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 in January 26th. 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: Tyler Steuck, Forward, Rochester Grizzlies
Tyler Steuck and the Rochester Grizzlies secured a crucial four points in the standings by sweeping the Peoria Mustangs, the ‘04 forward playing a pivotal role in his team's strong weekend performance. During Friday’s 5-2 victory, Steuck had a standout performance, netting an impressive four goals, his best game so far this season. Of his four goals, the Janesville, WI native scored the first three in the opening 20 minutes, with the final goal of the first period being the game-winner, netted shorthanded. After completing his hat trick, he added a fourth at 12:36 of the final frame. Saturday’s game was a dominant performance by Rochester, who shut out their opponents 8-0. Steuck kept his momentum rolling from Friday, adding another goal and picking up an assist.
“Steuckys has been a leader since the first day he got to Rochester. It’s awesome to see him back up last weekend’s performance with another strong showing this weekend. He’s a natural goal scorer and leader, someone we’ll count on down the stretch as we make our push toward the playoffs,” stated Grizzlies’ Head Coach Tyler Veen.
2nd Star: Landon Bechtolt, Wausau Cyclones
3rd Star: Isaac Flatley, Rochester Grizzlies
East Division Star of the Week: Aidan Palmeter, Forward, New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings
The New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings kept their dominance over the Northeast Generals, completing a weekend sweep of the second-place team. Veteran forward Aidan Palmeter continued to deliver for his squad, playing a key role in securing both wins. The Manchester, NH native had a huge game on Friday as he team pulled away with a 5-3 victory. After dishing out an assist on New Hampshire’s first tally, Palmeter scored a pair of back to back goals in the second period, including the game winner on the man advantage, his fifth game winner of the season. He followed up with another multi-point performance on Saturday, recording two assists as the Mountain Kings extended their win streak to five. Palmeter also extended his own streak, now registering at least one point in each of the last six games.
“Aidan’s a huge reason we’re riding this 5-game win streak. He brings it every single day, whether it’s on special teams or 5-on-5, he’s a leader through and through, both on and off the ice,” stated Mountain Kings’ Head Coach Clint Cassavaugh.
2nd Star: Carson Curry, Binghamton Buzz
3rd Star: Griffin Gagnon, Binghamton Buzz
Frontier Division Star of the Week: Finn Theriault, Forward, Helena Bighorns
The first place Helena Bighorns secured a spot in the 2025 Fraser Cup Playoffs after picking up a pair of wins over the Bozeman Icedogs and Butte Irish in front of a great crowd at Steed Arena. The Bighorns’ leading scorer Finn Theriault continues to be an offensive powerhouse, turning in another back-to-back multi-point performance. Against Bozeman, the Breckenridge, CO native set up his team’s first goal, tying the game 1-1 just over a minute into the second period. He then scored Helena’s third goal of the frame, the eventual game-winner, as they cruised to a 5-2 victory over the Icedogs. Following up on Saturday, Theriault had a lights out third period, scoring a pair of goals, including his eighth powerplay tally of the season. With four points over the weekend, Theriault is averaging 1.36 points per game, totaling 45 points in 33 games.
“Finn Theriault has been a leader for us all year, not just offensively but also playing a complete 200-foot game. We’ll be counting on Finn the rest of the way, expecting him to keep up his consistency as we finish the regular season and head into the playoffs," stated Bighorns’ Head Coach Damon Hanson.
2nd Star: Brady Johnson, Gillette Wild
3rd Star: Johnny Lang, Great Falls Americans
South Division Star of the Week: Dayton Ruppel, Defenseman, Louisiana Drillers
2006 blueliner Dayton Ruppel had another strong weekend in terms of point production, helping the Louisiana Drillers maintain their spot as the top team in the NA3HL. After a quiet first game tallying just one assist, the Lockport, NY native turned on the jets, scoring the first goal of the second period on Saturday, putting his team up 3-1. Before the final buzzer sounded, Ruppel recorded one assist on the seventh goal of the contest as Louisiana took game two 8-1. To cap off their three-game set in Texas, the rookie defenseman had his best game to date, racking up four points on the day. After registering an assist in the first period, Ruppel exploded for three more points in the final frame, as he found the back of the net not once, but twice in addition to picking up one final assist.
“Dayton has really established himself as one of the best two-way defenseman in this league. He is the ultimate competitor in his Dzone and makes it tough for any forward to get scoring opportunities,” stated Drillers’ Head Coach Chris Francis. “Offensively he has great vision and develops a lot of scoring opportunities for the group. With Dayton being in his rookie season, he really helps push the team to compete and he has great things ahead for himself.”
2nd Star: Issa Murakami, New Mexico Ice Wolves
3rd Star: Skylar Bawcom, Louisiana Drillers
West Division Star of the Week: Caleb Waller, Forward, Alexandria Blizzard
The Alexandria Blizzard are back in the win column, snapping the Moose’s nine-game winning streak with forward Caleb Waller contributing significantly during their weekend sweep. The Blizzard kicked off the weekend with a 5-3 win on Saturday, as the St. Michael, MN native scored two goals in the second period, including one on the power play, to spark his team’s comeback after falling behind 2-0 early in the middle frame. His offensive surge continued on Sunday as he recorded one point per period, delivering another two-goal performance with tallies in both the second and third periods. This marked his first weekend where he was able to find the back of the net on the man advantage in back-to-back contests.
“Caleb really stepped up his game this weekend by using his speed and offensive creativity. He was excellent on the powerplay and proved why he’s one of the top forwards in the league,” stated Blizzard Head Coach Jeff Crouse.
2nd Star: Dom Thomas, Granite City Lumberjacks
3rd Star: Reece Gronseth, Granite City Lumberjacks
