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 January 11, 2026. 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: Mason Gudridge, Goaltender, Watertown Shamrocks

The young ‘07 netminder from the state of Colorado, Mason Gudridge, spotlighted dominant performances for the Shamrocks against one of the top opponents in the Central Division over the weekend. The 5-foot-9 goaltender was coming off being injured for the past couple of weeks and was making his 2026 debut with the team. He got his weekend started on Friday night with a 33-save performance against the former division leaders, the Austin Bruins. He helped to hold off four power-play opportunities by the Bruins, lifting his team to a 3-2 victory. Moving into Saturday night, the Bruins were looking for revenge; however, they could not complete a weekend split in South Dakota. Despite being outshot 48-15, the Shamrocks skated away with a 3-2 victory, once again thanks to Gudridge’s dominant performance in the crease. The Colorado netminder stopped a career-high 46 shots, notching a .958 save percentage in the lone game. Gudridge is the only goaltender in the Central Division to have delivered a sweep against the Bruins this season. In addition, Watertown is the only team able to sweep Austin so far in the 2025-26 campaign, with this series marking the second time.

For the weekend, the 18-year-old secured two wins, a 2.00 goals-against average, and a .952 save percentage. He stopped a total of 79 out of 83 shots between the two games. His defensive dominance in the blue paint has secured him 10 wins in his 19 games played this season. For the year, he sports a 2.68 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. Despite having a couple of weekends off due to injury, his ability between the pipes has lifted his team to four straight wins. Gudridge is a second-year goaltender for Watertown, and this season, he gets the opportunity to play alongside his older brother, Jordan Gudridge.

Head coach of the Shamrocks, Casey Kirley, explains more about his organization’s excitement for Gudridge.

“We are happy that Mason was recognized as Central Division Star of the Week. He works tirelessly to improve every day. Mason has been a major contributor to our team over the past year and a half, and we look forward to his continued success.”

2nd Star: Ivan Sidorov, F, Minot Minotauros

3rd Star: Dane Callaway, G, Bismarck Bobcats

 

East Division Star of the Week: Austin Borggaard, Forward, Maine Nordiques

With three days until his birthday, the East Division Star of the Week honor is an early birthday treat for this Nordique skater. The 6-foot skater from Worcester, Massachusetts, Austin Borggaard, had back-to-back three-point games with the Nordiques. Kicking things off on Friday night, the Sacred Heart commit notched his second two-goal performance of the season. He first scored five-hole in the second period at the three-minute mark for the Nordiques. Following that, he would then provide an assist on Hutchison Rose’s tally in the final minutes of the game. Borggaard would cap off his three-point night with a buzzer-beater goal in the last second of the matchup. The ‘05 skater would contribute to three of the four goals on the scoresheet, helping his team skate away with a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Titans.

Moving into Saturday evening, the Nordiques and Titans battled in a scoring affair of a game. Borggaard would first set up Henry Butte’s power-play tally in the second period, helping to bring the puck over the blue line. Following that, the first-year Nordiques would find twine himself with a speedy goal at the 15:58 minute mark of the third period. As the Titans make a third-period push with four back-to-back goals, it would be the Nordiques taking the victory in overtime. Borggaard would once again use his speed to bring the puck over the blue line, providing the key setup to Damon Myer’s overtime winner. Borggaard would skate away with his second three-point night while helping his team secure a sweep over New Jersey.

For the weekend, the Massachusetts native featured six points, tallying three goals and three assists. This series marked his best weekend in the League of Opportunity this season on the scoresheet. On his roster, Borggaard ranks first on his roster with 15 goals and 32 total points. This past summer, the first-year Nordiques skater was the first selection by Maine in the 2025 NAHL Entry Draft. He was selected in the 2nd round, 59th overall.

Head coach of the Nordiques, Nick Skerlick, shares why Borggaard has been an asset to Maine this season.

