By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com
The United States Premier Hockey League is previewing each Elite Division ahead of this Friday’s start date of the 2024-25 Elite season. Check back each weekday to see which Elite division is up next!
Order is 2023-24 regular season finish, followed by new division member
Tampa Bay Juniors
Season Opener: Sept. 21 vs. Palm Beach Typhoon
The Juniors have been the most regular member of the Florida Division at the National Championship tournament, only missing qualification once (for the eventually canceled 2020 Nationals). They are certainly hoping to make it five in a row this year after making the trip the last four years in a row.
“Our expectations are very high this season for the Elite team. After making it to the semifinals last season, many players wanted to take that next step and we have 14 returning players,” said Strot.
The Juniors are certainly proud to have moved up Florida Division All-Star forward Dylan Hineman as well as 2023-24 teammates Ari Blatt and Richard Moskala. As aforementioned, they have plenty of veterans coming back to push for that 2025 National Championship, in addition to a future in higher levels of junior hockey and/or college hockey.
Up front, the Juniors welcome back ’06 Max Ratliff (fifth in teams scoring with 37 points last year) and fellow top 10 scorers Jan Zeman, Keegan Thurber and Kelan Jamison. Also in the Top 10 of team scoring last year was ’06 defenseman Carter Trussler, who returns to the blue line along with Andrew Wagenhauser and Jonathan Motta.
There are also a lot of exciting new players, such as forwards Rene Krytinar, Ben Grossman and P.J. Johnson. The latter two are ’06 forwards from last year’s Florida State Champion Steinbrenner High School team (and they were also past teammates there with Hineman). Krytinar, a Czechia native, is an ’07 who formerly played with the Gulf Coast Flames.
Dylan Mize is a new and local defenseman who played for the Florida Alliance North AAA team last year, and fellow ’07 blueliner Robert Zettler played with the Clearwater Ice Storm. His father Rob Zettler, an NHL alum, is an Assistant Coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dominick Walton is an ’06 goalie from Mound Westonka High who continues the Juniors’ trend of bringing Minnesota talent to Tampa.
Florida Eels
Season Opener: Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta MadHatters
The Eels have enjoyed several trips to the USPHL Elite Nationals (along with their fellow frequent Nationals travelers, the Eels Premier team). The Fort Myers-based program has always placed a high emphasis on building from its Elite team towards the Premier squad, which is ranked fifth in wins (214) at that level.
“We expect a lot out of ourselves for the 2024-25 season. We have a good mix of guys and are prepared to make a strong push to within a difficult Florida division,” said first-year Head Coach Mike Gennello.
The Eels are able to start off with two 30-plus point veterans in ’07 Dominic Doyle and ’06 Yiorgios Bikakis. Additionally, the ’05 center Jackson Carnes returns and his leadership will be crucial to the team’s mission of victory and advancement.
“Jackson Carnes is a veteran we will lean on as a leader going into his fourth year with the program,” added Gennello.
The Elite team continues to do its part for the overall program, as they are able to produce high-scoring forwards like Alex Cochran, an All-Star from last year who will make the jump to the Premier team.
Who will be the next Elite players advancing to the Premier? The veterans are certainly top candidates, and the Eels also have an impressive group of new talent entering the program.
“Zach Bahret and Sam Klieman-Lee are veteran newcomers whom we’re excited to have with the Eels this year,” said Gennello, of the two NA3HL players joining the Eels. “Paxton Campbell [’08] is one of a few local players we are excited to see make the jump to the junior level this year.”
Atlanta MadHatters
Season Opener: Sept. 14 at Florida Eels
The MadHatters had a fantastic 2023-24 season, with their 27 wins being an all-time high – and then on top of that, they advanced out of the Florida Division playoffs to their second Nationals qualification. However, as their first was for the eventually canceled 2020 Nationals, the MadHatters made their debut at the championship tournament in 2024.
“Our expectations for the season are the same that we have in place every single day: be the hardest working team in the country,” said Head Coach Matt Cruickshank. “We have a young and inexperienced team of hungry players that we are very excited to see hit the ice opening weekend! The Florida Division is one of the toughest, if not the toughest, Elite division in the country and we have every belief in our young men to make a strong impact right away. We are extremely proud of all the work that our young men have put in the off-season, training camp, and practices leading up to the season!”
There are a number of players who have experience in the Elite league, both with Atlanta and other teams in the conference. This group includes forwards Liam Grogan, David Motlicek and Gaige Silby, as well as defenseman Onrii Dalgity, Tommy Payne and Nik Freeman.
“We have a handful of Elite players with experience that have risen to the occasion in terms of leadership and teaching professionalism,” said Cruickshank. “I couldn’t be happier with how these young men have used their experiences in assisting the development of our young guys.”
The MadHatters are certainly excited about what they’ve seen from a few newcomers who project as impact players, in ’06 forwards Ethan Barber and Aiden Rebone, and ’07 defenseman Vince Myers.
