The United States Premier Hockey League is pleased to announce that the Bakersfield Roughnecks, of Bakersfield, Calif., will be joining the USPHL Premier league in the 2022-23 and joining the Pacific Division. 

The founders and proprietors of the Bakersfield Roughnecks are Christian and Sara Gregory, longtime participants in the youth hockey community of Bakersfield. The name “Roughneck,” a slang term for an oil rig worker, pays tribute to the dominant industry of the southern edge of the San Fernando Valley. 

“For the last three years, I’ve been the President of Bakersfield Jr. Condors Youth Hockey, and Sara is on the board. We have been involved with the organization for 15 years. I know this town can support this junior program, and we’re excited to bring a new level of hockey to town to join with the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors, the Edmonton Oilers’ top farm team,” said Christian. 

“The United States Premier Hockey League is thrilled to welcome the Bakersfield Roughnecks to start play in the USPHL Premier next season. We are excited to be part of the growth of junior hockey, and hockey as a whole, in the vibrant market that is California,” said USPHL Commissioner Bob Turow. “We are also excited to see another junior hockey team working alongside a fine professional team such as the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.” 

The Gregory family became involved with hockey through their sons, who began playing roller hockey and shortly thereafter turned to ice hockey. 

“Our big thing is we pride ourselves on being involved, we had three boys that we started in youth hockey and moved on to juniors and college hockey. Our youngest son is at home, currently,” said Sara. “We were able to create new Learn to Play and Learn to Skate programs in town here, even during the worst of the COVID crisis. This is the next step for us.”

The Mechanics Bank Arena, home to the AHL’s Condors, which replaced an ECHL team of the same name, is located directly across from the Roughnecks’ home arena, Valley Children’s Ice Center, which was built in 2003. 

“We met with [Mechanics Bank Arena], but feel that the smaller venue will make for more lively home games. We’ll get fans packed in and get that better home ice advantage at the Valley Children’s Ice Center,” said Christian. 

The Roughnecks were originally looking at a potential start in 2021-22, but with the COVID crisis still raging on during their talks with USPHL league management, it was decided by all parties to delay a year.

“We actually started talks with [former USPHL Commissioner Richard Gallant], but we really needed the year to put the program together and make sure it’s successful. If you don’t put a good product together, it could backfire,” said Christian. “The last six, seven months, we’ve gone through all the paperwork and gone over all the numbers with [current Commissioner] Bob Turow. We’ve also reached out to other owners in the league to make sure we don’t miss anything.” 

The Roughnecks will join a lively and growing Pacific Division, in which they will have a built-in rival just about a two-hour drive north in the Fresno Monsters. Then, turning south, they’ll face the Long Beach Shredders and Ontario Jr. Reign in the Los Angeles vicinity. Another couple hours south from there are the San Diego Sabers. 

Further north and east from Bakersfield are the Lake Tahoe Lakers and the Las Vegas Thunderbirds. The Lakers, Jr. Reign and Shredders are all new teams for 2021-22. 

They know that competition for top talent will be fierce, not just with their fellow Pacific Division members but in junior hockey as a whole. They’ll be getting out in full force over the next year and off-season to find the right players and personalities to make the first-year Roughnecks successful on and off the ice.

“We’ll have tryout camps and scouting events. We’ll be going with our own Jr. Condors AA team to some showcases, where we will be able to scout players, as well as at Globals in Las Vegas,” said Sara. “We also have contacts in different leagues and scouting areas and we are affiliated with different teams. We may try to align ourselves with another USPHL team to hold a joint tryout camp.” 

The United States Premier Hockey League is excited and proud to welcome the Bakersfield Roughnecks for the 2022-23 season and beyond. 

The Hitmen Classic is in the books, with 12 games from that fantastic event in the books. The Hitmen Classic games were held in addition to an intriguing split weekend between the South Division leaders the Utica Jr. Comets and their hosts Connecticut Jr. Rangers, and top performances up north as well, including the burgeoning Northern Cyclones team.

The Rockets Hockey Club won all three of its Hitmen Classic games. When you combine that with winning their final two contests at the BJB Shootout one week earlier, they currently lead the NCDC with the best winning streak of 5-0. 

The Northern Cyclones won Sunday and Monday, coming back from a tough pill of an overtime loss the prior Wednesday against the Islanders Hockey Club. 

