NAHL Announces Monthly Player Awards for November

The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced its Bauer Hockey player awards for November. The Forward of the Month is Luc Bydal from the Anchorage Wolverines. The Defenseman of the Month is Tommy Shore from the El Paso Rhinos. The Goaltender of the Month is Andrei Nikolaev from the New Jersey Titans.

 

Bauer Hockey NAHL Forward of the Month: Luc Bydal, Anchorage Wolverines

A skater that is offensively lethal on the ice is the one and only Luc Bydal. The 6-foot-2 lefty from Grand Forks, North Dakota, has been on an offensive tear this season, especially this past month. The 20-year-old spotlights a league-leading 21 total points in November, tallying nine goals and 11 assists. He tallied three of his goals on the man advantage and spotlights a +7 rating for the month. The second-year NAHL veteran has shown up on the scoresheet in every contest this past month, currently riding a 13-game point streak. His offensive prowess features him also securing eight multi-point contests in the month. His highest-earning night was on November 22, 2025, against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, where he found the back of the net while notching three assists. His scoring ways also featured the ‘05 skater showcasing his smooth moves during the month. On November 14, 2025, the North Dakota native scored a SportsCenter-worthy, between-the-legs goal to tie up the contest for the Wolverines. 

“Being named Forward of the Month is a great honor. I have to give a huge credit to my teammates and coaches for helping put me in situations to succeed,” said Luc Bydal. “I think what made me successful was playing with confidence and playing the right way, by staying consistent every shift and every game.”

Scoring is nothing new for the 6-foot-2 skater. Out of 24 contests played this season, Bydal has shown up on the scoresheet in 20 of them. His offensive prowess is in large part due to the help of his linemates. Bydal has a special situation in Anchorage because he plays alongside his little brother, Rylan Bydal. Nine of his 21 total goals this season come with helpers from his little brother. The second-year NAHL veteran currently leads the league with his 21 tallies on the season.

Our whole organization is happy for Luc to receive the Player of the Month honor. He has been a huge part of our team's success in the month of November. I know team success is more important to him than any individual honors he receives, and he would be the first person to give credit to his teammates.

Runner-Up: Harrison Smith, Maryland Black Bears

 

Bauer Hockey NAHL Defenseman of the Month: Tommy Shore, El Paso Rhinos

Hailing from the Sunflower State, Tommy Shore roared through the month of November on the scoresheet, spotlighting league-leading numbers among defensemen. The 5-foot-11 lefty featured 13 total points for the month, sporting a 1.3 points per game average. The second-year blueliner recorded three goals while producing 10 assists. His offensive production on the power play was crucial for the Rhinos because six of his points for the month were notched on the man advantage (one goal and five assists). Shore was also a critical piece of the team’s success in overtime matchups. He tallied a goal and three assists in extra minutes. In his 10 games played in November, the blueliner showed up on the scoresheet in eight of them. Shore showcased four multi-point games for the Rhinos and two game-winning goals in the month. His highest-scoring contest occurred on November 8, 2025, when El Paso faced the Corpus Christi IceRays. Shore tallied three assists in the Rhinos’ 9-3 decisive victory.

“Being named Defenseman of the Month is a huge honor. I’m thankful for my coaches, teammates and the supporting cast around me that would make this possible,” said Shore. “My success comes from focusing on the simple things and playing with confidence. Having a great team around makes it easy for me to have this success.”

On the season, the Kansas native leads the Rhinos' defensemen with six goals, 17 assists, and 23 total points. He leads all El Paso skaters in scoring on the power play. Shore has notched 13 total points on the man advantage. Three of those points come from power-play tallies, while the rest of the 10 points are from power-play assists. The 20-year-old blueliner is additionally tied first on the roster with his +5 rating on the year.

Head coach of the Rhinos, Mike Rivera, explains more about Shore’s impact.

“Shoresy has been a big piece to our room this season. He consistently drives offense from the back end and plays big minutes for us in all situations. When Shoresy goes over the boards, it’s like having four forwards on the ice at times, and he has learned to manage it well with his defensive responsibilities. His growth as a complete defenseman has been nothing short of impressive over the course of this season, and we hope he continues to trend in this direction.”

Runner-Up: Jack L’Esperance, Odessa Jackalopes

 

Bauer Hockey Goaltender of the Month: Andrei Nikolaev, New Jersey Titans 

The young but extremely talented Andrei Nikolaev continues his starlight work between the pipes and earns a monthly honor. The 16-year-old from Moscow, Russia, featured a league-leading two shutouts in the month of November. Those shutouts were done in back-to-back fashion for the Titans and happened in the final weekend of the month. Thanks to that 120 minutes of domination between the pipes, Nikolaev is also coming off being named the East Division Star of the Week. The 6-foot-4 lefty spotlighted a 2.04 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage for November. He played in the blue paint in eight games, notching five wins for New Jersey. The Boston University commit is riding a four-game win streak, with his last three games being lights-out performances. He first came in relief on November 22, 2025, around the 10-minute mark of the opening frame for the Titans. He turned away all 24 shots on net, helping New Jersey secure the victory. Nikolaev would then secure his back-to-back shutouts on November 28, 2025, and November 29, 2025, stopping a total of 34 shots between both games.

“I’m very honored to be selected as the Star of the Month. I did not know what to expect playing in this NAHL when I first came here,” stated Nikolaev. “Now that I’m here, I feel relaxed in a fun-filled environment where I can just be myself and stop the puck while helping the team have a chance to win. Playing with this group of Titans has made it really easy for me to transition to the North American Hockey League. The support I have received and the style of hockey we play make it easy for me to show up.”

The Russian netminder was acquired by the Titans over the summer through the inaugural NAHL Futures Draft. His defensive dominance has ranked him as one of the top goaltenders in the league. Right now, he ranks fourth overall in the league with his 2.24 goals-against average and fifth overall with his .927 save percentage. Nikolaev also sits tied second overall in the league with 10 wins between the pipes.

Head coach of the Titans, George Haviland shares his excitement for the young netminder.

“A well-deserved honor for Andrei. We continue to be impressed with Andrei’s ability to play consistently between the pipes! His ability to approach every game as if it’s a championship game with a calm demeanor is absolutely incredible. I haven’t seen someone like him go through our program and the NAHL since NHL goaltender Anthony Stolarz. Andrei is a power-play first-line guy for us in his position. Congratulations from the entire Titan organization.”

Runner-Up: Zack Ferris, Johnstown Tomahawks