Junior Hockey's Rising Stars Of The Month: January 2026
By Joshua Boyd
We're saluting the best performances of January as part of our Junior Hockey's Rising Stars promotion. Check out the players born 2007 and younger with the best performances during January 2026
(Note: 2008 and younger for the EHL Premier and USPHL Elite).
First, though, here are your top 10 offensive performances by USHL players in the NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings.
1. Evan Jardine, F, Youngstown Phantoms, 9GP-8G-6A14PTS, 1.56 pts/gp - 155th among NA Skaters
2. Jack Hextall, F, Youngstown Phantoms, 10GP-3G-9A-12PTS, 1.2 pts/gp - 33rd among NA Skaters
3. Michael Berchild, F, U.S. NTDP, 5GP-3G-5A-8PTS, 1.6 pts/gp - 69th among NA Skaters
4. Bode Laylin, D, Tri-City Storm, 10GP-3G-8A-11PTS, 1.1 pts/gp - 103rd among NA Skaters
5. Blake Zielinski, F, Des Moines Buccaneers, 11GP-7G-5A-12PTS, 1.1 pts/gp - 56th among NA Skaters
6. Cooper Soller, F, Sioux Falls Stampede, 11GP-5G-5A-10PTS, 0.9 pts/gp - 183rd among NA Skaters
7. Casey Mutryn, F, U.S. NTDP, 5GP-3G-3A-6PTS, 1.2 pts/gp - 30th among NA Skaters
8. Dayne Beuker, F, U.S. NTDP, 4GP-3G-2A-5PTS, 1.25 pts/gp - 57th among NA Skaters
9. Pavel Martinu, F, Sioux City Musketeers, 10GP-3G-4A-7PTS 0.7 pts/gp - 175th among NA Skaters
10. A.J. Francisco, D/F, U.S. NTDP, 5GP-3G-2A-5PTS, 1.0 pts/gp - 80th among NA Skaters
Ranking methodology: If a player with more games than a player with a higher points per game average had the same amount of points in the same amount of games, the player with the lower points per game can be ranked higher. Example: Pavel Martinu scored five points in five January games (plus two more points during the month), matching A.J. Francisco's performance over five games. Martinu did not score five points over any four-game stretch last month, placing him behind Dayne Beuker.
Top Goaltenders
1. Tobias Trejbal '07, Youngstown Phantoms, 9GP, 7-1-1-0, .918 save percentage - 3rd among NA Goaltenders
January Best Performances By League/Position
USHL
Forward: Cooper Simpson '07, Youngstown Phantoms, 12GP-11G-6A-17PTS
The Boston Bruins 2025 Draft pick only missed the scoresheet twice in 12 games in January. He started the month with a string of three straight two-goal games. Simpson has 56 points over 42 games. He is bound for the University of North Dakota.
Defense: Shayne Gould '07, Sioux City Musketeers, 11GP-1G-13A-14PTS - Gould remains on an absolute tear, finishing January with a six-game scoring streak, over which he produced 12 of his 14 points for the month. With 41 points in 42 games, he has more than quadrupled his 2024-25 totals. He is committed to the University of Connecticut.
Goaltender: Tobias Trejbal '07, Youngstown Phantoms, 9GP, 7-1-1-0, .918 save percentage - Trejbal was on a tear during January, including a 25-save shutout and a season-best 40 saves in a win on Jan. 2. The University of Massachusetts recruit is ranked third among North American Goaltenders for the 2026 NHL Draft, and stands first in wins (21), second in GAA (2.15) and third in save percentage (.919).
NAHL
Forward: Cooper Williams '07, Bismarck Bobcats 8GP-9G-4A-13PTS - Williams, a Lake Superior State University recruit, scored in each of his January games, including scoring goals in seven straight from Jan. 2-23. At 54 points in 37 games, he earned a call-up to the USHL's Lincoln Stars on Jan. 30-31.
Defense: Sam Schulte '07, Rochester Jr. Americans 8GP-0G-8A-8PTS - The Army recruit started with points in his first five games of 2026. He has played in 96 NAHL games to date over two seasons and joined Rochester in December, coming from Chippewa. He has 36 career points, including 32 this year.
Goaltender: Mason Gudridge '07, Watertown Shamrocks 6GP 4-1-0-1, .947 save %, 1 SO - Gudridge completed his January with an exclamation point, putting up a 37-save shutout. With 12 wins this season, he has more than doubled his wins total from 2024-25.
