NAHL announces Bauer Hockey Stars of the Week
The North American Hockey League (NAHL) today announced the Divisional Stars of the Week presented by Bauer Hockey for the week ending January 9, 2022. The Divisional Stars of the Week is a weekly feature during the 2021-22 regular season that honors the top performing players in each of the four NAHL divisions. Only players that are nominated by their respective teams are considered for the Divisional Players of the Week award.
Central Division Star of the Week: Klayton Knapp, Goaltender, Austin Bruins
Thanks to a weekend home sweep of the Minot Minotauros, the Austin Bruins moved back into 1st place in the Central Division. Goalie Klayton Knapp, 18, started and won both games, allowing just a single goal as he stopped 49 of 50 shots on the weekend. On Friday, the 6’2/180 lbs. native of Waterville, OH, made 28 saves in a 3-1 win. On Saturday, the NAPHL grad posted his first NAHL shutout, stopping all 21 shots that came his way in a 1-0 win. For the season, Knapp has a 8-4-1 record in 13 appearances with a 2.00 goals against average and .926 save percentage. “Klayton was really good for us this weekend. He made some big saves and earned his first shutout in the NAHL. He’s always doing extra and as a coach you love to see your goaltender doing that daily. We are excited to watch Klayton continue to develop in the second half of the season,” said Bruins head coach Steve Howard.
2nd Star: Owen DuBois, F, Aberdeen Wings
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Ethan Dahlmeir, G, St. Cloud Norsemen – Logan Dombrowsky, F, North Iowa Bulls – Peyton Hanson, F, St. Cloud Norsemen – Jack Mesic, D, North Iowa Bulls – Ronan Walsh, F, Aberdeen Wings – Walter Zacher, F, Austin Bruins
East Division Star of the Week: Cullen DeYoung, Goaltender, Northeast Generals
DeYoung, 19, had his best weekend in a Generals unform as he helped the team to two wins over the weekend. The 6’0/165 lbs. native of Canton, MI, stopped 82 of 84 shots in almost seven periods of action. On Friday, DeYoung came into the game in relief and stopped all 14 shots that came his way in just under 10 minutes. On Saturday, DeYoung got the start and made 29 saves in the 4-1 win over Danbury. On Sunday, DeYoung was even better with 39 saves in another 4-1 win. For the season, DeYoung has a 8-4-1 record in 16 appearances with the Generals, which includes a 3.32 goals against average and .905 save percentage. “Cullen has been working very hard to improve his consistency and he did that this weekend. He was calm and focused in net. His compete level is off the charts as is his work ethic and we had crucial games that we needed to win. Cullen really put the boys on his back and helped us pick up a big four points,” said Generals head coach Bryan Erikson.
2nd Star: Tyler Young, F, Maryland Black Bears
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Ignat Belov, F, Maine Nordiques – Ryan Bottrill, F, Maryland Black Bears – Josh Burke, D, Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks – Ryan Corcoran, F, Northeast Generals – Ryan Coughlin, F, New Jersey Titans – Tristan Fasig, F, Maine Nordiques – Ryan Johnson, F, Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks – Nick Ring, F, New Jersey Titans
Midwest Division Star of the Week: Owen Millward, Goaltender, Janesville Jets
Janesville Jets goalie Owen Millward, 18, helped his club to two wins over the weekend as the Jets swept a three-game series at home against the Kenai River Brown Bears. The 6’3/205 lbs. native of Davis, CA, won back-to-back starts allowing just two goals on 56 shots. On Friday, Millward posted his third shutout of the season, making 24 saves in a 6-0 win. On Saturday, he made 30 saves in a 3-2 overtime win. For the season, Millward has a 13-7-0 record in 22 appearances to go along with a 3.05 goals against average and .897 save percentage. “Owen was terrific in the two games he started for us this weekend. He made every save he needed to and gave our players a ton of confidence knowing he was back there for us. He’s worked really hard on his game all season and is very invested in our culture and being a Jet so it is nice to see him get recognized for those efforts,” said Jets head coach Parker Burgess.
2nd Star: Zach Bade, F, Springfield Jr. Blues
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Gavin Best, F, Minnesota Magicians – Croix Kochendorfer, G, Chippewa Steel – Hunter Longhi, F, Minnesota Magicians – Cooper Morris, D, Anchorage Wolverines – Isaac Novak, F, Springfield Jr. Blues – Danny Reis, D, Anchorage Wolverines – Nick Sajevic, F, Chippewa Steel – Will Troutwine, D, Janesville Jets
South Division Star of the Week: Brandon Milberg, Goaltender, Wichita Falls Warriors
For the second straight week, Wichita Falls goaltender Brandon Milberg, 20, was named the South Division Star of the Week, helping the Warriors to another series sweep. The 6’1/181 lbs. native of Thornhill, ON, stopped 49 of 52 shots in two road wins in Shreveport. On Friday, the Sacred Heart recruit made 34 saves in a 5-3 win. On Saturday, he made 15 saves for his second shutout of the season in a 2-0 win. For the season, Milberg has played in 17 NAHL games and recorded a 8-6-3 record with a 2.56 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. “Brandon had a couple bad bounces go in on him in the 1st period on Friday night. From that point on he shut the door for us to come out of the weekend with two wins. His calm demeanor and poise gave our group the confidence we needed moving forward on the weekend. He has played extremely well for us since joining our group and has proven he can handle a heavy workload. Brandon has continued to get better every game and we are really excited to see what he can help our team accomplish through the rest of the season,” said Warriors head coach Garrett Roth.
2nd Star: Kristaps Skrastins, F, Amarillo Wranglers
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Dillan Bentley, F, New Mexico Ice Wolves – Maksis Brimanis, F, El Paso Rhinos - Michael Casey, F, Corpus Christi IceRays – Cameron Crolley, F, Corpus Christi IceRays – Beni Halasz, G, New Mexico Ice Wolves – Timofei Khokhlachev, F, Shreveport Mudbugs – William Lawson-Body, F, Wichita Falls Warriors – Nate Mann, F, El Paso Rhinos - Nicholas Niemo, F, Lone Star Brahmas – Lukas Sedlacek, F, Shreveport Mudbugs – Dylan Smith, F, Lone Star Brahmas
