NA3HL Announces Stars of the Week
The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) is pleased to announce the Divisional Stars of the Week for the week ending September 22nd. The Divisional Stars of the Week is an award given each week of the regular season to the top performing players in each of the five divisions of the NA3HL as nominated by their head coaches.
Central Division Star of the Week: Viktor Budik, Forward, Wisconsin Woodsmen
Viktor Budik and the Wisconsin Woodsmen swept the weekend with a pair of wins over the Wausau Cyclones and West Bend Power, now sitting first place overall in the Central Division. The Prachatice, CZE native tallied three points during his first weekend of the 2024-25 season. During his first game against the Cyclones, Budik tallied one assist and posted a plus-minus of +2. He followed up his night one performance with two goals, including the game winning goal against the West Bend Power.
"Viktor has made an instant impact on our roster since his return. Budik is a playmaker, through and through, earning him enormous amounts of respect from his teammates. He is a player that should be on every recruiter's radar," said Woodsmen Head Coach Jon Vaillancourt.
2nd Star: Travis Visvadra, St. Louis Jr. Blues
3rd Star: Lucca Weinkauf, West Bend Power
East Division Star of the Week: Aidan Palmeter, Forward, New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings
Aidan Palmeter and the New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings split their weekend series with the Northeast Generals, Palmeter having great offensive success. The Manchester, NH native wracked up seven points, kicking things off with a hattrick and two assists during New Hampshire’s 9-1 victory, one of his goals being scored shorthanded. Despite coming up just short on Saturday, Palmeter still managed to tally two assists.
“We wouldn’t have had the success we did In game 1 nor the ability to trade punches in game 2 versus the Generals this weekend without Aidan,” stated New Hampshire Head Coach Clint Cassavaugh. “ He's the type of leader that leads by example and a great guy for our team to look up to.”
2nd Star: Mason Payne, Norwich Sea Captains
3rd Sar: Brody Emond, Maine Nordiques
Frontier Division Star of the Week: Devin Bruns, Forward, Bozeman Icedogs
Devin Bruns and the Bozeman Icedogs picked up their first pair of wins on the season with a sweep over the Butte Irish. As the now leading scorer for Bozeman, the Chicago, IL native tallied a whopping nine points in two games. Bruns began his weekend scoring two goals and notching three assists and then followed up on night two with an additional goal and three assists, helping his team drastically offensively.
“Devin has really adjusted to life here in Bozeman which has allowed him to perform well on the ice,” said Head Coach Mike Perkins. “The line Devin is currently on with Kaunas and Steckelberg continues to improve daily and produce for our organization.”
2nd Star: Finn Theriault, Helena Bighorns
3rd Star: Ty O’Bey, Great Falls Americans
South Division Star of the Week: Carson Spear, Forward, Texas RoadRuners
Carson Spears and the Texas RoadRunners went 2-1 on the weekend as they traveled to Georgia to take on the Atlanta Capitals. The Dallas, TX native is plating his second year with the RoadRunners and serves as a leader both on and off the ice. Over the course of three games, Spears accumulated 11 points. After a quiet first night with one goal, Spears had an explosive next two games, scoring five goals and tallying five assists.
"Carson and I spoke after game one in Atlanta and he knew he had to get the guys on track by setting the tone over the rest of the weekend,” stated Head Coach Mike Beavis. “ He did just that and powered his team to two big wins."
2nd Star: Nikolai Meshkantsov, Texas Brahmas
3rd Star: Brendan Johnson, Louisana Drillers
West Division Star of the Week: Gabe Adams, Forward, Willmar WarHawks
Gabe Adams and the Willmar Hawks won their only game of the weekend with an 8-2 victory over the Minnesota Moose. A first-year junior player, the Bellevue, NE native scored three of the eight goals for Willmar, his first NA3HL career hat-trick. Adams’ first goal came in the second period, followed by two goals in the third period, one of which being scored shorthanded.
“We are extremely happy for Gabe. He’s such a competitor. The kid never takes a shift off, plays a 200’ game and goes to the hard areas,” stated WarHawks Head Coach Payton Ruter. “It’s awesome to see him get rewarded with a Hat Trick and earn Star of the Week honors.”
2nd Star: Brayden Willis, Granite City Lumberjacks
3rd Star: Nathaniel Jansen, Minnesota Wilderness
