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 September 27, 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: Justin Bartley, Defenseman, Watertown Shamrocks

The 6-foot-3 captain from Chicago, Illinois, Justin Bartley skates to a six-point weekend for the Shamrocks at the annual NAHL Showcase. Bartley is a veteran defenseman of the Shamrocks, playing for the South Dakota-based team since its inception. His offensive performance on the ice started on Wednesday at the NAHL Showcase against the Wisconsin Windigo with a two-point night. He first showed up on the scoresheet with a tally as the power play was expiring for the Shamrocks in the second frame. His next point in the contest would come in helper fashion for Watertown in the third. Bartley carried the puck across the neutral zone into Watertown’s offensive zone to set up Kyle Greene’s goal.

Moving into Friday morning at the Super Rink, the 6-foot-3 blueliner recorded another multi-point contest for the Shamrocks. Bartley showed up in the opening frame on the scoresheet with a primary assist on Justin Obrochta’s second tally. He added another assist with less than a minute on the clock on Owen Chartier’s short-handed goal in the final frame.

The ‘06 defenseman finished out his NAHL Showcase with another two-point game, this time against the Corpus Christi IceRays on Saturday afternoon. Bartley scored on the power play through traffic in the second frame to give his team the 2-0 advantage heading into the third period. In the final period of regulation, the captain provided the setup once again for his team, registering another power-play point in the contest. Thanks to his help, Watertown swept the NAHL Showcase and returned to Watertown on a three-game heater.

In the three games played, Bartley produced six points for the Central Division club. He tallied two goals while recording four assists for the Shamrocks.

Head coach of the Shamrocks, Casey Kirley, shares more on Bartley’s impact on and off the ice.

“Justin has been both a great player and leader for us over the past three seasons. He uses his skating, poise with the puck, and defending abilities to make an impact on every game. He is also a leader both in the locker room and in the community. We are grateful to see Justin be rewarded for his efforts this past week and look forward to his continued success throughout the season.”

2nd Star: Brendan Espenell, D, Bismarck Bobcats

3rd Star: Mason Gudridge, G, Watertown Shamrocks

East Division Star of the Week: Dominic Pajkic, Defenseman, Northeast Generals

The ‘08 defenseman from St. Clair Shores, Michigan, Dominic Pajkic, played a huge role from the blue line and highlighted a six-point performance for the Generals at the NAHL Showcase. The Western Michigan commit got his week started with a Wednesday night battle against the Lone Star Brahmas. The 18-year-old lefty produced a primary assist on Jack Messick’s tally in the second period for the Generals.

His skating ability from the blue line continued into the remainder of the Showcase, specifically on Thursday afternoon with a three-point performance against the Kenai River Brown Bears. Pajkic notched his first assist on Emil Szepesi’s goal midway through the second frame. The ‘08 defenseman recorded his next point with a setup on Logan Poulin’s power-play goal at the start of the third frame. His final assist of the game would be in the final minutes of the game as he kept the puck out of Northeast’s defensive zone and went on to provide the assist on Matthew Lacombe’s tally in the contest. The Generals skate to a big 7-3 victory with the help of him on the ice.

In Pajkic’s final game of the weekend, the ‘08 lefty recorded a two-point game on Friday morning against the Houston Bulls. His first assist of the contest was in helper fashion for Logan Poulin’s first-period goal. His final point of the weekend would be in the final minute of the game, this time providing an assist on Braydon Hudtloff’s goal.

Pajkic skates away from the weekend with six assists across the three games for the Northeast Generals.

Head coach of the Generals, Bryan Erikson, describes the impact Pajkic has had for the team so far.

“Dom has been outstanding for us since day one. He was a big target for us this offseason and has not disappointed. His ability to move pucks is great, but his work on the d-side and his toughness have really stood out. It’s nice seeing that I have a younger d-man who can be trusted in all three zones. I am really excited to watch Dom’s continued development.”

2nd Star: Ben Varsa, G, Philadelphia Rebels

3rd Star: Evan Kensey, F, Johnstown Tomahawks

 

Midwest Division Star of the Week: Izaak Kalis, Goaltender, Fairbanks Ice Dogs

The State of Hockey netminder, Izaak Kalis, dominated the crease for the Ice Dogs in his two games played at the NAHL Showcase. His weekend started in a Wednesday night matchup against a longtime former foe, the Bismarck Bobcats. The 6-foot goaltender turned aside 26 out of 27 shots by the Bobcats while recording a .963 save percentage and 1.00 goals-against average for Fairbanks.

Moving into Saturday night, the ‘07 Little Falls, Minnesota native was perfect between the pipes and stopped all 47 shots by the USNTDP. Kalis posted his first shutout of the season for the Midwest Division club and helped to lift the Ice Dogs to a 4-0 victory. His work in net for Fairbanks was one of the many reasons why the Ice Dogs skated to a win over USNTDP.

