NAHL Announces Bauer Hockey Stars of the Week

The North American Hockey League (NAHL) announced today the Bauer Hockey Divisional Stars of the Week for the week ending April 13, 2025. Only players that are nominated by their respective teams are considered for the Divisional Player of the Week awards.

Central Division Star of the Week: Sam Crane, Forward, St. Cloud Norsemen

The 5’8 second-year skater of the Norsemen, Sam Crane, notched his first three-point game of the season in his last game of the year. Crane is committed to playing Division I hockey at the Air Force Academy and will be skating with the Falcons in the fall. This past week featured the Norsemen deep in the hunt for a playoff spot. His work on the ice started on Thursday night against the Minnesota Mallards. The Illinois native notched the first goal in the 6-1 victory and was the primary assist on the last St. Cloud goal in the contest. Moving into Friday evening, Crane was again the first scorer of the contest, finding the back of the net with less than four minutes on the clock for the Norsemen. However, his lone goal would end up being the only goal for St. Cloud in the matchup. The Norsemen would fall 2-1 to the Watertown Shamrocks. 

Heading into the final game of the season on Saturday night, St. Cloud was looking to end their season on a high note and they did just that. The Norsemen produced a 5-0 shutout victory in front of their home crowd. The ‘05 skater had his first three-point game with a goal and two assists. He notched his first assist in the first period on Alex Sandhu’s goal in the first 45 seconds into the contest. His goal and second assist took place in the third period in the last ten minutes of the matchup. 

The ‘05 forward rounded out his weekend with three goals, three assists, and a +6 rating. Also, his goal on Saturday night was scored on the man advantage. On the season, Crane features 14 goals and 18 assists in his 57 games played. Seven of his 14 goals were scored on the power play. 

Head coach of the Norsemen, Joe Exter, shares why Crane was an important player for the Norsemen squad. 

“Sam had a fantastic weekend. He was a leader in all three games and set the tone for our team each shift with physical play and hunting pucks. This led to him dominating the scoresheet.”

2nd Star: Bryce Johnson, F, Aberdeen Wings

3rd Star: Louie Kamienski, F, Bismarck Bobcats
 

Midwest Division Star of the Week: Connor Jalbert, Forward, Chippewa Steel

With a postseason spot on the line, Connor Jalbert rose to the occasion and helped his team get a chance to make a playoff run. The 5’11 lefty started his season with the Anchorage Wolverines and spent almost half the season with the Alaska squad before making the move to the Chippewa Steel. This weekend was a season-high performance for the Massachusetts native. This series marked his return to Sullivan Arena after being acquired by the Steel. On Friday night, the ‘05 lefty tallied a goal and an assist for the Steel in the first frame of the matchup. Chippewa ultimately lost this first game, however, kept the contest close. The matchup had to move into a shootout that lasted for five rounds. The Steel walked away with one point and a 6-5 shootout loss. 

Moving into Saturday night, the 5’11 forward had a season-high night of four points. His offensive prowess kicked off in the first 13 seconds of the game with a primary assist on Jackson Lackas’ goal. His dominance on the ice did not stop in the first period, because he tallied another primary assist on Jackson Lackas’ second goal of the contest. Moving into the second period, he produced his third and final primary assist on George Peterson’s goal before finding the back of the net himself with less than 90 seconds on the clock in the second period. This four-point matchup was a career-high for him. He played a role in four out of the Chippewa’s six goals. Thanks to his ability on the ice, he helped the Steel seal a spot in a postseason with a 6-3 victory against his old squad.

For the weekend, the 5’11 skater tallied two goals, made four assists, and featured a +4 rating. Since joining the Steel, Jalbert has been on an offensive tear, notching at least a point per game. He has scored nine goals and made 24 assists over 28 games with Chippewa. 

Head coach of the Steel, Cory Hunt, goes into detail on Jalbert’s contribution to the Steel. 

“Connor was a major contributor this weekend, leading to us clinching a playoff spot. He has been an offensive catalyst since he joined us and is a threat every time he touches the ice. He leads by example on and off the ice and will be a huge factor during the Robertson Cup playoffs.”

2nd Star: Jackson Lackas, F, Chippewa Steel

3rd Star: Noah Dziver, F, Minnesota Wilderness