save performance helped Utica secure the win and earned him New England Division Goaltender Standout honors.
North Conference
Forward: Edvards Toms Klavins, Dells Ducks – 1 GP, 1-4-5
Klavins delivered five points in his lone appearance, scoring once and setting up four additional goals. Two of his assists came on the power play, and his five-point effort tied for the North Conference lead among forwards.
Defenseman: Blake Kieger, Minnesota Mullets – 2 GP, 1-2-3
Kieger scored once and added two assists in two games, leading players listed as North Conference defensemen with three points.
“Blake is a young defenseman who had a breakout game scoring his first goal and adding two assists,” said Mullets Head Coach Chris Walby.
Goaltender: Ayden Bednarek, Dells Ducks — 2 GP, 1-1, .933 SV%, 3.02 GAA
Bednarek stopped 84 of 90 shots across two appearances for the Ducks. He opened the week with 38 saves in a 6–3 victory on Oct. 19, then turned aside 46 of 49 shots in a 3–1 loss on Oct. 24. His strong performances under a heavy workload earn him North Conference Goaltender Standout honors.
Honorable Mention: Ryker Johnson, Minnesota Mullets.
Pacific Conference
Forward: Marcus Vargas, Long Beach Bombers – 3 GP, 5-6-11
Vargas led Pacific Conference skaters with 11 points in three games, scoring five goals and adding six assists. His contributions included a shorthanded goal and three power-play assists, helping drive Long Beach’s offense across multiple situations.
Defenseman: William Allen, Bremerton Sockeyes – 3 GP, 1-5-6
Allen led players listed as Pacific Conference defensemen with six points, recording a goal and five assists in three games. His five-assist week gave Bremerton a productive playmaker from the blue line.
Goaltender: Axel Blank, Long Beach Bombers – 2 GP, 2-0, .982 SV%, 0.50 GAA
Blank stopped 54 of 55 shots across two victories, recording a shutout and allowing just one goal during the week. His .982 save percentage and 0.50 goals-against average earned him Pacific Conference recognition.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Murray and Jakub Hejpetr, Rogue Valley Royals.
Southeast Conference
Forward: Janis Kolosovskis, Hampton Roads Whalers — 1 GP, 2-3-5
Kolosovskis scored twice and added three assists in his lone appearance, tying for the Southeast Conference lead in points among forwards. His five-point performance included a power-play goal and a game-winning goal.
Defenseman: Gavin Andersen, Yorktown Admirals — 2 GP, 2-1-3
Andersen scored two goals and added an assist in two games, tying for the conference lead in points among defensemen. His two-goal total led Southeast defensemen during the award week.
Goaltender: Easton Andersen, Yorktown Admirals — 1 GP, 1-0, 1.000 SV%, 0.00 GAA
Andersen stopped all 21 shots he faced to earn a shutout victory. His perfect performance earned praise from Yorktown Head Coach CJ Sweigart for the preparation behind his success.
“Easton has worked hard to solidify his role in the goaltending corps, and his high compete level in practice is what is leading to his success in the games,” said Sweigart.
Honorable Mention: Adam Mazacek, Charlotte Rush.
St. Lawrence Conference
Forward: Colton Warren, New York Dynamo — 3 GP, 4-4-8
Warren led St. Lawrence forwards with eight points in three games, scoring four goals and adding four assists. His production included a power-play goal and a game-winning goal.
Defenseman: John Nilan, New York Dynamo — 3 GP, 2-2-4
Nilan scored twice and added two assists in three games, tying for the conference lead in points among defensemen. His two goals were the most among the conference’s four-point defensemen, and one was a game-winner.
Goaltender: Anton Ericsson, Montreal Black Vees — 1 GP, 1-0, 1.000 SV%, 0.00 GAA
Ericsson stopped all 19 shots he faced to earn a shutout victory for Montreal. His perfect 60-minute performance secured the conference’s weekly goaltending honor.
Honorable Mentions: Tobias Lussier-Pincince, Antoine St-Laurent and Antonin Robert, Universel Sherbrooke; Jeremy Deschambault-Perron, Somang Hockey.
About the Weekly Awards: Conference Standouts recognizes a forward, defenseman and goaltender from each USPHL Premier conference. These honors do not include a cash award. The Performance Player of the Week is a separate award selected by a voting panel, recognizing one player across each league, regardless of position, with a $500 award in the USPHL Premier. A Conference Standouts selection does not automatically receive the Performance Player of the Week award.