For the weekend, the ‘07 Minnesota goaltender recorded two wins, notched a 0.50 goals-against average and a .986 save percentage. He turned aside a total of 73 out of 74 shots on net in his two games played.

Head coach of the Ice Dogs, Dakota Bell, shares more on why he is not surprised that Kalis is going home with accolades.

“Hearing that Izaak has been named Star of the Week for our division is no surprise, as he was extremely valuable to us at the showcase. He helped us secure two victories with phenomenal performances against really strong teams in Bismarck and Team USA 17s.”

Bell explains why Kalis has found success so quickly with Fairbanks.

“Izaak approaches the game with a smile on his face every day and loves playing the game. He’s always sure to mention his teammates and gives credit to them, so seeing him get recognized here is great. When Izaak is in the net, his teammates trust him, and that allows the five guys playing in front of him to be creative and play with confidence. We are lucky to have him, and we can’t wait to see what else he’s able to achieve with us this season as he chases his Division I commitment.”

2nd Star: Hans Hedlund, F, Janesville Jets

3rd Star: Karim Kazhibekov, F, Kenai River Brown Bears

 

Mountain Division Star of the Week: Joey Fankhanel, Forward, Billings Cattle Punchers

The 6-foot-4 righty from the State of Hockey, Joey Fankhanel, dominated offensively on the ice for the Cattle Punchers and recorded a six-point week at the NAHL Showcase. His offensive ability kicks off on Wednesday against the Minnesota Mallards. The NAHL veteran showed up first on the scoresheet with a primary assist on Devon Winder’s tally midway through the opening frame. Fankhanel utilized his speed to help make the passing play to get Billings on the board first. Following his opening period performance, the Minnesota native goes top-shelf from the point in the second frame to regain Billings’ lead. He finished out his performance with one more tally in the final minute of the game to give the Cattle Punchers a decisive 4-2 victory.

Moving into Friday afternoon, the NAHL veteran sported a two-point performance in his team’s 5-3 win over the Oklahoma Warriors. Fankhanel was able to gain possession of the puck following a faceoff in the first frame. He would provide the setup to Landon Jamieson’s tally midway through the period. His skill in capitalizing off the faceoff continued into the third frame as the 6-foot-4 forward scored from the point while on the power play for the Cattle Punchers. He helped to lift his team to another victory at the Showcase.

To end his NAHL Showcase experience, on Saturday morning the Minnesota native recorded one more assist for his team, this time in power-play fashion on Devon Winder’s opening period tally. Fankhanel skated to a six-point performance and was a major contributor to his team’s success for the start of the year.

Head coach of the Cattle Punchers, Steve Haddon, explains how Fankhanel’s ability on and off the ice has been one of the reasons for Billings’ quick success.

“Joey has been a true professional since day one of camp. He has come in and been a leader by example. He’s putting in the work, and he’s definitely getting rewarded. He has been a big part of our team having a solid start to the season. I’m excited to see what he can accomplish this season.”

2nd Star: Jack Foy, G, Ogden Mustangs

3rd Star: Jonathon Pylypuik, F, Pueblo Peppers

 

South Division Star of the Week: Hugo Zetterlund, Forward, Lone Star Brahmas

The 5-foot-11 righty, Hugo Zetterlund, lit up the scoresheet night after night for the Lone Star Brahmas at the NAHL Showcase. Zetterlund’s offensive prowess kicked off on Wednesday afternoon against the Northeast Generals. The first-year Brahma showed up on the scoresheet with a primary assist on Leo Lundblad’s opening period tally. The Swede would then record another point for Lone Star with a helper on Dylan Chernoff’s late second-period goal. Zetterlund would light the lamp for the first time in the contest himself with a quick third-period goal to give the Brahmas the advantage once again in the tight contest with the Generals. As the matchup moved into overtime and an eventual shootout, the 5-foot-11 forward would be crucial in lifting the Brahmas to a shootout win. Zetterlund found twine in the third round of the shootout and helped to give the South Division club a 5-4 victory.

Moving into Friday night against the USNTDP, the first-year Brahma got the scoring started for Lone Star with a power-play tally midway through the second period. Zetterlund beat the Mason Martin short-side to give his team their first goal of the night. The Brahmas would eventually take the win in 3-0 fashion with the help of him on the ice.

On Saturday afternoon, the Brahmas took on the Janesville Jets in their final game of the NAHL Showcase. The 5-foot-11 skater scored with a little over eight minutes on the clock in the first period with a power-play one-timer for the Brahmas.

For his NAHL Showcase, Zetterlund spotlighted a three-goal and two-assist performance for the Lone Star Brahmas.

Head coach of the Brahmas, Dan Wildfong, states how big of an impact the Swedish skater was for Lone Star last week.

“We are super proud and happy for Hugo this past week. He has come to the United States and immediately found success in a different playing style. We are excited as he pursues his NCAA Division I aspirations.”

2nd Star: Mike Azzarone, F, Corpus Christi IceRays

3rd Star: Dimitri Tioumentsev, F, Lone Star Brahmas