TPH alum Nathan Krusko earns ECAC Rookie of the Week honors

TPH Thunder alum and current Harvard forward Nathan Krusko was named ECAC Rookie of the Week last week.

Krusko, a freshman from Alpharetta, Ga., tallied his first career hat trick in a 5-2 win over Quinnipiac on Jan. 6. In 16 games with the Crimson this season, Krusko has five goals and two assists for seven points.

With the TPH Thunder, Krusko averaged nearly a point per game in his midget major season, tallying 34 points in 35 games in 2013-14. He played his junior hockey for the Minnesota Magicians (NAHL) and Omaha Lancers (USHL).

TPH Detroit CoE’s Jake Transit and Cannon Green tendered to Mudbugs

Two TPH Detroit Center of Excellence student-athletes — Jake Transit and Cannon Green — have tendered to the NAHL’s Shreveport Mudbugs.

The two Oakland Jr. Grizzlies U18 teammates join the Mudbugs, who are in the midst of their inaugural season in the NAHL and have a 18-11-0-1 record. Both CoE students will add skill to Shreveport’s forward group.

Transit, a 17-year-old from Royal Oak, Mich., has already featured in two games with the Mudbugs. In 24 games with the OJG U18 this season, he had 11 goals and 11 assists. Before joining OJG, Transit starred for the Honeybaked and Belle Tire programs.

Green, a 16-year-old from Hinsdale, Ill., had more than a point per game with OJG U18 with 28 points in 24 games. Last season with the Jr. Grizzlies’ U16 team, he tallied 25 points in 31 games.

TPH congratulates Erik Gordon on call up to U.S. NTDP

TPH would like to congratulate current Lone Star Brahmas (NAHL) goaltender Erik Gordon on his call-up to the U.S. National Team Development program.

Gordon, a long time TPH standout with the TPH Thunder AAA program, is expected to start in the next two NTDP games. The Duluth, Ga., native is having an incredible season with the Brahmas, posting an 11-2 record with a .909 save percentage in 17 games. He also has a 2.23 GAA, which ranks fifth in the NAHL.

The goaltender ranks as one of the best to come through the TPH Thunder AAA program. In his U16 season with the Thunder, Gordon posted a remarkable 1.97 goals against average and .925 save percentage. The season before in bantam play, Gordon had a 1.12 GAA in 36 games. Gordon has also played in the OHL Cup with the Thunder.

Congratulations, Erik, on your achievement!

TPH Detroit CoE student-athlete Tino Passarelli commits to Miami

Congratulations to TPH Detroit Center of Excellence student-athlete Valentino Passarelli on his commitment to Miami University.

The Honeybaked U16 standout is the 14th TPH Detroit CoE student to commit to an NCAA Division I school since 2014.

The 5-foot-9 forward has perennially been a star player for the Honeybaked program and has posted eight points in 12 games this season according to Eliteprospects. Passarelli was also drafted by the Fargo Force in the 2016 USHL Futures Draft.

Congrats to Tino on his commitment!

TPH alum Josh Wilkins named Hockey East Rookie of the Week

Congrats to TPH alum and Providence Friars forward Josh Wilkins, who was named Hockey East Rookie of the Week on Jan. 2.

From the Providence website:

“Providence College men’s hockey freshman Josh Wilkins (Raleigh, N.C.) was named Hockey East Rookie of the Week in an announcement made by the league on Monday (Jan. 2).

Wilkins put the Friars up 2-1 on the power play just 1:16 into the third period with the eventual game-winning goal in Providence’s 3-1 win over then No. 2 Denver on Saturday night and recorded a shot on goal in Friday’s 2-2 tie with the Pioneers.  He also tallied a season-high eight shots on goal in the win for the Friars on Saturday. This season, Wilkins sits in a third place tie among Hockey East rookies with 15 points (6-9-15) and also ranks third with 53 shots on goal. Wilkins is the first Friar to earn Hockey East Rookie of the Week honors since Brian Pinho on Oct. 14, 2014.

The Friars currently hold a five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2) and are 2-0-1 against Denver since the two teams met at the 2015 Northeast Regional Final at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence on March 29, 2015.

Wilkins and the Friars are back in action this Saturday (Jan. 7) at Frozen Fenway against No. 8 Boston College. Face-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. between the Friars and Eagles.”

TPH Detroit CoE student-athlete Xan Gurney commits to Western Michigan

Congrats to TPH Detroit Center of Excellence student-athlete Xan Gurney, who has announced his commitment to Western Michigan University!

Gurney, a second-year TPH CoE student, is currently a defenseman on Compuware U16. The Grosse Ile, Mich., native is the 13th TPH Detroit CoE student to make a commitment to an NCAA Division I school.

