Junior Hockey’s Rising Stars - Best of April 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.
Junior Hockey's Rising Stars Of The Month: April 2026
We take a short break from the weekly look at the nation's top junior players (born 2007 and younger, or 2008 and younger for the USPHL Elite and EHL Premier). Joshua Boyd looks here at April, with five leagues still playing through that month (and three of the below leagues crowning champions). As we've done for a while now, we start with the top performances from USHL players on the NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings.
Top USHL Skaters on NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings (NA Skater Ranking)
1. William Tomko, Sioux City Musketeers, 7GP-3G-4A-7PTS (198th)
2. Blake Zielinski, Des Moines Buccaneers, 5GP-2G-3A-5PTS (51st)
3. Zach Wooten, Green Bay Gamblers, 4GP-3G-1A-4PTS (94th)
4. Evan Jardine, Youngstown Phantoms, 6GP-3G-2A-5PTS (78th)
5. Rudolfs Berzkalns, Muskegon Lumberjacks, 9G-1G-4A-5PTS (30th)
Top USHL Goaltenders on NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings (NA Goaltender Rank)
1. Roberto Henriquez, Green Bay Gamblers, 4GP-.914 2-1-1-0 (34th)
2. Tobias Trejbal, Youngstown Phantoms, 6GP-.911 2-2-1-0 (3rd)
USHL
Forward: Graham Jones, Fargo Force
Graham Jones '07 has been heroic for the Force during the 2026 Clark Cup playoffs so far. Not only did he score in the Force's first playoff game on April 18, but he set up five more goals - including the overtime game-and series-winner in Game 4 on April 24. The Force have since progressed to the Western Conference championship series against Sioux Falls. He also had two assists on April 4, the Force's final regular season game. He scored 52 points in 61 regular season games to place second on the Force in scoring. This was Jones' first full season since helping the Shattuck-St. Mary's 18U squad capture the 2025 USA Hockey National Championship. The Boston College recruit (for 2027-28) also made his USHL debut in 2024-25 with a single game for the Force, who drafted him in the 2023 USHL Phase I Draft, with their fifth round choice, 67th overall.
Defense: Nolen Geerdes, Madison Capitols
Nolen Geerdes '07 scored the series-winning goal to help push the Madison Capitols past the Youngstown Phantoms and into the Eastern Conference Championships. Adding in his game-winning goal in Game 1 vs. Green Bay, Geerdes has been the only blueliner with two GWG's in the playoffs so far. Additionally, Geerdes - a Western Michigan University recruit - had three assists for a 3-3-6 line in six playoff games, and he was plus-1 in all but one game, in which he was even. With two points in his first two May games, his eight points in eight games make him the USHL's highest-scoring defenseman this postseason. He also had an assist in his second-to-last regular season game for seven points in eight April contests. For the regular season, Geerdes finished with 29 points in 61 games. Adding in games he played last season, Geerdes has 40 points in 74 USHL contests. Geerdes joined out of Rogers (Minn.) High School last year, from which he was drafted in the 2023 USHL Phase I Draft, with the 91st overall pick in the seventh round.
Goaltender: Jack Fichthorn, Sioux City Musketeers
The Sacred Heart University commit Jack Fichthorn '07 gave his all for the Musketeers, going 2-2-1-0 with a .917 save percentage, the fifth best SP% in the playoffs so far. On April 10, he got his first playoff win by stopping 29 of 32 shots, and then stopped 28 of 29 on April 23. For 88 minutes and 53 seconds, he put up a heroic effort, but the Musketeers fell 3-2 in overtime, despite Fichthorn making 31 saves on 34 shots. Additionally, in April, Fichthorn won his regular season finale against Omaha with 36 saves on 39 shots on April 3. Fichthorn was an undrafted free agent signing for Sioux City, formerly playing with the Westminster School.
NAHL
Forward: Nick Snyder '07, Bismarck Bobcats
The Bismarck Bobcats' Nick Snyder '07 tied for his team's lead in playoff scoring, registering six points in five games. A University of Vermont recruit, Snyder posted a 2-4-6 line, including points in four straight games between April 18-27. This was in addition to 25 points scored in 21 games after rejoining the Bobcats from an extended start with the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede. With Sioux Falls, he posted three points in 32 games. In all of his two-year NAHL career, Snyder had 48 points in 64 games, including two points over his final three regular season games played in April. The Fairbanks Ice Dogs were bounced in a dramatic five-game series with current Central Division finalists the Wisconsin Windigo.
Defense: Clarke Nehmens, Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Clarke Nehmens '07 was a big part of getting the Ice Dogs to the No. 2 seed in the Central Division, after he posted 30 points in 59 games as a first-year junior player. In the playoffs, Nehman had two assists in the five-game series including assisting on the game-winner and going +3 in the Ice Dogs' 3-0 shutout win in Game 3. In total for April, Nehmens registered seven points in his final four regular season games for a total of nine points in nine games in April. A former Shattuck-St. Mary's player, he joined Graham Jones in helping that team win the 2025 USA Hockey 18U National Championship.
