Junior Hockey's Rising Stars Of The Month: February 2026

By Joshua Boyd 

Happy March, everyone! With February fully in the books, we're casting our net back to last month to see which of the younger players dominated their leagues. As always, we're looking at players born in 2007 and younger (2008 and younger in the USPHL Elite and EHL Premier). We start by looking at the top USHL players listed on the NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings.  

Top 5 USHL on NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings (NA Skaters Ranking)

1. Jack Hextall, Youngstown Phantoms, F, 2008, 10GP-4G-8A-12PTS (33rd) 

2. Cooper Soller, Sioux Falls Stampede, F, 2008, 10GP-7G-3A-10PTS (183rd)

3. Blake Zielinski, Des Moines Buccaneers, F, 2008, 10GP-5G-5A-10PTS (56th)

4. Evan Jardine, Youngstown Phantoms, F, 2007, 9GP-3G-6A-9PTS (155th)

5. Bode Laylin, Tri-City Storm, D, 2007, 8GP-3G-4A-7PTS (103rd)

USHL

Forward: Caden Dabrowski, Dubuque Fighting Saints, 2008

Dabrowski was absolutely on fire in February, and he should certainly be considered by NHL teams when the NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings come out. Dabrowski racked up 13 points in eight games, scoring in each February contest, with multiple points in half of those games. The Merrimack College recruit scored multiple goals three times in the month and finished the month at 28 points in 38 games. 

Defense: Jake Prunty, Sioux Falls Stampede, 2009  

Prunty played in seven regular season USHL games in February, earning a 1-6-7 line between Feb. 13-28. He spent the first week of February playing in the Five Nations Tournament for Under-17 teams, joining Team USA there. He now stands with 32 points in 33 games, the most from any of the 80 2009-born players in the USHL. He is committed to the University of Massachusetts.

Goaltender: Roberto Leonardo Henriquez, Green Bay Gamblers, 2007

Henriquez packed eight appearances into the 28-day month, averaging a game every 3.5 days. The University of New Hampshire recruit stopped 202 of 217 shots for a .931 save percentage, and went 5-1-0-1 during the month. He also represented Slovakia during the World Junior Championships. His Feb. 22 win marked the 20th of his two-year career, with 17 of those coming in 2025-26. 

NAHL

Forward: Mark Evans, Bismarck Bobcats, 2007

The Robert Morris University recruit scored better than a quarter of his season points output in February. Over eight games in February, he scored a 4-7-11 line. He scored points in five games, with four of those being multi-point efforts. This included a five-point weekend to close the month Feb. 27-28. He currently has 42 points in 45 games, the second-most for a 2007-born player in the NAHL, behind teammate Cooper Williams' 54 points. 

Defense: Sam Schulte, Rochester Jr. Americans, 2007

As he prepares for a future at the U.S. Military Academy (including a D-1 hockey career at West Point), Schulte has been hugely productive for his new team. After a season and a half with Chippewa, he was traded to Rochester in December and has 23 points in 18 games as a Jr. Amerk, including eight points in eight February games. He enjoyed a four-game scoring streak with six points during the month, as well, part of his 40 points scored. Schulte also celebrated his 100th NAHL game during the past month. 

Goaltender: Mason Gudridge, Watertown Shamrocks, 2007

The veterans were standing tall, as the second-year Shamrock Gudridge saw seven appearances in 21 days and finished with a save percentage of .930, which tracks with his season-long save percentage of .926. That ranks third and no other goalie with at least 30 appearances has as good a mark. On Feb. 14, he registered a 40-save shutout, his third of the season. He finished the month with a five-game winning streak and he was 5-1-1-0 for February with 239 saves on 257 shots. 

NCDC 

Forward: Anthony Roy, Universel Academy, 2007

Not a huge surprise here, considering Roy is the NCDC's leading scorer with 65 points in 47 games. He's averaging nearly an assist per game with 43 helpers. February was very kind to the former USPHL Premier Universel Sherbrooke player, as he finished the month with 15 points in seven straight games - and he's pushed that streak to 19 in nine in the first two days of March! Overall in February, he had 17 points in 11 games. 

Defense: Brycen Wood, Connecticut Jr. Rangers, 2008

Wood enjoyed a fantastic scoring streak to kick off February, one that started on Jan. 31 and extended to Feb. 15, resulting in 13 points over six games. He also had games in his final two games of the month, and is looking to extend that streak into his March action. For February as a whole, he registered 13 points in nine games. With 21 points in 20 games, he is the highest-scoring 2008-born defenseman in the NCDC and is sixth in overall points for his birth year.   

Goaltender: Micah Adams, Rock Springs Miners, 2007

Adams has been a huge motivator for his Miners squad, helping them to three straight wins against the Pueblo Bulls between Feb. 20-26. Overall for the month, he went 3-1-1-0 with a .932 save percentage. This included a gem of a 55-save effort on Feb. 21. For the season, the former Dallas Stars Elite mainstay is 7-5-1-0 since joining from the NAHL in December. 

EHL

Forward: Aiden Forcier, HC Rhode Island, 2007

Forcier entered March as the third-leading scorer in the EHL, standing with 69 points as the calendar flipped. When January flipped to February, he was in the midst of what would eventually extend to 12 games (Jan. 9-Feb. 14) and yield 21 points. After missing the scoresheet Feb. 18, he scored a hat trick in his next game and ended February on a four-game streak with nine points. His total for February was 16 points in nine games.   

