Junior Hockey’s Rising Stars - Jan. 19th - Jan 25th, 2026
WRITTEN BY JOSHUA BOYD
Each week, check back with The Dan K Show as Joshua Boyd breaks down the past week's top performances from 2007 and younger U.S. junior players (2008 and younger for USPHL Elite and EHL Premier). All statistics are taken from league sites; if there are any statistical errors, please contact the league in question.
Games of Jan. 19th-25th, 2026
USHL
It's not very usual for an NHL Draft Prospect to already be a three-year USHL veteran, but Youngstown Phantoms forward Evan Jardine '07 has a long and distinguished resume already even before this summer's selection session. With 38 points in 33 games, Jardine is close to his 2024-25 output of 44 points in 62 games - and he's only seven points shy of 100 for his career, after 107 games. His recent tear showed him putting up a 5-5-10 line for his Jan. 23-24 games, both five-point games being career highs for him. The Ohio State University recruit is ranked 155th among North American Skaters on NHL Central Scouting's Mid-Term rankings. He was both a winner of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and a player in the Chipotle All-American Game. The former Little Caesars player (including two USA Hockey Nationals appearances) was selected by the Phantoms in the 2023 USHL Phase I (Futures) Draft, with the 72nd pick in the fifth round.
His fellow Phantom Malachi McKinnon '07 also put up 10 points in the Jan. 23 and 24 games, with a 4-6-10 line. McKinnon was selected in the same draft as Jardine, but by the Fargo Force (second round, 30th overall). After two seasons with Fargo and last year with the BCHL's Sherwood Park Crusaders, he joined Youngstown for his first full USHL season thus far. On Jan. 23, he had his first hat trick and matched that with three assists for a six-point night, also a career-best. McKinnon won the USA Hockey 16U Nationals twice, both with the Long Island Gulls, in 2023 and 2024. He currently has 39 points in 40 games, ranking third on the Phantoms scoring leaderboard, one spot in front of Jardine. McKinnon is committed to the University of Maine.
Phantoms forward Jack Hextall '08 is ranked 33rd among North American Skaters for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Hextall, a second-year Phantom, also just put up a career-best for points in a season with 37 points in 38 contests this year. In 2024-25, he had 34 points over 53 games. Like Jardine, he is also a former USA Hockey National Champion, winning the 15U title in 2024 with the Chicago Mission. He is bound for Michigan State University.
We close this all-Youngstown edition with defenseman Carter Murphy '07, we continue our trend of third-year USHL veterans on the Youngstown Phantoms. Murphy, also selected in the 2023 Futures Draft (fourth round, 47th overall by Youngstown), enjoyed a career high of three points on Jan. 23 with a 1-2-3 line. He also had a two-point game on Jan. 24 for five points in two games, giving him 27 points in 40 games, which is more than double the 13 points he registered in 2024-25 over 54 games. A University of Minnesota-Duluth commit, Murphy came up to Youngstown from the Dallas Stars Elite, with whom he played at the USA Hockey Nationals in 2022 (14U) and 2024 (16U).
NAHL
Jackson Reeves '07 enjoyed a career best in both goals (two) and points (three) on Jan. 22, posting that total of three points for his games of Jan. 22-23 for the Minnesota Wilderness. Technically, this is Reeves' second NAHL season, playing one game last year for the Bismarck Bobcats. He currently has 14 points in 33 games after joining this year out of Hill-Murray School in his native Minnesota.
When Philadelphia Rebels defenseman Mikey Conlon '07 scored two goals on Jan. 23, he set a career best as a second-year blueliner in the NAHL. He also doubled his 2024-25 points (six) as he now stands with a 2-10-12 line for the 2025-26 season. Conlon, a former North Jersey Avalanche standout, saw three games with the USHL's Omaha Lancers this season, as well.
We're not going to stop highlighting Maryland Black Bears goalie Ryan Denes '07 until he gives us a reason not to highlight him. After all, it's hard to ignore the NAHL's wins leader, as he registered his 19th of the season on Jan. 23, stopping 29 of 30 shots for his third straight victory. Over his last 10 games, he has only lost once in regulation. In 44 career NAHL games, he has a record of 29-5-5-1, and his 29 wins place him in the top 10 for goalies since 2024-25. Denes was a teammate of Evan Jardine with the 2023-24 Little Caesars 16U team, and one year earlier was with Malachi McKinnon when the Long Island Gulls won the 2022-23 16U National Championship. He was drafted by Maryland in the 2024 NAHL Entry Draft (fifth round, 155th overall).
