Summaries by Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com
Selection Process: Voting took part in two phases. In the first phase, the division’s coaches voted for three of their own players and three players from other teams in the division. Once these results were compiled, the division’s coaches voted on the final team.
Forward
Jake Hall, Utica Jr. Comets
The forward with the most votes in the division is a local product for the Jr. Comets. Out of Rome Free Academy, Hall first joined the Jr. Comets as a USPHL 16U player in 2019-20. After two seasons away, he returned in 2022-23 for 21 games before putting in a full season with 33 goals and 65 points here in 2023-24. The ‘03 forward also earned three games up with the NCDC Jr. Comets. He put up 21:07 of ice time per game to lead Jr. Comets forwards. His 78 career points are eighth all-time in franchise history.
Sean Tyrie, Utica Jr. Comets
Tyrie (‘04/East Quogue, N.Y.) is a second-year USPHL Premier All-Star for the Jr. Comets. He had a huge first year with the Jr. Comets putting up 66 points in 2022-23, an average of 1.57 points per game. He built on that season by giving the Jr. Comets 1.85 points per game in 2023-24, scoring 48 points in just 26 games. He spent much of the rest of the season in the NCDC, skating with both the Dineen Cup finalist Ogden Mustangs and the Utica Jr. Comets, scoring four goals in 10 games at that higher level.
Tighe Frazee, Utica Jr. Comets
Frazee (‘05/Stevensville, Ont.) was not too far behind Tyrie in terms of points per game for the Jr. Comets, who made their first trip back to Nationals – which they hosted at the Utica University Nexus Center – since 2019. He put up 40 points in 26 games for a 1.60 points per game average. He put up six points in the Jr. Comets’ five playoff games, and also scored three points in five NCDC games for the Jr. Comets, after originally starting the season in the OJHL. Frazee’s +42 led the way for the Jr. Comets, as well.
Justin Tremblay, Northern Cyclones
Tremblay (‘03/Becancour, Que.) was one of the few Cyclones from the National Championship 2022-23 team that did not move on to college after that season. The Saint Anselm College (NCAA) recruit returned to Hudson and saw a big year-over-year improvement from an already impressive 49 points last year to 68 points this time around. Tremblay has 117 points over his two Cyclones seasons, making him second overall in Cyclones’ Premier history (going back to 2017-18). This year, he co-led the team with a +27 and he led the Cyclones forwards with 30 hits.
Tyler Zembrzycki, Springfield Pics
Zembrzycki (‘03/East Islip, N.Y.) is a third-year junior veteran who played his first full season in the USPHL Premier after playing 30 games last year. He improved by 43 points, from 28 last year to 71 this time around, while also being the leading faceoff man for the Pics. He won 280 of the 415 draws he took, an astounding 67 percent success rate. He became only the second Pic to ever hit the 70-point mark in a season, and his 99 points are good for second all-time for a Springfield player.
Dominick Balboni, Springfield Pics
The lifelong Pics player, an ‘03 from right in West Springfield, Mass., also the home community for the Pics and site of their Olympia Ice Arena. In 143 career Premier games, Balboni put up 62 goals and 91 assists for 153 points, good for fourth in the Pics’ overall history – and No. 1 in their current USPHL Premier history. This season, he scored a career-best 24-45-69 line.He originally started with the Pics at the 15U level in 2018-19 and has never played for another organization to this day.
Jesper Seeberg, Islanders Hockey Club
Another longtime Premier player, one who’s stuck with his organization for five years, is the ‘03 Seeberg, a resident of Lake Worth, Fla. After originally playing with his hometown Palm Beach Hawks 15U team, he first made the jump to the Islanders 16U team in 2019-20. The next year, he was with the Islanders Premier team for the first of four seasons. His journey also brought him to the IHC’s NCDC team for parts of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 season. This year, his fourth Premier campaign, he scored 31 points in 33 games during the regular season. He also had an amazing postseason, scoring 11 points in 10 games as the Islanders pushed all the way into the USPHL Nationals championship game.
Dylan Reynolds, Islanders Hockey Club
Reynolds (‘04/Middletown, Conn.) is a second-year Islander who has been a two-way dynamo for the team that made it all the way to the National Championship game. He put up 36 points in 42 games this year during the regular season and was also the Islanders’ plus-minus leader at +26. His 30 blocked shots were second among Islanders forwards. During the postseason, Reynolds was one of the IHC’s most productive players, producing 13 points in 10 total games. His 18 points in 16 career playoff games is No. 1 all-time for the Islanders Hockey Club Premier team.