NCDC
Forward: Tyler Lokker '07, Utica Jr. Comets - 9GP-6G-6A-12PTS - The second-year NCDC veteran certainly helped his listing here by posting a 3-1-4 line on Jan. 28, part of a six-point weekend. He also started with six points in his first four 2026 games. He currently has 39 points in 49 career NCDC regular season games.
Defense: Dominique Allard '07 Utica Jr. Comets - 9GP-1G-7A-8PTS - Allard registered a run of seven points over seven games as part of his strong January, which pushed him to 18 points in 39 NCDC games. He split 2024-25 between the Premier and NCDC Jr. Comets.
Goaltender: John Gazzola '07, Jersey Hitmen - 8GP 6-2-0-0, .950 save percentage, 1 SO - The middle of the month (Jan. 9-23) saw Gazzola put up a stretch where he gave up a total of two goals on 106 shots, including a 38-save shutout.
Eastern Hockey League
Forward: Aiden Forcier '07, HC Rhode Island - 8GP-7G-7A-14PTS - Forcier forced the issue this past month, scoring in each January game, improving to 53 points in 33 games as the highest-scoring '07 or younger player in the EHL at fourth overall.
Defense: Jack Copponi '07, East Coast Wizards - 9GP-2G-6A-8PTS - Copponi started January on a point streak that extended to five games between December and January. He finished with five points in his final three games, improving to 18 points in 24 games this year.
Goaltender: Lewis Brocklehurst '07, Philadelphia Little Flyers - Brocklehurst won three times during January, racking up half of his six wins. His first start of 2026 saw him stop all 53 shots he faced in a Jan. 9 shutout. He leads the EHL in save percentage (.945), and his 2.03 GAA also ranks in the top 10 league-wide.
USPHL Premier
Forward: Vertti Sakko '07, Fresno Monsters - 12GP-13G-11A-24PTS - It should come as no surprise that Sakko averaged 2.0 points per game in January. Over the full season so far, he has done better than that, at 71 points in 34 games in his first North American season.
Defense: Mason Rizik '07, Seattle Totems - 4GP-5G-5A-10PTS - The second-year Totem posted a four-game goal-streak, which included a 1-4-5 line on Jan. 24. His 30 points are close to the 34 points he scored for all of 2024-25.
Goaltender: Chase Murray '07, South Shore Kings - 5GP 5-0-0-0, .969 save % - It was a huge month for Murray, who gave up just six goals on the whole month, picking up shutouts in three games, making - in order - 18 saves, 25 saves and 33 saves for those donuts.
NA3HL
Forward: Emerson LaRoche '07, Louisiana Drillers - 8GP-7G-12A-19PTS - LaRoche is almost at the century mark for just this season at 97 points in 34 games. He scored 16 points in five straight games to start 2026, and added two more for his 19-point month.
Defense: Nathan Antti '07, West Bend Power - 10GP-1G-9A-10PTS - Antti scored multiple points in three of his first 10 NA3HL games, after starting the year in the NCDC.
Goaltender: Gavin Erickson '07, Texas Jr. Brahmas - 4GP - 3-1-0-0 - .942 save % - Erickson played strong throughout January and he has risen to fourth in NA3HL wins as a junior rookie with a 15-4-1-1 record. His best performance was stopping 46 of 47 shots on Jan. 19.
USPHL Elite
Forward: Alessandro Calandriello '08, Montreal Knights - 8GP-4G-16A-20PTS - Calandriello finished his January set of games with four straight two-point performances, which came on the heels of four straight three-point games. He is on a current 12-game point streak from December stretching into February, and has 52 points in 30 games.
Defense: Alex Yakimenka '08, Chicago Crush - 7GP-7G-6A-13PTS - Yakimenka actually played for the Crush and their sister organizations the Chicgo T-Rex and Chicago Cougars during January. He registered three three-point games. He has 30 points in 35 Elite games.
(No 2008 or younger goaltender registered statistics qualifying them for monthly recognition)
EHL Premier
Forward: Dominic Moushon '08, New Jersey Bears - 5GP-3G-7A-10PTS - During January, Moushon's 10-point performance saw him pass the career century mark and he now stands with 106 points in 67 career regular season games. This season, he has only missed the scoresheet twice in 28 games.
Defense: Zachary Cheung '08, New Jersey Bears - 5GP-1G-2A-3PTS - It was a light month essentially everywhere in the EHLP in January (only 28 games league-wide), but that didn't stop Cheung from registering his second multi-point game of the season on Jan. 31. He is a two-year teammate of Moushon's on the Bears and also plays with Moushon for North Hunterdon (N.J.) High School.
(No 2008 or younger goaltender registered statistics qualifying them for monthly recognition)