Staying in the nets, we turn to the Philadelphia Rebels' Ilja Nikitins '08, who also stopped 29 shots in his most recent game, marking his fifth straight appearance of giving up two goals or fewer, all in 2026. In winning his 10th game on Jan. 23, he became the third '08 goalie with 10 wins this year, joining Kaenan Smith (Janesville Jets) and Brian Cooke (Minot Minotauros). He has been with the Rockets Hockey Club the past two years, making appearances at the 2024 15U and 2025 16U USA Hockey Nationals. He's also on the USHL radar, having earned a call-up in late December with the Omaha Lancers.
NCDC
Devin Krasco '08 is the current leading scorer for the St. Stephen County Moose, especially after setting a season-and career-best of 2-2-4 on Jan. 21, in one of three games last week. He improved to 20 points in 31 games, giving him the second-most points to lead a team among 2008-born players, behind the league's third-leading scorer in Gabriel Boivin (Universel Quebec). Krasco joined from the Boston Hockey Academy, with whom he won the 2024-25 Tier 1 Hockey Federation (THF) 16U title.
Anthony Roy '07 finds himself in the top 10 of the NCDC scoring chart, playing this year for Universel Academy. He registered four assists over the two games of Jan. 22-23, equaling a season-and career-best of three points on Jan. 22, which he has hit many times this season. Roy was a 2025 NCDC Phase II Draft Pick by Universel Quebec originally, after a strong season in Quebec's Midget 18U league with College Notre-Dame Albatros, located in Riviere-du-Loup, Que. His 42 points lead all 2007 and younger NCDC skaters this year, and put him in a tie for sixth overall.
We've mentioned Jersey Hitmen goaltender John Gazzola '07 before and we're happy to do so again. What can we say? He's good. Like Roy, Gazzola is the 2007 and younger leader, but for goaltenders, leading the younger set in wins (14), save percentage (.939) and goals against average (1.94). Those are also top 10 numbers in the league overall among goaltenders with at least 10 games played. He is 4-1-0-0 in 2026 so far, including stopping all but one shot for the second straight game, making 31 saves on 32 shots on Jan. 23. Gazzola was a known entity to the Hitmen, playing there since youth and helping his team with the THF 18U title last year.
EHL
Roberts Stamurs '07 continues to impress for HC Rhode Island, especially as a first-year North American player, joining after years in his native Latvia, most recently with Prizma Riga. Stamurs put up three assists for the second time this year (he had put up four on Oct. 22), and he has moved up to 34 points in 31 games, ranking fourth in scoring on a team loaded with several 2007-born standouts.
Mario Dewees '07 is a newcomer to the EHL, joining the Pennsylvania Huntsmen in December. He recently put up a goal and two assists to give him four points in four games (actually those four points have been scored in his three 2026 games so far). Dewees split his 2024-25 season between Black Bear Academy's 18U team and Pope John Paul II High School in Royersford, Pa.
HC Rhode Island's Angelo Evangelista '07 keeps staying near the top of the goaltending charts, currently standing third in both goals against average (1.55) and save percentage (.955). On Jan. 24, he earned his third shutout with 18 saves, and is now 7-1-0-0 since Oct. 29. He joined HC Rhode Island from the Prout School in the same state.
Leading the way in save percentage is Lewis Brocklehurst '07, who stands at the top with .944 for the Philadelphia Little Flyers. In his most recent showdown, he had 29 saves on 30 shots, giving him four wins in his last five appearances. He joined this year from Maine's Bridgton Academy.
NA3HL
Denis Portnoy '08 now has a points per game average that is more than double his closest teammate. Through just 10 games since joining the Bayou State Rougarou in December, Portnoy has posted 17 goals and 17 assists for 34 points, good for a 3.4 points per game average. On Jan. 23, he registered his second eight-point game of the season, with a 2-6-8 performance. A former Reps Hockey Club 18U (Greater Toronto Hockey League) player, he played earlier this season with the OJHL's Markham Royals. Hopefully, an NAHL team can bring him in for a test there before too long.
Second-year Maine Nordiques forward Brody Emond '07 bypassed his 2024-25 totals since 2026 came about. In just this month alone, he has attained 21 points in nine games and currently has 56 points in 33 games. In his first year with the Nordiques he scored 43 points, putting him at one point shy of the regular season career century mark. Over three games Jan. 21-23, he posted a line of 5-7-12. Along with playing for the Nordiques last year, he also played for his local co-op high school team the Poland/Leavitt/Oak Hill/Gray-North Gray Kings.