“Austin is offensively pushing the pace, his skating is second to none on the ice, and his ability to get to the net is at the top with the other divisions’ leaders. We are excited to see him become more defensively responsible as we get into the second half before he heads to an NCAA Division I level program."

2nd Star: Ryan Shaw, F, Rochester Jr. Americans

3rd Star: Rogie Cacciarelli, D, New Hampshire Mountain Kings

 

Midwest Division Star of the Week: Oliver Barna, Forward, Fairbanks Ice Dogs

Earning his second Midwest Division Star of the Week honors, Oliver Barna spotlighted a career-high night on Friday night for the Ice Dogs. The 5-foot-11 forward is a second-year veteran of Fairbanks, and he showed up big on the scoresheet for the Ice Dogs’ first home game of 2026. He got his night started with a power-play tally at the 12:13 minute mark of the opening period. Less than five minutes later, the Hungarian skater would provide the primary setup on the man-advantage of Harrison Kaszubowski’s goal. The Ice Dogs would carry a 3-1 lead into the second period, where Barna would add to his team’s lead. The ‘06 skater would snipe the puck past the netminder in the first six minutes of the middle frame. Following that, the 19-year-old would be set up for a power-play one-timer, notching his first career hat trick in the process. As the contest progressed, Barna would show up on the scoresheet once more. This time, the 5-foot-11 forward forced a turnover by Janesville, allowing him to break away with the puck in the first two minutes of the final period. Barna skated away with a career-high five-point night, contributing to five of the eight goals scored in the game.

Barna played a vital role in the Ice Dogs’ victory on Friday. He secured the eventual game-winning goal of the contest. On his roster, the Dunaujvaros, Hungary native ranks first on his roster with 19 goals and 40 points on the year. His offensive production has almost tripled from last season.

Head coach of the Ice Dogs, Dakota Bell, shares what it was like to witness Barna exploding on the scoresheet on Friday night.

“We are thrilled for Oliver to receive this recognition as NAHL Midwest Division Star of the Week. His game Friday night here in Fairbanks was truly special, and it was great seeing the hats fly onto the ice from the home fans as he recorded four goals in total.”

“Oliver is an elite skater, and that’s been the difference maker for him this year,” said Bell. “Recently, he’s been shooting the puck more on-ice and building strength off-ice, which will help him secure a division one scholarship by season's end. Oliver has tremendous chemistry with his linemates, and they have helped drive us forward during our current eight-game win streak.”

2nd Star: Miles Robert, G, Fairbanks Ice Dogs

3rd Star: Max Larsson, G, Wisconsin Windigo

 

South Division Star of the Week: Xander Miceli, Goaltender, Corpus Christi IceRays

Showing up big for his team in net, Xander Miceli showcased back-to-back nights of domination between the pipes. The 6-foot-4 goaltender from the Volunteer State started his weekend on Friday night for the IceRays. Miceli secured his second-best performance in net, stopping 26 out of 27 shots by the Shreveport Mudbugs. He earned the 4-1 win in the blue paint while notching a .963 save percentage for the lone game. The 20-year-old would continue stopping shots in the crease on Saturday night, while securing his second shutout performance of the season. He turned away all 20 shots and stood tall in net during Shreveport’s six power plays. Miceli helped to lift his team to a weekend sweep over the Mudbugs.

Miceli spotlights a 0.50 goals-against average and a .979 save percentage for the weekend series. He extended his winning ways in net to four-straight games and played a key piece in the IceRays' success for the start of 2026. The Tennessee netminder has stepped up into a bigger role for Corpus Christi, serving as their starting goaltender for the team.

Head coach of the IceRays, Kevin St. Jacques, shares what it means to see Miceli awarded this honor.

“Xander is one of the nicest kids I have ever coached. It is good to see that his hard work is starting to pay off in the form of wins.”

2nd Star: Kyle Sorensen, F, Oklahoma Warriors

3rd Star: Jackson Vaites, F, Lone Star Brahmas