Junior Hockey’s Rising Stars - Junior Hockey's Rising Stars (May 1st-12th)
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-born and younger U.S. junior players. We are also monitoring top weekly performances by 2026 NHL Draft prospects, based on NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings.
Games of May 1-12
Top USHL on NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings (NA Ranking)
Rudolfs Berzkalns, Muskegon Lumberjacks, 5GP-2G-3A-5PTS (30th)
USHL
2026 NHL Entry Draft prospect Rudolfs Berzkalns '08 was on a point-per-game run to start May, scoring three goals and two assists in the Muskegon Lumberjacks' five-game series win against the Madison Capitols, to push themselves into the Clark Cup Finals. That pushed Berzkalns' contributions in the postseason so far to 10 points in 12 games. Currently ranked 30th among North American Skaters for this summer's Draft, the Boston College recruit completed his second full season with the Lumberjacks and currently shows 33 points in 91 career regular season games, plus . His resume is loaded with championships and top tournaments, including titles in the USHL (2025 with Muskegon) and USA Hockey's 14U Nationals (2023 with Bishop Kearney Selects). He has represented Latvia at both the 2024 and 2026 World Junior Championships.
Muskegon teammate Melvin Novotny '07 has no doubt been a good voice of experience to Berzkalns in terms of what to expect at the NHL Draft. Novotny was selected at the 2025 draft by the Buffalo Sabres, with the seventh round (195th overall). Like Berzkalns, Novotny produced five points in the five-game series with Madison, all assists and all produced in a streak ranging from Games 2 to 5. He now has 12 points through 12 games to rank third in USHL playoff scoring this year. He was better than a point-per-game average in the regular season, posting 1.19 with 57 points in 48 games to place fifth in points per game among players with at least 10 games played. Novotny was drafted by the Sabres out of Sweden's prestigious Leksands IF Junior 20 program, and he is committed to the University of Massachusetts.
Like Novotny, Ryder Betzold '07 has been dishing out the helpers, but for the other Clark Cup finalists, the Sioux Falls Stampede. The Stampede also had a five-game slog to reach the finals, defeating the Fargo Force. With seven assists in 10 playoff games, Betzold is tied for second in Stampede postseason scoring. Against the Force, Betzold's assists were always on important goals - he assisted on the eventual game-winning and insurance goals in the first game, on his team's first goal in their Game 3 loss, and the first and game-tying goals in the deciding Game 5.
Betzold was selected in the first round, second overall, by the Chicago Steel, in the 2023 USHL Phase I Draft. The Arizona State University recruit ended his time with Gentry Academy in Minnesota in 2024, and played three USHL games with the National Under-17 Team, and posted a 1-1-2 line in his first two Chicago Steel games. In this, his third USHL season, Betzold had 42 points in 61 games, while also posting seven assists in 11 playoff games. All told, he has 56 points in 106 regular season and playoff games since 2023-24.
Graham Jones '07 tied for the Fargo team lead in points during their series against Sioux Falls, and he had points in the final four games, putting up a 1-4-5 line over that streak to close his season. Berzkalns' future Boston College teammate (2027-28) is still in the Top 10 of USHL postseason scoring as of the start of the final series, with 10 points in 12 games, and exited as Fargo's leading postseason scorer here in 2026. Fargo selected Jones in the fifth round, with the 67th overall pick, in the 2023 USHL Phase I Draft. He joined the team for the first time on April 12, 2025, fresh off helping Shattuck-St. Mary's win the 18U National Championship. With a 26-26-52 line in 61 games, was second in Force regular season scoring.
NAHL
Brayden Wade '07 has helped to lift the Maryland Black Bears into the Robertson Cup semifinals. Wade had six points through his first seven playoff games, including a 1-3-4 line in the four-game East Division championship victory against the Rochester Jr. Americans. Wade earlier scored 26 points in 44 regular season games. Wade joined Maryland for this first junior season out of the Holderness School in New Hampshire, and he also played for the Islanders Hockey Club 18U Prep program in 2024-25.
Switching over to the Minnesota Wilderness, winners of the Central Division, we find forward Max Edwards '07, who scored a goal and two assists spread evenly over the first three games of their five-game series win over the Wisconsin Windigo. Including their opening series vs. Anchorage, he actually scored four points in four straight games. Then, you can add his final regular season game and you have a run of five points in five straight. Edwards, a Green Bay Gamblers USHL Draft pick, started the season in the BCHL with the Chilliwack Chiefs, earning four assists in eight games. With Minnesota, Edwards compiled 14 points in 31 regular season games, plus his four points in six playoff games. Edwards was a career Phoenix Jr. Coyotes player before starting his junior career.
Defenseman Matt Hauser '07 was a later addition to the Wilderness, joining in late February from Rogers (Minn.) High School, where he was a Captain. He was able to fit in 12 games in the regular season, scoring nine points. For the playoffs, he had five assists through nine contests, with three coming in the five-game division finals against the Windigo. Hauser is a 2025 USHL draft pick of the Madison Capitols, and finished with 68 points in 84 games at Rogers.
Brady Krey '07 earned a win in each of the Lone Star Brahmas' three games against the El Paso Rhinos, helping them to the South Division Final sweep. He started with an 18-save shutout in Game 1 on May 1, and followed that up with 39 saves on 40 shots in Game 2, then 34 saves on 35 shots in Game 3. He is 6-0-1 through the playoffs thus far, giving up just four goals during that time - and never more than one per game. He led the NAHL in the playoffs in GAA (0.67), in save percentage (.976) and he is tied for the lead in wins (six) heading into the league semis this week.