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 December 14, 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: Brian Cooke, Goatender, Minot Minotauros

The 17-year-old hailing from the Show Me State, Brian Cooke, dominated between the pipes for the Tauros over the weekend. Kicking things off on Friday night, the 6-foot-2 netminder secured the first shutout of his junior career. The contest was a scoreless affair for all three periods of regulation hockey. As the game moved into overtime, the Tauros were able to secure the 1-0 victory thanks to a tally by Evan Foiles. Cooke spotlighted a 23-save performance in the blue paint. Moving into Saturday night, the College of the Holy Cross commit was between the pipes once again for Minot. The young ‘08 goaltender allowed just one goal by the St. Cloud Norsemen. As teddy bears flew in the game, Cooke turned aside 24 out of 25 shots, helping to earn the victory for the Minotauros. The Missouri native sports a weekend-best 0.49 goals-against average and .979 save percentage.

Cooke is a rookie netminder in the NAHL. He first got a taste of what the League of Opportunity had to offer while playing the T1ER with the Carshield program. This past weekend, he only allowed one goal over 121 minutes of hockey while clinching his first back-to-back wins of the season. This honor marks the first Minot Minotauro to win a Star of the Week honors this season.

General Manager of the Minotauros, Cody Campbell, explains what he saw from Cooke this weekend.

“Brian was solid all weekend. He made some timely saves and did a good job of controlling the game. We were proud of the entire group's effort to limit opportunities over the course of the weekend, but when we needed a save, Brian made it.  We look forward to him continuing his solid play.”

2nd Star: Sam Scheetz, F, Aberdeen Wings

3rd Star: Camden Alemond, F, Bismarck Bobcats

 

East Division Star of the Week: Kalib Capecci, Defenseman, Johnstown Tomahawks

Ready to be a difference maker from the blue line, Kalib Capecci, spotlights a weekend best this season with the Tomahawks. The 6-foot skater from Monroeville, New Jersey, was a crucial piece in Johnstown’s weekend sweep over the Maine Nordiques. Kicking things off on Friday night, Capecci scored the game-winning goal for the Tomahawks in the second frame. With five minutes on the clock in the second, Cappeci found the back of the net to give Johnstown some insurance. He and his team would skate away with a 4-2 victory. Heading into Saturday night, Cappeci secured his second multi-point performance since late October. The New Jersey native first secured an assist on Charlie Zetterkvist’s power-play goal in the first period. The skater would then go on to help the Tomahawks take the lead in the third frame with a goal of his own. Johnstown would seal their weekend sweep with an overtime 3-2 victory on Saturday night, and Cappeci was a huge part of his team’s success.

For the weekend, the defenseman spotlighted two goals and an assist for his team, while securing a career weekend-high. The ‘06 blueliner is the leading scorer among defensemen on his roster. This year, he has scored six goals, made 14 assists, and totaled 20 points. Cappeci is a product of the T1ER skating with the Philadelphia Hockey Club over three seasons. His movement from the T1ER to the NAHL is a pure example of the Ladder of Development that the league promotes.

Head coach of the Tomahawks, Adam Houli, shares more on Cappeci’s weekend.

“Kalib has been excellent all year for us, and this weekend he was really dialed in. He is a very strong defender, especially in 1-vs-1 situations, and was able to add to his offensive play for us, helping secure a sweep. He is an exceptional player for us who we rely on to play heavy minutes against other teams' top players.”

2nd Star: Tanner Duncan, F, Maryland Black Bears

3rd Star: Ryan Shaw, F, Rochester Jr. Americans

 

Midwest Division Star of the Week: Kevin Lyoshir, Forward, Minnesota Wilderness

Playing against his former team for the first time this season, Kevin Lyoshir lit up the scoresheet with the Wilderness. The 5-foot-9 Quinnipiac commit first showcased a season-high performance on Friday night. Lyoshir got his night started in the second frame. He first secured an assist on Zachary Homer’s tally less than one minute into the period. The 17-year-old would then go on to score a power-play goal eight minutes later. Following that, Lyoshir would show up on the scoresheet one more time. The New York native would secure another assist on Zachary Homer’s goal, with this one being scored at the four-minute mark. His three-point night was done in a matter of 15 minutes in the second period. The Wilderness would dominate and secure an 8-2 victory against the Steel. Heading into Saturday night, the matchup would feature a much-tighter affair at the Chippewa Ice Arena. The ‘08 skater would first find the back of the net with a power-play tally at the 7:30-minute mark of the opening period. As the contest progressed, the Steel were able to tighten up the contest 3-3 in the third period. With 41 seconds left on the clock, the Wilderness would light the lamp. Lysohir provided a power-play assist on Zachary Homer’s goal. Minnesota would edge out a 4-3 road win and a weekend sweep.

The 17-year-old spotlighted a career-high five-point weekend and a three-point single-game high on the road. Both power-play tallies marked his first and second man-advantage goals of the season with the Wilderness. This season, Lysohir has featured four goals and six assists with the Wilderness. The 5-foot-9 lefty is the first Wilderness player to earn a weekly honor since late October when Jakeb Lynch took home the title.

Head coach of the Wilderness, Zach Stepan, shares his excitement for Lysohir award and shares more on what he has seen from him.

“Kevin Lysohir had a weekend where he showed his offensive gifts and his ability to make plays. I know for him, there was some extra motivation playing against his former team, so this will be a fun award for him. It’s been good to see his willingness to buy into our team's systems, values, and sense of culture here, coming in as a young kid to a new team midseason. I feel that has been why he has been playing so well. We are excited for him and hope his success continues to build.”

2nd Star: Sam Schulte, D, Chippewa Steel

3rd Star: Noah Dziver, F, Minnesota Wilderness

 

South Division Star of the Week: Billy Stuski, Goaltender, Oklahoma Warriors

Hailing from the Keystone State and serving as the keystone piece between the pipes this weekend, Billy Stuski helped to lift the Warriors to a series win against the Odessa Jackalopes. Starting on Friday night, the 6-foot-2 netminder came into the contest in relief after 10 minutes of goaltending by last week’s South Division Star of the Week, Jakob Hanlan. While the Warriors might have fallen in a 5-0 shutout fashion, Stuski’s ability to respond in the following two games is why he ultimately won the honor. On Saturday night, it was shaping out to be a shootout rematch between the teams. After goaltending in a 12-round shootout a few weeks ago against each other, Stuski was on the prowl to secure the victory. The 20-year-old first stopped 42 shots in the 65 minutes of game play before netminding in the shootout. Stuski allowed one lone goal in the five-round shootout, helping to lift his team to a 2-1 victory. As the series moved into Sunday for a matinee matchup, both teams were looking to secure a series win. The ‘05 netminder showcased a 43-save performance in the 6-1 win against the Jackalopes. One lone skater was able to score on Stuski on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon during regulation. That skater is the South’s Third Star of the Week, Caden Ghiossi.

The alternate captain faced a total of 116 shots over the weekend, with Saturday and Sunday being 40+ shot games. He spotlights a 2-0 record, a .966 save percentage, and a 1.20 goals-against average from the weekend. This honor marks the third time a Warrior has won a weekly award. 

2nd Star: Kevin Jones, G, Odessa Jackalopes

3rd Star: Caden Ghiossi, F, Odessa Jackalopes