The 16-year-old is in his first season back with Compuware after spending two seasons with their bantam program. Last year with Little Caesars, Gurney tallied 11 points in 17 games according to Eliteprospects.com. He was drafted in the fourth round (No. 53 overall) by the Chicago Steel in the 2016 USHL Futures Draft.

TPH Trained star Alex Debrincat signs with Chicago Blackhawks

Congrats to TPH trained star forward Alex Debrincat, who signed a three-year, entry level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 7.

The 18-year-old has skated with TPH Detroit’s 8-week program and has posted back-to-back 50-goal seasons with the OHL’s Erie Otters. The Farmington Hills native was drafted in the second round (39th overall) by the Blackhawks in the 2016 NHL Draft.

Debrincat was also a member of the 2016 U.S. World Junior Hockey Championships squad, where he won a bronze medal. Congrats to Alex!

From the Chicago Blackhawks:

“The Chicago Blackhawks announced today that they have agreed to terms with forward Alex DeBrincat (duh-BREEN-kut) on a three-year contract. He was drafted by the Blackhawks in the second round (39th overall) of the 2016 National Hockey League Draft.

DeBrincat, 18, leads the OHL with 17 goals and is second with 35 points in 14 games with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters this season. The Farmington Hills, Mich., native is winning 59.2 percent of his faceoffs this year. He posted his second-straight 51-goal season in 2015-16, making him one of three OHL players since 1997-98 with consecutive 50-goal seasons, joining Ottawa’s Tyler Toffoli (Los Angeles Kings) in 2010-11 and 2011-12, and Sudbury’s Norman Milley in 1998-99 and 1999-2000. He won the 2015 OHL Rookie of the Year after accumulating 104 points (51G, 53A) in his first season with Erie.

In three seasons with the Otters, DeBrincat has registered 119 goals and 121 assists in 142 career games.”

TPH Detroit CoE student-athlete Chase Pletzke commits to Bowling Green

Congratulations to TPH Detroit Center of Excellence student-athlete Chase Pletzke on his commitment to Bowling Green State University.

The Bay City native and Oakland Jr. Grizzlies U18 standout is the 12th TPH Detroit CoE student to commit to an NCAA Division I school since 2014.

The 5-foot-10 forward has been a point per game player with the Jr. Grizzlies this season after posting 21 points with the U16 team last year.

Congrats to Chase on his commitment!

Mudbugs’ Croix Evingson commits to Division I UMass-Lowell

The Shreveport Mudbugs, proud members of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), are pleased to announce that defenseman Croix Evingson, 19, has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, who are members of Hockey East.

Evingson (6’5/210) becomes the first player in the Mudbugs brief NAHL history to make an NCAA commitment.

The native of Anchorage, Alaska, has had a memorable first month of the 2016-17 season. In 9 games played, he has recorded 10 points, which in 3rd on the Mudbugs in scoring and tied for 5th among all NAHL defensemen.

Evingson has made an immediate impact for the Mudbugs, who posted a 5-3-1 record to date. He was named the NAHL Defenseman of the Month for September as he recorded 8 points in just six games during the month, which also included a +8 rating.

Evingson also posted two three-point games and has recorded a point in six of his eight games played to date.

Evingson was selected in the 7th round of the 2016 NAHL Draft. He played last season for the Kenai River Brown Bears in the NAHL and Chicago Steel in the USHL.

“Croix has been a very solid player for us and we were excited to get him in the NAHL Draft this summer. We rely heavily on him in all situations and his combination of size and puck-moving ability makes him a great all-around defenseman,” said Shreveport head coach Karlis Zirnis.

Former TPH Thunder standout Jay Williams joins ECHL’s Orlando

By ECHL.com

The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and AHL’s Toronto Marlies, have announced that the club has agreed to terms with rookie goaltender Jay Williams for the 2016-17 season.

Williams completed a four-year collegiate career this past season with Miami University, where he went 10-9-1 with a 2.58 goals against average, .903 save percentage and two shutouts. In 87 career games for the RedHawks, the 23-year-old posted a record of 46-29-4 with a 2.37 goals against average, .909 save percentage and nine shutouts. During the 2014-15 campaign, he helped backstop the program to a NCHC conference title. The McLean, Va., native also appeared at Washington Capitals development camp earlier this summer.

Prior to competing for Miami, Williams spent two season sin the USHL with the Waterloo Black Hawks and Sioux Falls Stampede, where he compiled a 20-23-8 record in 52 appearances, along with a 3.21 goals against average, a .894 save percentage and five shutouts. Williams was also named a selection to the 2012 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.