Goaltender: Brady Krey '07, Lone Star Brahmas
Brady Krey '07 is still pushing his way towards a hopeful Robertson Cup championship with the Lone Star Brahmas in the South Division. Krey registered four wins - one regular season and three in the playoffs - in April, and no losses. In fact, he never gave up more than one goal in any of his April games - and he's kept that streak going into May. On April 24, Krey and the Brahmas closed out the Shreveport Mudbugs, with Krey posting a 25-save shutout. All in all, he stopped 93 of 96 shots on the month. As of May 5, his 0.602 GAA, .977 save percentage, five wins and two shutouts are all either leading or tied for the lead in the NAHL playoffs. Krey played eight games for the Madison Capitols, winning three USHL games along the way. Krey joined both teams this year from Minnesota's Northstar Christian Academy.
NCDC
Forward: Artur Ovsepyan '08, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
The P.A.L. Jr. Islanders' Artur Ovsepyan '08 was a major mover in pushing his team to the Dineen Cup Championship series. He scored five points between three straight games, including the game-winner in the decisive Game 3 against the Jersey Hitmen in the Atlantic Division Championship Series. He had 1-1-2 lines in Games 2 and 3. Also during April, he had an assist in Game 3 of the five-game series against the Mercer Chiefs. Ovsepyan split the season between the NCDC and USPHL Premier Jr. Islanders. With the NCDC team, he scored 16 points in 20 regular season games and he added 42 points in 20 Premier games. In this same season, he also played with the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes, starting there after playing last year with the WBS Knights of the USPHL Premier and Elite.
Defense: Valters Budenieks '07, Utah Outliers
Another team that didn't quite make it as far as they'd hoped, nevertheless, the Outliers were aided throughout their playoff run by the Latvian native Budenieks. In eight playoff games, Budenieks produced a 2-3-5 line. He scored the very first playoff goal of 2026 for Utah in Game 1 of a three-game sweep against their Salt Lake regional rival Ogden Mustangs. His other goal came on April 17, when trying to save his team's season and push the Outliers to Idaho Falls for the championships - he scored the only goal in the deciding 2-1 Game 5 win by Grand Junction. During the season, Budenieks put up 13 points in 50 games. He had joined from the Westchester Express AAA program, from which he also saw five EHL games in 2024-25, his first junior venture.
Goaltender: John Gazzola '07, Jersey Hitmen
Gazzola may not have earned air miles to Idaho Falls, but he was a huge reason the Hitmen were in the Atlantic Division Championships. His play during the playoffs was outstanding from his first start against the Rockets Hockey Club in the semifinals, through all three games of the Finals. Towards the start of the month, Gazzola stopped 36 of 38 shots as his team defeated the Rockets Hockey Club in OT for a series-deciding Game 4 victory. During the Hitmen's series against the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders, he stayed strong by never giving up more than three goals in a game. All told, he finished the month with 156 saves on 169 shots, equaling a .923 save percentage. He finished the playoffs in the top 10 among goalies with at least five games played in save percentage, and his .938 was seventh among goalies with at least 10 games played in the regular season. Staying with the seventh theme, he was seventh in games played with 32. Gazzola was a career Hitman, joining the NCDC team from their 18U squad, with whom he won the 2024-25 THF 18U Championship.
Eastern Hockey League
Forward: Aiden Forcier '07, HC Rhode Island
Forcier played in six playoff games, but that didn't stop him from hitting double digits in points. The former Prout School star posted a line of 4-8-12 during the postseason, with six points coming in four April games. To start the month, he scored a 1-2-3 line in Game 1 of a two-game sweep over the Connecticut Nor'Easter. He scored three goals over four April playoff games in total, plus added three more assists. With 77 points in 47 games this year, Forcier was an easy choice as the EHL Rookie Of The Year.
Defense: Jack Copponi '07, East Coast Wizards
With 10 points in five playoff games, Copponi led the EHL in points by a defenseman. He scored points in every one of the five games in which he appeared, with multiple points in all but one game. During April's games, he posted a goal and four assists for five points, matching the five points in his first two playoff games in March. Copponi finished the regular season with 25 points in 38 games, after joining from the NCDC's Worcester Railers Junior Hockey Club. Last year, he played with Worcester Academy.
Goaltender: Angelo Evangelista '07, HC Rhode Island
The only '07 or younger goalie to play in the EHL in April, Evangelista registered a save percentage of .944 and a goals-against average of just over 2.00 in his two appearances. He went 1-1-0-0 last month, and finished the EHL playoffs in second in save percentage (.967) and also in GAA (1.34), after stopping 95 of 99 shots for his three-game playoff stand. During the regular season, Evangelista went 13-6-1-0 to place in the top 10 for wins. He previously manned the crease for the Prout School, alongside former Prout and HC Rhode Island teammate Aiden Forcier.
EHL Premier
Forward: Tomass Vekselis '08, New Jersey 87's
Vekselis scored points in all but one of eight playoff games, and registered a four-point game (1-3-4) on April 12. That was part of a five-game scoring streak that saw him finish the playoffs with 13 points, putting him in second overall in the EHLP postseason. During the regular season, Vekselis was a top 10 scorer with 59 points in 42 games. He previously played in Switzerland with EHC Basel's Under-17 team.
Defense: Liam Magovern '08, New Jersey '87's
Magovern split this year between the 87's EHLP team and their 18U AAA team. He would play a huge role in the 87's push into the EHL Premier Championship series, finishing with the second-most points by a blueliner in the EHLP playoffs, scoring five points in seven games, all played in April. He scored a goal in the 87's April 17 game against the eventual champion New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs. During the regular season, Magovern posted nine points in 16 games, in addition to nine points in 24 18U AAA games.
No 2008-or-younger EHLP goaltender played in April.