To close out the Hitmen Classic NCDC schedule, fans were treated to an “Instant Classic” when the Boston Junior Bruins and host Hitmen took to the ice in a showdown between a 2021 semifinalist and the defending Dineen Cup Champion. The Junior Bruins took the game in a close 3-2 victory to get back on the winning side for what ended up as a 1-1-1 visit to New Jersey. The Hitmen, for their part, also finished 1-1-1 as event hosts. 

With the first two North vs. South showcases in the books, teams return for another month of divisional play this week and weekend. Let’s get into the nitty gritty of where we’ve been and where we’re going. 

Rockets Hockey Club On 5-0 Run

The Rockets defeated the Boston Junior Bruins 5-3, followed by beating the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs 4-2 and the South Shore Kings 4-3 in overtime. For their final two games, those were both rematches six days since their previous clashes with the Monarchs and Kings, respectively. The Rockets are hoping to at least equal their best run of the 2020-21 season, which saw them go 9-0 at Hub City Tampa, as well as one game prior to their arrival in Florida. 

Including their Dineen Cup semifinals match, the Rockets are currently on a 4-0 run against the Boston Junior Bruins, while they jumped one in front of the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs with a 6-5-2 all-time series score. They are on a 5-0 run against the Monarchs. 

The Rockets have won their last three against the Kings, and two of their last five match-ups have gone to overtime. 

• Evan Brown (‘03) scored the overtime goal to seal the Hitmen Classic sweep. Brown is a homegrown product of the Rockets, having played for their USPHL 15U and USPHL 16U teams between 2018 and 2020, including helping the Rockets win the USPHL 16U National Championship in 2020. With a 1-1-2 mark against the Kings and earlier three-point and one-point efforts, Brown put himself at better than point-per-game pace with seven points through six games. 

• Providence recruit Ryan Schelling (‘04) is another Rockets 16U alum who scored a game-winner, his coming in a 1-1-2 effort against the Junior Bruins in the Classic opener.

• Schelling’s future Providence teammate Cole Vallese (‘02) was the only Rocket to score points in all three Classic games, coming out with a 1-3-4 line. 

• University of Minnesota recruit Geno Pichora won his fourth game in a row and his first in which he was called upon to make 30 or more saves (33 to be exact). 

Northern Cyclones On Three-Game Point Streak

The series between the Islanders Hockey Club and Northern Cyclones will definitely be an exciting one to watch this year as both of their first two meetings were each decided by one goal. 

On Wednesday, Oct. 6, the Islanders defeated the Cyclones in a 4-3 shootout, countered four days later by a 3-2 victory for the Cyclones. On Oct. 11, the Cyclones made the trip north to face the Twin City Thunder. 

Separated by eight miles as the crow flies, the Islanders and Cyclones are traditional rivals, but currently the Cyclones are the team that is on a four-game point streak encapsulating their two games of 2020-21 as well as these two early-season matchups. 

• Marko Giourof (‘03) had himself a strong pair of games Sunday and Monday, earning points in back-to-back games for the first time. After registering an assist on Sunday’s opening goal, he posted a 1-2-3 line to get in on all three goals Monday. 

• Big Rhett Evjen (‘02), all 6-5, 200 pounds of him, is on a three-game goal streak, with two goals in the 4-3 shootout loss, and one goal on each of Sunday and Monday. All five of his points through six games are goals. 

• Paden Hicks (‘02) had the game-winner against the Cyclones and three points in his last two.

• William Goumas (‘03) has won both of his first two starts, giving up just four goals on 63 shots for a .937 save percentage, second in the NCDC among goalies with at least two games played.

P.A.L. Jr. Islanders Earn Four Points At Hitmen Classic

The Jr. Islanders had taken losses a week earlier to both the South Shore Kings and New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs at the BJB Shootout. They put those losses on the mental bulletin board, and came back to see both those teams a second time in four days since their last matchups - and win this time. 

First, it was a Thursday night rematch with a Monarchs team that was a 3-2 shootout winner on Oct. 3, four days earlier. The P.A.L. took the rematch with a 2-1 regulation victory. 

Next up, it was the Kings on Friday. The Kings had won 4-3 on Monday, but the Islanders took a second 2-1 regulation victory in New Jersey. The last three games between these teams, going back to Hub City Tampa, have been decided by one goal. Three of the last four between the Jr. Islanders and Monarchs have also been one-goal games. 

