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 November 2, 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: Matthew Martin, Forward, Aberdeen Wings

The 6-foot-6 lefty who is earning his second Central Division Star of the Week honors, Matthew Martin, spotlighted a four-point weekend against a tough Bismarck roster. The second-year veteran kicked off his weekend on Friday night at the Odde Ice Center. He first got to work helping to set up Easton Edward’s goal in the first period, notching a primary assist less than a minute into the contest. As the matchup moved into the third period, the Wings were working from behind. With less than four minutes on the clock, Martin tallied a game-tying goal on the penalty kill, helping to keep Aberdeen’s hopes alive. The Wings would eventually fall to the Bobcats in overtime, but his offensive production in crucial moments kept his team in the game. Moving into Saturday night, the contest was tied 1-1 heading into the third period, and Martin notched the game-winning goal on the power play with 12:28 on the clock. He then went on to notch another primary assist on Edward’s goal in the final 32 seconds of the matchup.​

The Montreal, Quebec, Canada native tallied two goals and two assists over the weekend. He has shown up on the scoresheet in 13 out of 15 contests this season. His offensive production has almost doubled from last season to this year. He currently leads his team with 25 points on the year, spotlighting 10 goals and a team-leading 15 assists. Martin features a +13 rating in his final year of junior hockey. The ‘05 forward is the only player in the NAHL so far to earn two Star of the Week honors.​

Head coach of the Wings, Scott Langer, shares more on the impact Martin has on the game.

“Matthew has been so consistent with his game this season. He changes games at big times and always seems to rise to the occasion.”

2nd Star: Vitaliy Korolyuk, F, North Iowa Bulls

3rd Star: Noah Ziskie, D, Bismarck Bobcats

 

East Division Star of the Week: Blake Jones, Defenseman, New Jersey Titans

Answering the phone night after night, Blake Jones served as the backbone for the Titans last week. The 5-foot-9 righty showed up big from the blue line over his last three games. Kicking things off on Tuesday night, the Titans were facing off with a red-hot divisional leader, the Maryland Black Bears. Maryland was riding a 10-game win streak heading into the midweek contest, and Jones played a crucial role in helping to defeat the Black Bears. The matchup featured the captain securing a career-high four-point performance. He notched two back-to-back assists on the power play in the second period. Jones went on to set up Nikolas Doumas’ goal, producing his third assist of the night. The ‘05 blueliner was incredibly clutch in overtime. He found the back of the net on the man advantage with 46 seconds on the clock. The Titans secured a big 6-5 overtime victory. Heading into Friday night, the captain helped to keep New Jersey’s hopes alive against the Northeast Generals. The Generals featured a 3-0 edge over the Titans heading into the final 10 minutes of the game. That is when Jones got to work from the blue line, helping to set up two goals in the final minutes. He first secured a power-play assist at the 8:48 minute mark before notching an assist with less than a minute on the clock. New Jersey would fall to Northeast in a 3-2 fashion; however, Jones was crucial in their offensive production. Moving into Saturday night, the Generals had the Titans’ number while securing a big 7-2 win. However, like the night before, Jones played a critical role in keeping New Jersey in the contest. He first notched a primary assist on Arseniy Zharikov’s goal in the first period before helping set up Kristofers Krumins’ goal in the second period.

Jones spotlighted a huge eight-point performance over the three games. He secured an overtime game-winning goal while producing seven assists. He notched a +4 rating from the three games as well. The Canadian leads all defensemen in the NAHL with 24 points on the season. His ability to produce assists ranks him second among all skaters in the NAHL with 22 on the year.

Head coach of the Titans, George Haviland, shares more of his thoughts on Jones.

“Blake is the leader of our group! He has had a tremendous start to the 2025-26 season. Jonesy makes plays every time he has the puck. He is a difference maker every time he goes over the boards in every situation. His defending skills are superb; combined with his offensive abilities, it makes him a threat every time he’s on the ice on either side of the puck.”

