Selection Process: The league media office sends top candidates to divisional coaches for review and coaches either approve or challenge the nominations.
Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com
Forward: Dylan Hineman, Tampa Bay Juniors
A locally born and trained player, Hineman (‘06/Tampa, Fla.) is currently playing for both the Juniors and George Steinbrenner High School. With the Juniors he had a huge December by putting up a pair of goals and 10 assists for 12 points, contributing to the 30 points he has scored through 26 games to lead Tampa Bay. His 16:28 per game average of ice time led all Tampa Bay Juniors forwards.
Forward: Kelan Jamison, Tampa Bay Juniors
Like his teammate Hineman, Jamison is another ‘06 splitting time between the Juniors and his local high school team, in this case Seminole High School. Originally from Flint, Mich., Jamison had a massive December with seven goals and three assists for 10 points in eight games as well as a +8 that led all Tampa Bay Juniors forwards.
Forward: Zayn Haddon-Harris, Florida Eels
Haddon-Harris (‘04/Boca Raton, N.J.) joined the Eels this year out of the Spanish River/West Boca High School program. The younger brother of former Eel Taurin Haddon-Harris (now at Curry College), Zayn has made a big name for himself with 27 points in 25 games to lead the Eels Elite squad here in 2023-24. He put up six goals and five assists for 11 points in seven December games and his +6 rating was good for second on the Fort Myers-based Eels team.
Defense: Sean Burke, Florida Eels
The ‘03 out of Wellesley, Mass., continues to click at above a point-per-game pace this season as he has put up 20 points in 18 games, and that trend was additionally illustrated by posting a 1-8-9 line in seven games during the month of December. He is the No. 1 choice for Coach Mitch Hill to send over the boards, as he has skated a team-leading average of 19:12 per game.
Defense: Aidan Neville, Florida Eels
Neville (‘05/New York, N.Y.) has established himself as a great all-around player for the Eels who are hoping to claim yet another spot in the Nationals over the rest of this 2023-24 season. Along with the 1-7-8 line he put up during December’s seven games, Neville also put up 18:54 per game in ice time and four hits (second on the Eels), and four blocked shots (second among Eels blueliners).
Goaltender: Jackson Bernier, Atlanta MadHatters
Bernier (‘03/Belfast, Maine) certainly put in the work during December, registering 96 saves on 103 shots, good for a .932 save percentage. In 185 minutes of hockey, he put up a 1-1-0-1 mark and the win came from a 21-save shutout of the Florida Jr. Blades at the very start of the month on Dec. 1. Overall, Bernier is 6-4-1-1 with a .954 save percentage, the best mark in all of the USPHL Elite.