• The Jr. Islanders’ four straight one-goal games was their most since a stretch of six one-goal contests between Jan. 7 and Feb. 2, 2019 (1-3-2-0). 

• In the team’s 4-2 loss to the Boston Advantage on Oct. 9, Luca Leighton (‘03) registered his first goal of the season, and he had assists in each of his prior three games - he ended up as the only Jr. Islander to register points in all three Hitmen Classic contests. Leighton came up to the NCDC from last year’s P.A.L. USPHL 18U squad, joining some of the aforementioned Rockets as USPHL Development Model success stories. He currently has a 1-5-6 line in eight games.

• Tyler Crist (‘01) scored his first game-winning goal of the season in the third period against the Kings, giving him three in his career and making him the active leader in career GWGs for the P.A.L. squad. His five goals on the season have him tied for seventh league-wide. 

• Second-year NCDC veteran and first-year Jr. Islander Ryan Mahlmeister (‘01) saw his first goal of the season - scored in the second vs. New Hampshire - stand up as the game-winner.  

Philadelphia Hockey Club Wins First Two At Hitmen Classic

The PHC squad made its showcase debut for the 2021-22 season and enjoyed the party at first, winning their first two against the Boston Advantage (2-0) and the Junior Bruins (3-2 in overtime) before falling to the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs in the finale. PHC is now 2-1 with one OT win against the Junior Bruins in their two seasons, both of their last two contests being one-goal PHC wins. PHC and the Advantage, both first-year NCDC teams in 2020-21, evened their all-time series at 2-2. 

• In the first game, Jacob Torgner (‘03) became just the fourth NCDC goalie this season to register a shutout, stopping all 31 shots against him. He went 2-0 at the Classic, stopping 65 of 67 on the weekend. 

• With four assists spread out over three games, returning PHC veteran and third-year NCDC player Chip Hamlett (‘01) was the only Philadelphia player to score in all three Classic contests. He leads all PHC defensemen with five points - all assists - in five games. 

• After making his debut against the Advantage, Liam Cox-Smith (‘03) scored the OT game-winner and had two assists in the PHC victory over the Junior Bruins. 

Utica, Connecticut Each Take A Win At Chelsea Piers

• Away from the Hitmen Classic, the Utica Jr. Comets and Connecticut Jr. Rangers split a Rangers home series in Stamford, Conn. It was almost looking like a CJR sweep before Utica came back from being down 2-0 to win 3-2 in Game 2, following a CJR 5-2 win on Friday.

• Utica veteran John Gutt (‘01) scored the game-tying and game-winning goals in the second game. With 11 points, he stands in a tie for fifth in league scoring. He has missed the scoresheet only once in his eight games thus far. 

• Five different goal-scorers tallied for the Rangers in the first game, in which Connecticut came back to win after being down 1-0. It was already the second time this season that Connecticut had five different goal-scorers in a game, after accomplishing that feat of depth just once last season (Jan. 13, 2021, a 7-3 victory over Northern Cyclones featuring seven different goal-scorers).

Around The Boards

 • The Boston Advantage’s third period comeback win against the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders was their best in their NCDC history. They had never scored as many goals in a third period of a game in which they were behind going into that last stanza. It was also a “rescue win,” as they had originally led the game 1-0. Second-year veteran Chance Heaphy (‘02) scored his first goal of the season which stood as the GWG. 

• The Islanders Hockey Club’s shootout win on Oct. 6 against the Cyclones saw them start 3-0 before falling in their next two against Twin City (7-4) and the Cyclones (3-2). That 3-0 start was their best in as many games since their epic 47-3 season in the NCDC’s inaugural year of 2017-18. It was also the first time that IHC ever started with three one-goal games. 

• William Laychur (‘02) scored the shootout game-winning goal on Oct. 6 for the Islanders, and also added an assist which gave him points in three straight to start his NCDC career (1-4-5). 

• The Hitmen sandwiched a decisive victory against the Boston Advantage between a pair of one-goal losses as Hitmen Classic hosts. They last hit double digits on Feb. 16 at Hub City Tampa, their final contest in Florida. Patriks Marcinkevics (‘01) and Mateo Dixon (‘02) each had 2-2-4 lines to lead the way in that game. It was Marcinkevics’ fourth four-point game in his NCDC career, as he returns to the league after previously having played with the Islanders Hockey Club in 2019-20. It was the rookie Dixon’s first four-point game, and also capped a five-game point streak in which he scored all 4-5-9 of his scoring line thus far.

