NAHL Announces Monthly Player Awards for January
The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced its Bauer Hockey player awards for December. The Forward of the Month is Noah Dziver from the Minnesota Wilderness. The Defenseman of the Month is Nathan Williams from the Austin Bruins. The Goaltender of the Month is Mason Gudridge from the Watertown Shamrocks.
Bauer Hockey NAHL Forward of the Month: Noah Dziver, Minnesota Wilderness
Earning his second Star of the Month honors, Noah Dziver continues to deliver offensively for the Wilderness this season. The 6-foot forward has shown up on the scoresheet in 11 out of the 12 games played in the month of January. The captain produced a league-leading 24 points in January while registering two points per game with the Wilderness. His best game was a season-high performance. On January 3, 2026, the second-year veteran spotlighted a six-point game, scoring a shorthanded goal while notching five assists. Dziver scored a total of eight goals for the month while securing a league-leading 16 assists. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native features seven multi-point games in January while securing a +13 rating for the month. In addition, the ‘05 skater was just recently named as a Top Prospect for the Midwest Division roster.
Dziver went into detail on what it means to earn this honor.
“Winning Forward of the Month for the second time feels really special to me; it shows the consistency I have been working toward all season. My success in January comes from my teammates and coaches. They push me to be better and allow me to perform at my best.”
For the season, the 20-year-old is one of the top forwards in the League of Opportunity. He leads his roster in total points (59) and assists (37) while sitting second in goals (22). He features a dominant 1.64 points-per-game, ranking third overall for skaters in the league. His offensive prowess, night after night, features Dziver showing up on the scoresheet almost every night. Out of his 36 games played this season, he has logged a point in 30 contests. The 6-foot forward is in his final season of junior hockey and has played 84 career games with the Wilderness. He has tallied a total of 42 goals and produced 68 assists for a total of 110 points. This award is not the only recognition Dziver has received this season. He has been named as October’s Forward of the Month and has been a two-time Midwest Division Star of the Week.
Head coach of the Wilderness, Zach Stepan, shares why Dziver is deserving of this award.
“Noah Dziver continues to meet—and exceed—the expectations placed on him as our captain and top center. While it would be easy to list the many details of his play and preparation, the reality is simple: he is doing everything a coach can ask of a leader and more. His consistency, accountability, and commitment to the team standard are evident every day. It comes as no surprise that he is once again being recognized for his performance.”
Runner-Up: Ryan Shaw, Rochester Jr. Americans
Bauer Hockey NAHL Defenseman of the Month: Nathan Williams, Austin Bruins
The 6-foot-1 skater from Wisconsin, Nathan Williams, played a huge offensive role from the blue line for the Bruins. Williams is a third-year veteran and captain for Austin. This past month, he has shown up on the scoresheet in every game, tallying five goals and making 10 assists in that span. His five goals tie him first among blueliners in the league for the month of January. The ‘05 skater was extremely effective on the man advantage, producing 10 of his points on the power play. In addition, Williams logged five multi-point contests in the month and was named as a Top Prospect for the Central Division roster at the 2026 Top Prospects Tournament.
The captain explains why this honor is not just his award, but the team’s award.
“It means a lot to be named Defenseman of the Month. There are many people who have helped me throughout my hockey career, and the success I've achieved is all thanks to them. For example, Coach Howard is a huge part of it, Al Rooney, and of course, my parents, who have done so much for me. This award would not have been possible for me either without my teammates. They have helped me get to where I am at as well as being a good support system, so I would say it’s a team award, honestly.”
The 20-year-old has been red-hot this season for the Bruins. He is currently riding a 15-game point streak dating back to December 12, 2026. His ability to find twine or produce the set-up for a goal is why he has shown up on the scoresheet in 30 out of 39 contests played this season. Williams is tied first in the league with 49 points on the season for blueliners, while sitting alone at the top for defensemen in assists (41), points per game (1.26), and plus-minus rating (+29). Just like this past month, his offensive ability on the man advantage is why he ranks first for defensemen with 30 power-play assists.
Williams has spent three seasons in the Bruins organization, playing a total of 151 games in the black and gold. Over his career, he has scored 21 goals and made 77 assists for 98 total points. In his final season of junior hockey, the blueliner's offensive ability has been electric, producing half of his career points (49) in his age-out season.
Head coach of the Bruins, Steve Howard, dives into detail on what he has seen from Williams this season.
“Nathan continues to have a remarkable season for us and contributes so much to our organization both on and off the ice, so it’s always rewarding to see a young man like himself receive the well-earned recognition for it. He’s an all-situations player and leader for us and has been a large factor in our team’s success thus far this season.”
Runner-Up: Tommy Shore, El Paso Rhinos
Bauer Hockey Goaltender of the Month: Mason Gudridge, Watertown Shamrocks
Not a smidge of nerves for the 18-year-old goaltender Mason Gudridge in the month of January. Gudridge is a second-year veteran of Watertown and produced four big wins in his six games played this past month. Before spotlighting his defensive dominance between the pipes, the goaltender faced a stint of being injured for a few weeks in December. His return to the blue paint was kicked off with a bang against the division leaders, the Austin Bruins. His work in the crease helped to lift his team to a weekend sweep over the Bruins, registering 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 and became the only goaltender in the Central to have swept Austin this season. He earned Central Division Star of the Week following that performance, and his work in net did not stop there. For the month, he is tied first with a .950 save percentage while facing the most shots on average (38) in his six games played. The ‘07 netminder features a 1.98 goals-against average in January and picked up his second shutout in his NAHL career on January 30, 2026. He secured a 37-save shutout against the Minot Minotauros. His work between the pipes has secured him a spot at the Top Prospects Tournament on the Selects White roster this season.
The second-year netminder, Gudridge, went into detail on what it means to be recognized for his work in the blue paint.
“It’s an honor and means a lot to be named as the Goaltender of the Month. This is something I am extremely grateful for, and I believe it reflects the attention to detail instilled in us as a team throughout the year. Taking each game shot by shot and focusing on what I can control helped me to be successful. I also have an extremely talented goalie partner who pushes me every day to be better.”
Gudridge has been an important piece in the Shamrocks' success this season. The 5-foot-9 goaltender ranks sixth overall in the league with a .924 save percentage facing on average 32 shots per night. The Greenwood Village, Colorado native has picked up 12 wins this season while notching a 2.55 goals-against average. Gudridge is a second-year goaltender for Watertown, and this season he has had the special opportunity to play alongside his older brother, Jordan Gudridge.
Head coach of the Shamrocks, Casey Kirley, shares why it was great to see Gudridge be recognized for his work.
“It is great that Mason is getting recognized for his outstanding play during the month of January. Mason is having a great year and has gotten better and better as the season has progressed. He is an integral member of our team and has obviously played a significant role in the success we have had this season. Mason is a great teammate who shows up and competes every day. We are proud of what he’s accomplished to date and look forward to watching him continue to grow his game.”
Runner-Up: Lukas Fusten, Maine Nordiques