“Ethan has made an impact quickly with his IQ and ability to understand the game at the higher level. Aiden will be known within the division quickly. His shot, speed, and physicality have been great,” said Cruickshank. “Vince is one of the most energetic players that has made a quick impact on and off the ice.”
The team will continue to push their players towards the Premier level, such as former Elite MadHatter Kolten Miller who will take his speed and talent to the Premier level, where “he has really matured to solidify himself on that roster.”
The MadHatters have worked hard to create a solid culture both on and off the ice.
“Away from the rink, we are incredibly proud of our young men! From volunteering in the community to serving their teammates, they truly have been a blessing so far,” added Cruickshank. “We look forward to seeing these guys develop as hockey players and great young men in this world.”
Florida Jr. Blades
Season Opener: Sept. 20 vs. Bold City Battalion
The 2023-24 season had its ups and downs, but in the end, the Jr. Blades did improve upon their prior season. Continuous improvement and development of their players are tantamount to everything being done at Hertz Arena in Estero, Fla. Part of that development is the intense competition that pushes their players to new heights every time out.
“We expect our Elite program to grow both as individual players and as a team throughout the season. As with the Premier Division, the Florida Elite division is one of the toughest in the country,” said Assistant General Manager Isaac Berg. “This will provide great opportunities for our players to learn and grow their skills throughout the year.”
With still 10 days before their opener, roster decisions were actively being made, but Berg said there would be “many strong returners who will look to make an impact on one team or another.”
This includes ’05’s Greyson Betzold and Sebastian Mason; ’06’s Zach Barta, Maxsim Paulikas, Brinson White, Landen Button and Elite All-Star Vincent Faggioli-DeLong; and ’07 Josh Mason. Berg made it clear that the placement of these players on one Jr. Blades team or another is pending, but are an example of top Elite players from last season. Additionally, he’s excited about the newer players joining the team.
“We have many new faces within the organization that we are excited to have on board this season, and again, we are just not sure which team they will be on,” Berg added.
Palm Beach Typhoon
Season Opener: Sept. 21 at Tampa Bay Juniors
The Typhoon have yielded some terrific talent since their 2021-22 debut, and the organization will continue to place the emphasis on working with every player on improving their skills and overall game towards advancement to the highest level they can attain. They are proud to provide an important step on a player’s progression towards their truest potential.
“To have some players back who have played in the Elite last year, we expect them to elevate their games this year, as well as their strength and maturity through experience,” said Owner, GM and Head Coach Joe Flanagan. “ We have a good mix of kids, so I am optimistic for sure, especially after our first week of camp and practices.”
NCDC Entry Draft pick Aydin Canbek, an ’07 forward who was selected by the Northern Cyclones in the 2024 Phase I Draft, returns to continue to push towards his potential future in the USPHL’s top tier conference. Also back on the forward lines is a pair of ’06’s in Jacob Handa and Frankie Murano. Flanagan is excited to see them work to improve upon impressive first year junior numbers.
The Elite Typhoon are also excited to see what veteran ’06 defensemen Ari Chernobelsky and Donald Pratt, who combined for 35 points last year, can do in their second season with the team. Both are ’06’s so they have great upside for advancement to the USPHL Premier or other higher levels of junior hockey.
The Typhoon have seen success in the Florida Division, including winning 22 games in 2022-23, so it’s certainly wise for their opponents to prepare well for this squad.
“The Florida Division is always strong in the Elite, and we know teams like Tampa and the Eels will be deep and strong. We’ll find out right away how good Tampa is this year, as we play them first,” said Flanagan. “It’s a marathon not a sprint, and a lot of guys on all the teams are getting their first taste of the longer game and more physical play of junior hockey.”
Bold City Battalion
Season Opener: Sept. 20 at Florida Jr. Blades
The Battalion were a rampaging headache for Florida Division teams in the Premier Division, making the Nationals in their inaugural season. The Battalion’s Elite team is more of a work in progress, but one that is making plenty of progress heading into Year 2.
“The Florida Division is always tough. Tampa has done a great job at consistently setting and raising the bar for our division,” said Head Coach Rett Vossler. “We took our lumps last year as a new program, but have worked hard this off-season to recruit the pieces we need to be competitive. Our goals with this group are simple: work hard and develop every day on and off the ice.”
The Battalion have brought in some great pieces to set a foundation, including NCDC Entry Draft third round pick Logan Curry. The former Columbia Infantry player was selected by the Casper Warbirds and projects to be a top defenseman.
“Ryder Barbara and Spencer Combs also come to the Battalion this year with junior experience and will definitely help form our back end,” added Vossler.
These players will help stem the tide of a good number of former Elite Battalion making the jump to the Premier side.
“Brody Szostak, Hunter Kifer, Steven Eberhardt and Jack Horst have all put in a ton of work and look ready to step into our Premier group and compete for ice time,” added Vossler, also Head Coach for the Premier team.
The additional newcomers include Conner McDuffie, a Florida native who helped the Tampa Bay Crunch win the USA Hockey 16U AA National Championship; and former Des Moines Buccaneers AAA teammates Cameron Myers and Mathieu Leblanc, who will reunite this year with the Battalion.