• The Junior Bruins rebounded from losses to the Rockets and Philadelphia at the Classic by beating the hosts 3-2 in the finale of the NCDC portion of the Hitmen Classic. Ikki Kogawa (‘03)’s fourth goal of the season was the regulation game-winner, in a game in which the Hitmen had an early 1-0 lead. 

• The New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs also won their final Hitmen Classic game after a couple losses. Former Premier Monarchs standout Tanner Hartman (‘01) scored the first and last goal of their 4-1 win against Philadelphia - both shorthanded! Three of his four goals on the season are shorties, giving him a clear NCDC lead in that category. It is the first time any Monarch has ever scored more than one SHG not just in a single game, but in an entire NCDC season!

• Hartman’s two shorthanded goals tied an NCDC record for most SHG’s in a game with former Boston Bandit Logan Drevitch, now a senior at Merrimack College, who had a pair on Jan. 24, 2018, against the Northern Cyclones. 

• The South Shore Kings left the Hitmen Classic with three points off a 1-1-1 record, starting the proceedings with a 5-4 overtime win against the hosts. It was the Kings’ third straight win over the Hitmen, and all three wins decided by one goal. The one-goal game streak between the teams extends to a 1-0 Hitmen win on Oct. 3, 2020 at last year’s BJB Shootout. 

• The 5-4 game saw three lead changes, including the Kings’ OT win off the stick of ‘02 rookie defenseman Pierce Patterson playing in his very first game. Those three lead changes tied the two organizations’ 6-5 OT win for the Kings played at Hub City Tampa, widely considered one of the greatest NCDC games in Florida and an absolute all-time classic. 

• The Twin City Thunder’s second win of the year, a 7-4 victory over the Islanders Hockey Club, saw their most goals since they set their NCDC record of nine in a win against South Shore on Feb. 16, 2020. They hit six goals three times last season. 

• The Thunder were down 4-3 to the Islanders when they scored four in the third period. It was their most third period goals in a comeback win since Jan. 22, when they scored four to rebound from a 4-1 deficit to Connecticut in Hub City Tampa. 

• Thunder NCDC veteran and Lewiston, Maine native Dom Chasse (‘02) scored a pair to lead the way in the win and now has three goals on the season, tying his 2020-21 season output through 21 games.

Upcoming Action 

• Boston Advantage at Twin City Thunder, Oct. 13: The Advantage lead the series 2-1 off of their 2020-21 games, including the Advantage’s first ever NCDC game, a 2-0 win on Oct. 11, 2020. 

• Northern Cyclones at Boston Junior Bruins, Oct. 14: The first match-up for these teams this season, with the Cyclones having won the 2020-21 season series 2-1 (one win in OT).

• Twin City Thunder at South Shore Kings, Oct. 15: After the Thunder won their first two meetings last season, the Kings got a couple points in a shootout win. The Thunder lead the all-time series 5-1-1. 

• Boston Advantage at Northern Cyclones, Oct. 15: The Cyclones are out for revenge after the Advantage opened this season’s series with a 4-0 victory on Oct. 1.  

• Connecticut Jr. Rangers vs. Rockets Hockey Club, Oct. 15-16: The home-and-home series begins at Bridgewater and moves to Chelsea Piers for Saturday. These teams faced each other six times in 2020-21, with the Rockets going 5-1, with one win coming in OT. 

• Utica Jr. Comets at Jersey Hitmen, Oct. 16-17: The defending Dineen Cup Champions play host to the current South Division front-runners, tied with the Junior Bruins for first overall in both points (13) and winning percentage (.813). 

• Islanders Hockey Club at Boston Advantage, Oct. 16: The Islanders won their 2020-21 season series 6-1, all decided in regulation. 

• New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs at Twin City Thunder, Oct. 16: The Monarchs won the 2020-21 season series 4-2, including a stretch of five straight games in November and December. 

• P.A.L. Jr. Islanders vs. Philadelphia Hockey Club, Oct. 16-17: A South Division home-and-home and resumption of a series led 5-1 by P.A.L. after an initial PHC win. 

• Boston Junior Bruins at Islanders Hockey Club, Oct. 17: Junior Bruins won the 2020-21 season series 5-1, with their last game in Tampa going to OT. 

