The NCDC will be previewing each of the 21 teams set to hit the ice during the 2024-25 season in a continuing series up to the Sept. 19 start of the new campaign.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights
Atlantic Division
Home Arena: Revolution Ice Centre, Pittston, Pa.
Head Coach: Josh Fusco
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights enjoyed an improvement in Year 2 (2023-24) from their inaugural season, and they hope to continue to climb up a very tough Atlantic Division standings ladder. New management and coaching take the reins this year, and the Knights are also able to draw from a strong feeder system. That includes USPHL Premier and USPHL Elite teams that have become regulars at the USPHL National Championship tournaments in their first three years at those levels.
That program depth will come in very handy this year, as the Knights are fielding a largely new squad from top to bottom.
“With only three carefully chosen returning players currently rostered from last season’s team, the Knights will have a fresh look to say the least,” said General Manager Andy Scott, who is joined by incoming Head Coach Josh Fusco as the vanguard of the new-look Knights.
“It has been a hectic off-season for the Knights,” added Scott. “The new GM [Scott] was hired in mid-April with the first order of business being the hiring of a new staff. We feel that we selected some good young players in Phase I of the draft. Some of them will play within the organization this year and be able to earn experience with the NCDC team. Our Main Camp in early August was a true tryout camp. No contracts were offered (not even to returners) until the conclusion of camp. We feel that this attracted some higher-end players that would not have otherwise attended.”
Scott comes in with coaching experience at the ECHL, USport (Canadian Division I college hockey) and junior hockey levels, including being an NCDC assistant last year with the Knights.
Fusco joins the Knights from Franklin Pierce University, where he was head coach. He’s also had coaching experience with the University of Scranton (ACHA), as well as prior Knights junior teams that operated prior to their joining the USPHL, in addition to being head coach for Team Maryland (EHL) and assistant coach for the Maryland Black Bears (NAHL).
Matt Reid joins as Director of Player Development and Advancement, having coached alongside Fusco with Team Maryland and the Black Bears, as well as the EHL’s Pennsylvania Huntsmen. Reid played NCAA Division I hockey with Clarkson University then went on to a pro career of more than 10 years in the AHL, ECHL and in Europe. Tyler Harmon is the new Knights’ goaltending coach. A former University of Vermont and Mercyhurst University goaltender, he also played USPHL junior hockey with the Jersey Hitmen and in the ECHL after college. Harmon will join Fusco on the bench, as assistant coach for the NCDC team.
“Our Premier and Elite head coaches, Eric Brule and Jay Zaleski, remain from last year and will continue to be an important part of our overall development pipeline,” added Scott.
The Knights hit the ice for the new season with three NCDC veterans from last year’s team in Kaleb MacAulay, Gavin Brandon and Eric McHale, who made the jump to last year’s NCDC team after playing for the Knights’ USPHL Elite team one season earlier.
“All three are similar as they have had a challenging path to get to where they are and have stuck with it. That speaks to the kind of character we want in all of our players,” Scott said.
McHale is not the only player moving up from the Knights’ Premier and Elite teams, as last year’s Premier leading scorer Zackary Chouinard is also making the jump to the NCDC. He scored 57 points in 24 games.
“Zackary, a skilled ‘04 forward, had a tremendous main camp and showed that he belongs full-time with the NCDC team this year,” said Scott. “Eric McHale is a great example of the development model we are trying to build at the Knights. He played on our Elite team two years ago and then captained our 18U AAA team last season before being called up to the NCDC team full time. With six points in 17 NCDC games last season, we are hoping for a break out year from him this season.”
The Knights also took advantage of the two-phase NCDC Entry Draft held in May, adding two players from that selection event.
“Thomas Dell and Semyon Royev were two selections from Phase II of this year’s draft who made the team. Dell has 25 games of NCDC experience. We expect him to be a strong physical presence on the blue line,” added Scott. “Royev is a smooth, puck-moving 2004 defenseman who played 50 games last season in the MHL for Barys Astana. He has also played for the Kazakhstan U18 and U20 National Teams.”
The NCDC’s Atlantic Division always puts forth some of the league’s toughest teams, including three straight Dineen Cup Champions between 2021 and 2023. The Jersey Hitmen scored the two-fer in 2021 and 2022, and the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders won it all in 2023.
“The NCDC, and in particular the Atlantic Division, was highly competitive last year. Our team was eliminated from the playoffs with literally two minutes left in our season,” Scott said. “Every club is well-run, so I expect the league and division to be very competitive again. Of course, we hope to change the playoff outcome for the Knights and qualify for the first time in our three years of existence.”