While Emond is the Nordiques' leading scorer, Jackson Schroeder '07 also holds that title for the Wausau Cyclones. He earned his season-and career-best with a 2-3-5 line on Jan. 23, and he also added two points on Jan. 24 for seven points in his past two games. He improved to 53 points in 33 games for this season, his first junior campaign after coming from Team Wisconsin, with whom he played at the USA Hockey 15U Nationals in 2023.
Gavin Erickson '07 is 3-1-0-0 in 2026 so far, including a season-high 46 saves on 47 shots on Jan. 19 for the Texas Jr. Brahmas. His 15 wins are ranked fourth, his goals against average of 1.89 is good for fourth, and his .937 save percentage is fifth. Erickson came over from Minnesota's Northstar Christian Academy, and he was at the same 15U Nationals in 2023 as Jackson Schroeder, but with Team North Dakota.
USPHL Premier
Marek Trefil '07 pulled out 10 points from a Jan. 23-24 series, including two goals and eight assists. The 1-6-7 performance on Jan. 24 was a season-and career-best, at least for his time in North America so far. Trefil, who now has a team-leading 49 points in 31 games for the Iron County Yeti, is certainly enjoying great success for his first season on this side of the Atlantic. He came to the Yeti from the IHC Kralove Pisek U20 team in his native Czechia.
For the Montreal Black Vees, Oliver Sirois '07 celebrated his second career four-goal game on Jan. 22, a feat he matched from November 2024, in his first season with the Black Vees. Sirois currently stands with 44 points in 31 games this year, and for his career, he has exactly 99 points in a combined 76 regular season and playoff games for the Black Vees. Prior to his time with the Premier Black Vees, he also played for the College St-Jean Vianney (CSJV) Black Vees in the USPHL Elite in 2023-24, and they also competed in the North American Prep Hockey League the same year.
Defenseman Mason Rizik '07 hit a season-and career-best of five points (1-4-5) for the Seattle Totems on Jan. 24, and his eight points for two games over Jan. 23-24 were also a high point. A local product from nearby Federal Way, Wash., Rizik's 28 points in 21 games puts him on pace to pass the 34 points he scored in 44 games with the Totems last year. Prior to the Totems, Rizik skated with the Colorado Rampage's 16U AAA team.
Dominik Feiler '07 is a USPHL development success story, having moved from last year's USPHL Elite P.A.L. Jr. Islanders to the Premier this year. He had started this season with the Elmira Impact, but recently rejoined the Jr. Islanders at the Premier level. Feiler now has two shutouts in his first two P.A.L. Premier games, most recently turning away all 58 shots he faced on both Jan. 20 (26) and Jan. 24 (32). Feiler first started playing with P.A.L. at the 16U level in 2023-24, and then won 16 games over 26 played with the Elite squad last year.
USPHL Elite
Evan Wohlstetter '08 dished out a 2-2-4 performance on Jan. 23, and added another assist on Jan. 24, putting him at first in assists on the Red Bank Generals with 20 helpers this year. His 36 points in 26 games put him at second place for the team. He's seen a game with the Generals' USPHL Premier team this year, and he's also played games with the Sioux Falls Power 18U team in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League. He came over from the New Jersey Jr. Titans 16U team and Freehold Borough (N.J.) High School.
Also on Jan. 23, Adrien Poirier '08 hit the 2-2-4 mark, earning himself a season-and career-best in his first USPHL Elite season with the Hershey Cubs. Poirier has been leading the Cubs in assists and is currently tied for the Cubs' scoring lead with 22 points in 23 games. The Premier Cubs have taken notice and have brought Poirier up for six games, in which Poirier dished out four assists. He came to the Cubs from Ecole Secondaire Soulanges 18U in Quebec's secondary school league.
His Cubs teammate Elijah Trask '08 also hit a best for his first Elite season, posting a 1-2-3 line on Jan. 23. Like Poirier, Trask has gotten his chance with the Premier team, playing in two games, including as recently as Jan. 10. In his 30 games with the Cubs, Trask has scored 13 points. Trask is a second-year junior, having previously played in the EHL Premier with the New Jersey Renegades, splitting 2024-25 between that team and the Renegades' 18U team in the Atlantic Hockey Federation. This year, he has also played games with his high school team at Lower Dauphin High School.
Brody Patton '08 made 34 saves on 36 shots on Jan. 23, giving him a run of 3-0-1-0 since Dec. 18 for the Florida Jr. Blades. As a first-year junior goalie, he has a record of 8-4-1-0 with a save percentage of .932 and a goals against average of 2.32. Patton came to the Jr. Blades from the St. Louis Jr. Sting 16U team and the Edwardsville (Ill.) High School.
EHL Premier
There were only five EHL Premier games last week, and so we'll combine two weeks in next week's column.