Defense: Jack Fraser, HC Rhode Island, 2007

Fraser is the No. 1 highest-scoring defenseman in the EHL, scoring 37 points through 38 games. In February, he produced a 1-8-9 line, including his league-leading fourth game-winning goal (among defensemen). He registered multiple points in four games during the month. 

Goaltender: Conner Nicolson, Providence Capitals, 2007

Nicolson went 4-2-0-1 in February, including a four-game win streak between Feb. 3-7 - his third streak of four games or better. He made an average of 35.4 saves per game in February and came out with a .936 save percentage. For the season, his 16-11-4-0 record gives him the third-most wins in the EHL. He has a .921 save percentage and a 2.89 GAA. 

USPHL Premier

Forward: Brett Holman, Vernal Oilers, 2007

Holman just seems to get better and better as the season goes. Between Jan. 18 and Feb. 13, he posted a run of 23 points over nine straight games. He finished February with a run of nine points in four games. For the 28-day month of February, he totaled 19 points over nine contests, giving him 52 points in 39 games. The 42-2-0-0 defending National Champion Oilers are so stacked that even with that impressive season-long production, he's eighth in team scoring. 

Defense: Carson Updike, Florida Jr. Blades, 2007

Updike is getting hot at the right time for the Jr. Blades, as he put together a flying-high February of 13 points in eight games. That is actually part of an overall nine-game, 14-point scoring streak. This run has Updike at the top of the Blades scoring leaderboard as a blueliner, and his 35 points in 43 games place him fifth among 2007-born defensemen in the Premier. 

Goaltender: Dominic Seligman, Steele County Blades, 2007

Seligman's first season outside of his native Arizona has seen a steady improvement to the point where he had easily the best February for a 2007 or younger goalie in the Premier. Seligman played in seven games, going 3-2-1-0 with a shutout as well as a massive relief effort in which he stopped 31 of 31 shots. For the month, he stopped 210 of 221 shots for a .950 save percentage. He is now 6-6-1-0 with a .909 save percentage for the season with one Feb. 7 shutout (25 saves). 

NA3HL

Forward: Emerson LaRoche, Louisiana Drillers, 2007

LaRoche is second in NA3HL scoring with 54 goals and 124 points, the sixth-best season in league history, and - for the next three days maybe - the only 18-year-old in the top 10 for single season points (Drillers teammate Brayden Pelcl is one point away from joining that group). During February, LaRoche scored 27 points in nine games - not a typo! The scoring streak he started on Feb. 1 has extended into March with two more points for 29 over 10 straight contests. 

Defense: Kadyn Garcia, Louisiana Drillers, 2007

The Drillers have been a powerhouse, losing only once in OT this year (43-0-1-0), so it's no surprise that they're strong at forward and defense. Garcia registered a line of 3-11-14 in eight games, and he's improved to 32 points in 25 games. Garcia is a second-year junior player and he's seen time at the NCDC level, as well. 

Goaltender: Gavin Erickson, Texas Jr. Brahmas, 2007

Erickson remains one of the top goaltenders in all of the league, not even just among '07 and younger players. He is in the top three for wins (21), goals against average (1.99) and save percentage (.937), thanks in part to a huge month in net during February. Erickson played in seven games and went 6-1-0-0, coming up with a .935 save percentage and 235 saves. During his six-game winning streak, he never gave up more than two goals. 

USPHL Elite

Forward: Alessandro Calandriello, Montreal Knights, 2008

Calandriello has made quite the impression this year. Not only are his 78 points good for second in the Elite, but his 57 assists are tied for sixth-most in a season and the most ever by a 17-year-old in the league (he just turned 18 on Feb. 28). Calandriello produced 18 of those assists during a 28-point month of February - in the space of 10 games. Between Dec. 12 and Feb. 28, he put together a 21-game, 50-point scoring streak. 

Defense: Brett Spiers, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders, 2008 

Spiers enjoyed a February that saw him score nine points in six games, with the bulk of that coming from his epic 5-1-6 game on Feb. 6. Spiers has scored 23 goals and has added 23 assists for 46 points in 37 games, setting a team record for most goals by a defenseman in a season.

Goaltender: Brody Patton, Florida Jr. Blades, 2008

Patton went a perfect 5-0-0-0 during February, a month that saw him register a shutout - his second of the season, with 26 saves on Feb. 25. He turned away a total of 143 of 154 shots for a .929 save percentage. He finished the regular season in the top 10 for save percentage at .931 (among goalies with at least 10 games played). His 13 wins tied him for fifth overall. 

EHL Premier

Forward: Dominic Moushon, New Jersey Bears, 2008

Bet you didn't see that one coming. We're joking, obviously. Moushon has been the most dominant forward regardless of age in the EHL Premier this year. He scored a line of 7-6-13 in five February games, improving his league-leading total to 79 points in 33 games, an average of 2.39 points per game - the sixth-best average in league history among players with at least 20 games played in a season. Moushon is 10th on the all-time EHLP leaderboard with 119 points in 72 regular season games. Moushon and current Lebanon Valley College (NCAA D-3) player Brendan Yingling are the only two to make the EHLP top 10 career leaderboard as 17-year-olds. 

Defense: Quinn Rafter, Pennsylvania Huntsmen, 2008

Rafter earned three points in six EHLP games during February, but he also saw time in six EHL games with the Huntsmen team in that league, as well. Rafter has essentially split the full season between the two teams in his second year in the organization. He has played in 29 EHLP games with 19 points, and he has played in 35 EHL games this year, 

No EHLP '08 or younger goaltender played more than one game in February.