The Jersey Hitmen will welcome teams from the National Collegiate Development Conference, USPHL 18U, USPHL 16U and USPHL 15U Divisions to the Ice Vault in Wayne, N.J., for their annual Hitmen Classic event, part of the USPHL Showcase Series. 

The full schedule kicks off on Thursday with four NCDC games, followed by a full schedule of NCDC and Midget hockey on each of Friday and Saturday. Sunday and Monday will see a full slate of USPHL Midget games, with a slightly shorter schedule on Monday to close out the five-day event. 

Tune into all of the NCDC games on HockeyTV, where The Dan K Show, USPHL’s Official Broadcasting Team, will have the call on several contests from Thursday through Saturday. See the Hitmen Classic page as well for a full schedule of action at the Ice Vault. 

USPHL Premier, Elite Action Hits Ice Further Down I-287

The Hitmen Classic is being held in conjunction with a full four days of USPHL Premier and Elite league action at nearby Bridgewater Sports Arena in Bridgewater, N.J., hosted by the Rockets Hockey Club. You can find all of those games on the USPHL Premier and USPHL Elite schedules.

Keep tabs on all of the USPHL social media accounts for fantastic content - photos, interviews and plenty of fun - across both locations over the course of the weekend. 

For a full list of teams in action in New Jersey this weekend, please see below: 

Utica Jr. Comets 2020-21 NCDC goaltender Cameron Whitehead has committed to Northeastern University to play NCAA Division I hockey.

Whitehead, 18, came to the Utica Jr. Comets NCDC team for the 2020-21 season and has now moved on to the Lincoln Stars in the USHL. He was the 30th ranked North American goalie on the NHL Central Scouting list in May.

"It feels pretty surreal to be committed to such a great school," Whitehead said. "I'm really looking forward to these next two years of development to be ready for Northeastern in the 2023-24 season. I'm really excited to play at Northeastern because fo the amount of talent that goes through that program that will help me try to get to the next level."

Whitehead spent 29 games in Utica and trained with Robert Esche, a former NHL goalie and Olympian, outside of practices.

“I’m very proud of Cam and what he has been able to accomplish over the last year," Esche said. "His dedication towards becoming a better goalie each and every day has paid off, and I wish him nothing but the best as he continues his growth as a goalie.”

Cam said he loved his time in Utica.

“I had a lot of great memories throughout the year. I got to spend a lot of time at the rink and with the team and just got to know everyone really well. Especially off the ice with my billets I had a lot of great memories with them and created a lifelong friendship.”

He was drafted by the Lincoln Stars in the 2021 USHL Draft and is ready to make the leap to the next level.

The NCDC delivered in droves on the promise of excitement in every arena as the league kicked off on Thursday, Sept. 23 and featured 13 contests through Sunday evening, a far cry and improvement from the COVID-heavy September of 2020 when only one contest happened in that month. 

The first weekend also gave a great first look at where some teams may be heading in the weeks ahead as the league gets into its first pair of North vs. South weekends in the Junior Bruins Shootout followed immediately by the Jersey Hitmen Classic. The Utica Jr. Comets won all three of their first trio of games against the returning Dineen Cup finalist Rockets Hockey Club on this first weekend, putting them in the current points lead at 3-0 for six points. 

The Jersey Hitmen, Junior Bruins, Northern Cyclones and Islanders Hockey Club are all 2-0 out of the gate. The P.A.L. Jr. Islanders and Connecticut Jr. Rangers split their first weekend set. 

The first weekend saw six out of its 13 games decided by one goal, and three go beyond 60 minutes. 

Amazingly/coincidentally, the last 13 regular season games of 2020-21 also saw six one-goal games, with the only difference being only two going beyond 60 minutes. 

Utica Jr. Comets See Best First Weekend In NCDC Tenure

Neither the Utica Jr. Comets nor their predecessors the Syracuse Jr. Stars started out 3-0 in any of their first four seasons in the league. Their best three-game starts were 2-1 in both the inaugural 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, while they started 2020-21 off on the wrong foot with an 0-3 mark that saw three shutouts against to boot. 

