First Team
Forward: Denver Craig, Ontario Jr. Reign
Craig (’04/Carp, Ont.) joined from the American College Hockey Association’s University of Toledo, and showed just how valuable his college hockey experience was to his team in his final season of junior eligibility. He produced 38 goals and 50 assists for 88 points, giving him a 2.67 points per game average. That was the best average for a player who played a full season in the Pacific Division. He was also one of four players to lead the league with nine game-winning goals.
Brian Erte, Lake Tahoe Lakers
Erte (’05/Helsinki, Finland) found a great home for his first North American season, joining the Lakers and eventually producing 28 goals and 61 assists for a team-leading 89 points in 46 games, averaging a team-leading 1.93 points per game. He joined teammate Tyler Gudjonson as the only two Lakers to play in all 46 games this year. His five shorthanded assists ranked tied for second in all of the USPHL Premier.
Knut Hornkvist, San Diego Sabers
Hornkvist (’04/Ornskoldsvik, Sweden) had a fantastic second season in the Premier, which was also his first with the Sabers. He improved his point total by 60 points, a total that, in itself, would be All-Division-worthy in most divisions. But Hornkvist had higher sights, offensively, as he was one of just four players this season to break the century mark. Hornkvist scored 32 goals and 71 assists for 103 points in 45 games.
Defense:
Jesse Nuutinen, Fresno Monsters
Nuutinen (’06/Helsinki, Finland) was another first-year North American player from Finland like Erte, and he similarly adapted extremely well after joining from the HPK 18U program in his homeland. With five goals and 48 assists for 53 points in 46 games, he ranked fifth among Premier defensemen in scoring.
Aidan Cosgrove, San Diego Sabers
Cosgrove (’04/Carlsbad, Calif.) was a huge presence for the Sabers all season, playing in 38 games and registering 14 goals and 25 assists for 39 points. His eight power play goals on the season tied for league lead among blueliners. Cosgrove brought two prior years of EHL experience to the Sabers blue line this year.
Goaltender
Brooks Barofsky, Fresno Monsters
Barofsky (’04/Downers Grove, Ill.) joined from two seasons in the NA3HL, jumping on with the eventual Pacific Division Champions in November. He went 18-2-0-0 in 20 games, including a winning streak of nine games between Dec. 21 and Jan. 26. He was also in net for a 47-save performance against the eventual runner-up Springfield Pics to earn the Monsters’ first Nationals game win since 2021.
Selection Process: Coaches in the division first nominate players, and then vote on these nominations. If there are ties in positions, there is an additional run-off vote. Coaches are presented with the finalists and given more than 24 hours to make changes if the majority votes to do so. If there are no challenges to the finalists, they are named as the All-Division Team.
Summaries by Joshua Boyd