2nd Star: Zach Buffone, D, Elmira Aviators

3rd Star: Cole Roenick, F, New Hampshire Mountain Kings

 

Midwest Division Star of the Week: Luca Ricciardi, Forward, Fairbanks Ice Dogs

Leading the charge on the scoring party, Luca Ricciardi featured a huge eight-point performance against the Chippewa Steel. Kicking things off on Thursday night, the captain spotlighted a two-point performance in the Ice Dogs’ 5-1 victory. He first secured a power-play goal in the opening period that would be named the eventual game-winning goal. Following that, the 6-foot-1 lefty produced a primary assist on Alex Hall’s goal in the second. Heading into game two on Friday night, the third-year veteran spotlighted a three-point performance. He got the scoring started in the matchup when he tallied a power-play goal in the first period at the 10:29 minute mark. Five minutes later, the Thunder Bay, Ontario native tallied a power-play assist on Kyle Rohrer’s goal. He finished off his night with another power-play assist, this time in the third period, on Rohrer’s goal. Fairbanks secured a decisive 4-1 victory over the Steel. Finally, moving into Saturday night, the ‘05 skater notched another three-point performance. Ricciardi kicks things off with a goal in the first period that would eventually be named the game-winning goal. He then goes on to tally a power-play goal in the second period at the 10:20 minute mark. Finally, in the third frame, he secured a power-play assist on Rohrer’s goal, for the third time this past weekend. The Ice Dogs produced a big 6-1 victory and a sweep on the weekend at the Big Dipper Ice Arena.

​The captain spotlighted four goals and four assists on the weekend. Ricciardi was effective on the power play; three of his goals and three of his assists were scored on the man advantage. For the year, the 20-year-old ranks first on his team with 10 goals, 19 total points, and his +12 rating. 

Head coach of the Ice Dogs, Dakota Bell, dives into detail on Ricciardi’s leadership skills on and off the ice.

“Luca receiving this recognition is terrific news, as he embodies what Fairbanks Ice Dog hockey is all about. From the moment he arrived in Fairbanks, Luca has been a team-first guy and a leader in our locker room. He plays the game the right way and is committed to doing what the team needs to have success. Being our captain, Luca knows that the spotlight is on him every day, and he has done a tremendous job in leading our team. Lots of our early-season success can be attributed to him winning faceoffs, shutting down opponents, and helping our special teams, all while holding the locker room accountable. This past weekend, Luca stuffed the stat sheet and contributed with points on power play, even strength, and game-winning goals. We are excited to see him continue to have success as he works towards earning a Division I scholarship.”

2nd Star: Chase Trompeter, F, Anchorage Wolverines

3rd Star: Niko Laus, F, Springfield Jr. Blues

 

South Division Star of the Week: Kevin Jones, Goaltender, Odessa Jackalopes

The South Lyon, Michigan native, Kevin Jones, owned the weekend for the Jackalopes. The ‘05 netminder produced his first back-to-back wins of the season in overtime and shootout fashion. His weekend kicked off on Friday night for Odessa’s home opener. The 6-foot-3 goaltender battled in the blue paint, turning away, at the time, a career-high 43 shots. His dominance between the pipes helped to lift his team to a 3-2 overtime victory against the Mudbugs. Moving into Sunday afternoon, Jones was named as the starting goaltender for the Jackalopes. Odessa was in a tight matinee matchup with the El Paso Rhinos. As the game moved into extra minutes and eventually to a shootout, Jones kept his composure in the blue paint, helping to secure his team the win. He stopped a career-high 49 shots on Sunday, securing his team the 3-2 shootout victory.

The Michigan native featured a 1.92 goals-against average over the weekend and spotlighted a .958 save percentage. He secured both victories in extra minutes, marking his first overtime and shootout victory of the year. He additionally faced a total of 96 shots on the weekend, making 92 saves.

Head coach of the Jackalopes, Scott Deur, shares how much of an asset Jones was this past weekend.

“Kevin had a great weekend for us and allowed us to win in overtime and a shootout. He’s been getting better every week and giving us a chance to win every game that he has played. As an organization, we are happy to see his hard work pay off with this star of the week.”

2nd Star: Jonah Jasser, F, Shreveport Mudbugs

3rd Star: Caden Ghiossi, F, Odessa Jackalopes