Louis Educate, new Head Coach for the Jr. Comets, joins four other current or former NCDC coaches as starting their NCDC coaching career with at least three straight wins:

Toby Harris, Jersey Hitmen (4-0) 2017-18

Sean Tremblay, Islanders Hockey Club (4-0) 2017-18

Mike Anderson, Boston Junior Bruins (3-0) 2017-18

Jason Kersner, Rockets Hockey Club (3-0) 2020-21

Louis Educate, Utica Jr. Comets (3-0) 2021-22*

* = Active streak. 

• Utica’s 16 goals in their first three games is a best total for their first three games. Their last 16-goal run in three games came towards the start of Hub City Tampa, where they went 2-1 in a three-game set early on between Jan. 11-17.

• Dhillon Wilde (‘02) and Owen Carlile (‘03) lead the team with five points apiece, with Wilde holding a 3-2-5 line and Carlile a 2-3-5 line. Both also lead the NCDC in scoring. 

• Walter Baumann (‘01) was already the team’s all-time leading goal-scorer and he’s started with three in his first three games and now has a team record 33 career NCDC goals. Adding an assist this weekend also has him just six points back of former teammate Donny Borgula for the all-time points lead - Baumann has 69 and Borgula is at 75. 

• Sebastian Woods (‘01) is 2-0 in net, while Ethan Neitsch (‘03) has the other victory. Both withstood a torrent of shots, combining for 117 against in three games, an average of 39 per contest. 

Jersey Hitmen Win Coach Harris’ 750th Game Behind Hitmen Bench

Toby Harris’ history as Head Coach with the Jersey Hitmen’s top team goes back to the mid-2000s, more than 15 years. He celebrated his 750th all-time game behind the bench on Saturday when the Hitmen’s home opener saw them defeat Philadelphia Hockey Club by a 2-1 victory. 

It was the fifth straight time Harris won his opening set of games in an NCDC season, the culmination being a 3-0 run with three shutout victories last October at the Junior Bruins Shootout. Never before has each contest in that first set of games been decided by one goal, however. 

Friday’s 4-3 OT win was the first time since 2017 that Harris’ Hitmen have started with a game going beyond 60 minutes. Alex Dameski scored at the 2:25 mark. 

Their first-ever NCDC game was a 4-3 OT victory over the Northern Cyclones on Sept. 15, 2017 (OT winner was scored by the league’s first-ever Player Of The Year Jeff Losurdo, now with Dartmouth College). 

Islanders Hockey Club Eke Out Pair Of One-Goal Wins

The Islanders Hockey Club and South Shore Kings opened up the fifth NCDC season on Sept. 23, when the Islanders defeated the Kings 5-4 on home ice at Skate 3 Arena in Tyngsboro, Mass. 

• It was the first time the Islanders have been involved in the very first game of an NCDC season and the second straight for the Kings, who defeated the Junior Bruins, 3-2, on Sept. 22, 2020.

• Andrew Carmody scored the regulation game-winning goal on Friday, and came back Sunday to score the OT winner against the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, who dedicated the Ryan Frew Memorial Rink (more on that evening below). He was the only player to score game-winners to give his team wins in their first two games this season. This happened for two players last year: Alex Mozian (now at Trinity College) started the 2020-21 Hitmen season with game-winners in his team’s first two game-winners; and the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs’ Grant Porter (now in the USHL) scored a game-winner in full team play in their 2020-21 season opener as well as a shootout winner in the second game.

Northern Cyclones Get Off To 2-0 Start

The Northern Cyclones enjoyed their first weekend sweep in their NCDC history. Twice, they split games (2018-19 and 2019-20), and last year, they fell in a single opening weekend game against the rival Monarchs. 

They defeated the Monarchs in a Friday afternoon matinee at Cyclones Arena, a 2-1 shootout win. It was the Cyclones’ first win in their season opener in three straight tries, all at their home rink. They traveled to Foxboro on Saturday where they beat the South Shore Kings, 6-3. 

• Graham Broadfoot, an ‘02 rookie from Ohio, was the first Cyclones player to ever have his first NCDC goal be a shootout goal, or for that matter, a shootout game-winner. 

• With three assists, defenseman Brendan Dickey leads the team in points, the second straight year a Cyclones defenseman has done so. Current Lake Superior State blueliner Artyom Borshyov kicked off last season with three points in his first two games. 

