NAHL announces monthly player awards for September
The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced its monthly player awards for the month of September. The Forward of the Month is Hunter Jones from the Oklahoma Warriors. The Defenseman of the Month is Michael Neumeier from the Bismarck Bobcats. The Goaltender of the Month is Carter Clafton from the Amarillo Wranglers. Only players who are nominated by their respective teams are considered for the NAHL monthly awards.
Bauer Hockey NAHL Forward of the Month: Hunter Jones, Oklahoma Warriors
Oklahoma Warriors forward Hunter Jones, 20, got off to a great start for the 2022-23 season, helping the Warriors to a 5-1-0 record during the month of September. The 5’10/188 lbs. native of Andover, Minnesota, put up 11 points in those six contests, which included four goals and seven assists and a +9 rating. Jones had three multi-point games, which included a five-point effort during his first game of the NAHL Showcase. “Hunter has been a huge part of our team since our inaugural season. His compete and work ethic is what we pride ourselves on as a group. This month he has put it all together and has been an integral part of our offense this season. His ability to make plays and willingness to go to the hard areas has helped him continue his development towards playing college hockey. Hunter continues to prove himself every day and we are fortunate to have him help lead our group,” said Warriors head coach Garrett Roth.
“We bought in as a team and that’s what is giving us success as a whole and also individual success, but we still have a lot of work to do and we have to continue to get better every day,” said Jones. “I want to win a championship with this team and get a chance to play at the next level.”
Runner-Up: Kade Nielsen, Chippewa Steel
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): James Barbour, Johnstown Tomahawks – Tyler Borgula, Springfield Jr. Blues – Michael Casey, Corpus Christi IceRays – Byron Hartley, North Iowa Bulls – Tyler Herzberg, Fairbanks Ice Dogs - Will Howard, New Mexico Ice Wolves – Ben Ivey, Amarillo Wranglers – Vertti Jantunen, Bismarck Bobcats – Colby Joseph, Minot Minotauros – Dimitry Kebreau, Maryland Black Bears – Jake Mack, Shreveport Mudbugs – Paul Minnehan, Northeast Generals - Chris Pelosi, Janesville Jets – Kade Peterson, St. Cloud Norsemen – Austin Salani, Austin Bruins – Greg Spitznagel, Philadelphia Rebels – Nikolai Tishkevich, Aberdeen Wings - Laurent Trepanier, Maine Nordiques
Bauer Hockey NAHL Defenseman of the Month: Michael Neumeier, Bismarck Bobcats
Bismarck Bobcats defenseman Michael Neumeier, 19, got off to a great start for the 2022-23 season as he put up 10 points in seven games during the month of September. The 6’3/193 lbs. native of Kerrobert, Saskatchewan, scored two goals and added eight assists during the month. He recorded at least a point in five of the seven games and had three multi-point games. His 10 points is currently tied for the most amongst all NAHL defensemen. “Mike was a huge part of our run last year in the second half and what he has done at the start of this season is no surprise. He’s a leader for his team on and off the ice. On the ice I think he's one of the best defensemen in the league. His puck skills and creativity with the puck are next level along with his ability to skate for a big man makes him an elite defenseman,” said Bobcats head coach Layne Sedevie.
“I really have tried to place an emphasis on moving the puck quickly around and giving it to the open man right away. It gives me more time to make a play and has helped me and along with the team to generate great scoring opportunities,” said Neumeier. “I think for the remainder of this season I would like to earn a NCAA Division I commitment and hopefully finish at a point per game or somewhere close. My long term goal would be to be play hockey professionally.”
Runner-Up: James Goffredo, Austin Bruins
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Owen Baumgartner, Oklahoma Warriors – Connor Brown, Janesville Jets – Joe Calvarino, Philadelphia Rebels – Jacob Conrad, Fairbanks Ice Dogs – Jack Dalton, New Mexico Ice Wolves – Dominic Foglia, Corpus Christi IceRays – Logan Heroux, Shreveport Mudbugs – Luke Lindsay, Aberdeen Wings – Gabe Lunn, Johnstown Tomahawks – Jackson McCarthy, Northeast Generals - Jack Mesic, North Iowa Bulls – Nick O’Hanisain, Minot Minotauros – Jake Peterson, Springfield Jr. Blues – Shawn Ramsey, Chippewa Steel – Rihards Simanovics, Amarillo Wranglers – John Paul Steele, Maine Nordiques
True Hockey NAHL Goaltender of the Month: Carter Clafton, Amarillo Wranglers
The Amarillo Wranglers remain the NAHL’s only undefeated team thanks is large part to goaltender Carter Clafton. The 6’2/175 lbs. native of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, was solid in the month of September as he posted a 3-0-0 record, allowing just three goals in three games. Clafton, 20, stopped 71 of 74 shots during the month, which was good for a 1.00 goals against average and .959 save percentage. That included wins over Anchorage and Kenai River at the NAHL Showcase and a 4-1 road win in Shreveport on September 23rd. “Carter’s early success this season is a result of him building his game this summer and working very closely with our Goalie Consultant Erik Schardt. Carter is an excellent student and has been receiving interest from several NCAA schools. We look forward to his continued growth and working with him to find the best fit for school and hockey,” said Wranglers head coach Harry Mahood.
“We have been successful thus far because of the collective buy-in from every member of our team. Our group competes every day in practice and holds each player accountable to our standards,” said Clafton. “My short-term goal for the season is to compete for a Robertson Cup Championship. My longer-term goals are to play the highest-level hockey possible and attend a four-year university to further my education.”
Runner-Up: Kayden Hargraves, Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Tommy Aitken, Shreveport Mudbugs – Mitch Day, North Iowa Bulls – Daniel Duris, Oklahoma Warriors – Jack Fialkoff, Philadelphia Rebels – Adam Gajan, Chippewa Steel - William Gramme, Lone Star Brahmas – Thomas Heaney, Maine Nordiques – Toby Hopp, Northeast Generals - Linards Lipskis, Bismarck Bobcats – Cole Moore, Aberdeen Wings – Aksel Reid, Springfield Jr. Blues – Ethan Robertson, Austin Bruins – Peter Sterling, Janesville Jets – Carsen Stokes, New Mexico Ice Wolves – Lawton Zacher, Minot Minotauros