Remi Dionne, College Universel Gatineau
Dionne (‘04/Baie-Comeau, Que.) was another outstanding two-way talent that attracted the attention of the coaches beyond his own, as he was able to put up 27 goals and 25 assists for 52 points while also leading his first-year team in plus-minus at +21. Gatineau, who will compete in an all-Canadian division with five new Premier teams in 2024-25, made an outstanding impact on the New England Division going 22-20-1-1 and winning their first playoff series (against Springfield). He scored the double-OT goal on March 1 that fended off elimination and helped his team move on to face the eventual National runner-up Islanders Hockey Club.
Mathis Tarani, College Universel Gatineau
Tarani (‘05/Terrebonne, Que.) was the classic power forward for College Universel in their inaugural USPHL Premier season. Along with the 24-28-52 line that he produced in 44 games, Tarani also used every bit of his 5-foot-9-inch, 170-pound frame to rack up a team-leading 61 hits during the season. He was also Universel’s top ice time earner among forwards at 21:13 per game, and he led the team in faceoffs at 454 wins (55 percent success rate). Tarani went on to lead College Universel Gatineau in postseason scoring with four points in five games.
Defense
Joey Demiglio, Utica Jr. Comets
Demigilio (‘03/Niles, Ill.) joined the Jr. Comets at the early midseason mark in 2022-23 from the NA3HL and he came back as a true leader for the Nationals-qualifying team in 2023-24. He put up a 13-26-39 line in 40 games for Utica during the regular season. He was also a +38 for the season to rank second on the Jr. Comets defensive corps. Demiglio is committed to SUNY-Fredonia to begin his college hockey future in 2024-25!
Brady Bomal, Northern Cyclones
Two years, two leagues, two times an All-Star. Bomal (‘03/Westford, Mass.) was a 2022-23 North Division All-Star in the USPHL Elite last year, and now he graduates to the position of USPHL Premier All-Star. All of this has been with the Northern Cyclones, as the Rivier University commit put together a fantastic 36-point, 44-game season after putting up 34 points last year in the Elite. Bomal also tied for the Premier team lead with a +27, tied with fellow All-Star Justin Tremblay.
Lucas Magliozzi, Boston Junior Bruins
Magliozzi (‘05/Burlington, Mass.) was a second-year leader for the Junior Bruins, and not only helped his team – the No. 7 seed in the division – defeat the defending National Champion Northern Cyclones in the playoffs, one of the biggest upsets in any USPHL league this year. Along with improving from 15 points to 20 points year over year, he also led the Junior Bruins in ice time per game (21:19). He was second among Junior Bruins defensemen with 24 hits, and he was second on the team overall with 99 shots on goal.
James Eyre, Islanders Hockey Club
Eyre (‘04/Morzine, France) was very busy for his different teams this year. He scored 24 points in 34 overall Premier games as a second-year Islander. He did step away for a bit to join Team France at the World Junior Championships Division 1A tournament, where he scored five points in four games, was named Best Defenseman and won the Silver Medal. Back with the Islanders, Eyre helped send the IHC back to the Nationals with their fifth qualification in a row – and this time they made it all the way to the Championship Game. His 20:07 of average ice time per game was good for second on the team, while he was also second for IHC in plus-minus (+23) and hits (34). Eyre was also called up to the Islanders’ NCDC team for two games this year.
Goaltender
Dominic Walecka, South Shore Kings
The Worcester State University (NCAA) commit put in a great season with the Kings, finishing with a .919 save percentage and nine victories in his second junior season, after coming over from the EHL Premier. Walecka also put up a fantastic performance in the playoffs, albeit the Kings were unable to get a victory. He registered a .934 save percentage. He also got a single NCDC game and stopped all 14 shots he faced in a 20-minute appearance.
Cameron Prodin, Northern Cyclones
Prodin (‘04/Dearborn, Mich.) was able to close his season by finishing in the top 10 in both goals against average at 2.07 and save percentage at .929. In his second season with the Cyclones, Prodin put up a 14-3-3-1 record during the regular season. Prodin was one of 11 members of the 2022-23 Cyclones championship team that returned in 2023-24.