Junior Bruins See First Shutout Win Of NCDC Season

One day after overcoming a 3-2 deficit to win their opener 5-3 against the Boston Advantage, the Junior Bruins registered the first shutout win of the NCDC season. Rookie goaltender Colin Winn (‘04) stopped all 30 shots he faced against the Twin City Thunder. He now has given up just three goals on 68 shots for a .958 save percentage, leading all goalies who saw two games in the opening weekend. 

• Only two other Junior Bruins goalies have registered shutouts in either their first or second career NCDC game (always the second in this case): Current Army goalie Ryan Wilson in 2020-21 during Hub City Tampa; and Bryan McGrath, during the 2018-19 season. Current Quinnipiac goalie Yaniv Perets registered a shutout in the second game of his second season, in 2018-19.  

• Holy Cross recruit Joe Solimine had two goals and two assists in his first two games, and Army recruit Jude Brower had four assists to share the team lead after the first weekend. Both are returning NCDC Junior Bruins, illustrating the veteran leadership of the Junior Bruins taking charge. 

Around The League

The New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs and their home facility the Tri-Town Ice Arena honored late head coach Ryan Frew, who passed away on Oct. 5, 2020, of non-COVID-related natural causes, with the renaming of the Monarchs’ home rink as the Ryan Frew Memorial Rink. 

His son Seamus delivered the dedication address, and Seamus, older brother Quentin and younger sister Layla all led the Monarchs onto the ice for the first time at Ryan Frew Memorial Rink in a beautiful show of unity between the Monarchs and the Frew family. The entire NCDC misses Ryan Frew greatly. His positivity and smile lit up every room he walked into, and we hope that spirit will always live on at the Ryan Frew Memorial Rink and everywhere. 

• With a goal and three assists in his first two games, Connecticut Jr. Rangers third-year veteran Schuyler Flansburg currently leads his team in scoring and is tied for second overall in the NCDC after a split weekend with the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders. 

Upcoming Games

• Northern Cyclones at Boston Advantage, Oct. 1 - Cyclones won their first season series with the Advantage 2-1 last season, including one OT victory. 

• Utica Jr. Comets at Philadelphia Hockey Club, Oct. 1-3 - Jr. Comets head to Hollydell Ice Arena for their second of five three-game weekend sets against a common opponent. 

• South Shore Kings vs. Connecticut Jr. Rangers, Oct. 2 - The first NCDC game at the Junior Bruins Shootout. Jr. Rangers won the 2020-21 season series 2-1. 

• Twin City Thunder vs. Jersey Hitmen, Oct. 2 - Also at the Junior Bruins shootout, the NCDC semifinalists take up their rematch. 

• New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs vs. Rockets Hockey Club, Oct. 2 - Rockets swept only two games in this matchup last season and are currently on a 3-0 streak vs. Monarchs. 

• Junior Bruins vs. P.A.L. Junior Islanders, Oct. 2 - Junior Bruins swept 2020-21 season series 4-0, including one OT win. 

• Jersey Hitmen vs. Junior Bruins, Oct. 3 - Junior Bruins took last season’s series 2-1, including one shootout win, though the Hitmen took their sole victory by shutout at the Space Coast Classic, the only Hub City Tampa game held on the Atlantic coast of Florida. 

• Rockets Hockey Club vs. South Shore, Oct. 3 - Rockets captured the season series 2-1, with South Shore’s 1-0 victory coming in OT. 

• Connecticut Jr. Rangers vs. Twin City Thunder, Oct. 3 - These two opponents split a pair of one-goal games in Florida in 2020-21. 

• P.A.L. Jr. Islanders vs. New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, Oct. 3 - Monarchs won their first Florida match-up in a shootout, before P.A.L. won second game more decisively. 

• New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs vs. Jersey Hitmen, Oct. 4 - The Hitmen won both their Hub City Tampa games last year, one year after a 2-2 split for the 2019-20 campaign.

• Rockets Hockey Club vs. Twin City Thunder, Oct. 4 - The all-time series is tied 3-3, as the Thunder went 3-1 during 2019-20, and the Rockets won both their Tampa meetings. 

• South Shore Kings vs. P.A.L. Jr. Islanders, Oct. 4 - The Kings won both their games last year (one in OT), one year after P.A.L. went 4-0 in the season series. 

• Connecticut Jr. Rangers vs. Junior Bruins, Oct. 4 - These teams - led by Head Coaches who both played under the late Gary Dineen, the Dineen Cup’s namesake - split the two-game season series in 2020-21.