NA3HL announces monthly player awards for January
The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) has announced its monthly player awards for the month of January. The Easton Hockey NA3HL Forward of the Month is Mathias Tellstrom of the Metro Jets. The Easton Hockey NA3HL Defenseman of the Month is Zach Heiser of the Billings Bulls. The Vaughn NA3HL Goaltender of the Month is David Johnson of the North Iowa Bulls. Only players who are nominated by their respective teams are considered for the NA3HL monthly awards.
Easton Hockey NA3HL Forward of the Month: Mathias Tellstrom, Metro Jets
Metro Jets forward Mathias Tellstrom, 19, had quite the month of January as he led the Jets to a perfect 9-0 record during the month as they opened up an 18-point lead in the East Division. The native of Linkoping, Sweden totaled 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in the nine games and was an astounding +18. Tellstrom (6’2/196) had seven multi-point games during the month and two of his 11 goals were game-winners. Tellstrom was also selected to and will play in the 2016 NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament for the East Division team. In 32 games played this season, he has 56 points to date. “Mathias is deserving of this honor and we hope he continues to play at the level he is at right now,” stated Metro head coach Justin Quenneville. “As I said earlier when he was named star of the week, Mathias has really come a long way these past couple months. His work ethic coupled with his skillset has helped him be a consistent threat on the ice. His line has really clicked the past month and you are starting to see the true damage the three of them can create night in night out.”
Runner-Up: Chris Nicolai, Billings Bulls
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Jonathan Adnell, Sugar Land Imperials – Caleb Anderson, Alexandria Blizzard – Ricards Bernhards, Great Falls Americans – Andrej Buchko, Peoria Mustangs – Ryan Daugherty, Helena Bighorns – Brian Dee, Pittsburgh Vengeance - Justin Dunn, Point Mallard Ducks – Ezekiel Estrada, St. Louis Jr. Blues – Jacob Friedman, Cincinnati Thunder – Peter Henderson, Wisconsin Whalers – Andrej Jamnicky, Granite City Lumberjacks – Reed Kelly, Yellowstone Quake – Sean Mallonee, North Iowa Bulls – Gunnar Mogck, Bozeman Icedogs – Taylor Trapp, La Crosse Freeze – Tyler Zalecki, Toledo Cherokee – Yannick Zehnder, Twin City Steel
Easton Hockey NA3HL Defenseman of the Month: Zach Heiser, Billings Bulls
The Billings Bulls had their best month of the season in January with a winning record of 4-3-3. Defenseman Zach Heiser, 18, had a great month of January with 14 points (3 goals, 11 assists) and an +11 rating. The native of Osseo, Minnesota, recorded at least a point in six games and had four multi-point games. Heiser (6’1/185) has 23 points to date in 35 games, with 14 of the 23 points coming in the month of January alone. Heiser was selected to and will play in the 2016 NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament for one of the two NA3HL 18U Selects teams.“It's been great to see Zach progress throughout this season, not just on the ice, but off the ice. He just wants to do things the right way. On the ice, he is very effective on the offensive side of the puck. It is a very strong upside to his game, but watching how hard he works on the defensive side has been impressive. Having a player like Zach who can play on both sides of the puck like that will be very beneficial to an NAHL team. I look forward to seeing what Zach has in store for him in the future,” said Billings head coach Mike Richardson.
Runner-Up: Jared Bromberg, La Crosse Freeze
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): David Bogart, Toledo Cherokee – Connor Bump, North Iowa Bulls – Gavin Cummings, Pittsburgh Vengeance – Jake McNamera, Wisconsin Whalers - Eric Moser, Granite City Lumberjacks – Frank Muscarella, Sugar Land Imperials – Dylan Naumovski, Metro Jets – Joe Nolan, St. Louis Jr. Blues – Matt Runyon, Yellowstone Quake – Aaron Siegrist, Peoria Mustangs – Wyatt Stotts, Helena Bighorns – Nick Thompson, Bozeman Icedogs – Bennett Witta, Twin City Steel – Wade Wylie, Great Falls Americans
Vaughn NA3HL Goaltender of the Month: David Johnson, North Iowa Bulls
If there is a ‘go to’ guy in goal for the North Iowa Bulls, numbers say it is veteran 20-year-old goalie David Johnson. The native of Bloomington, Minnesota, maintained his perfect season-long record in January with a 5-0 record, a 1.00 goals against average and a 96.5% save percentage. Out of 141 total shots in the five games, Johnson (6’2/200) made 136 saves, which included two more shutouts. His shutouts came in wins over Minnesota on January 8th and Granite City on January 30th and he never allowed more than two goals in any game during the month. Remarkably, Johnson has yet to lose a game this season, having posted a perfect 16-0 record to date. His 94.3% save percentage ranks 2nd in the NA3HL and his 1.49 goals against average ranks 3rd. Johnson was selected to and will play in the 2016 NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament for the Midwest team. “David has an unconventional style, but extraordinary results. He battles for every save and sometimes looks like he is beat but makes the dramatic save look easy. David has been as solid as a goaltender can be. He gives us a chance to win every night,” said North Iowa head coach Todd Sanden.
Runner-Up: Mac Berglove, Granite City Lumberjacks
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Brandon Brown, Billings Bulls – Cody Gibson, Toledo Cherokee – Will Graves, La Crosse Freeze – Kam Limburg, Metro Jets – Ross Lipic, Peoria Mustangs – Kevin Mackey, Sugar Land Imperials – Stephen Marshal Frank, Bozeman Icedogs – Lauren Massie, Great Falls Americans – Max McConnell, Wisconsin Whalers – Adam Ranck, Helena Bighorns – Cooper Seedott, Point Mallard Ducks – Jacob Stack, Pittsburgh Vengeance – Zach Young, St. Louis Jr. Blues
About Easton
Easton Hockey continues to rank atop the industry in sticks and gloves and is growing faster in skates than any other company. It also offers a comprehensive collection of protective gear including helmets and pants. To learn more, go to www.eastonhockey.com
About Vaughn
Vaughn is the official Goaltending Equipment Partner to the NAHL and serves as the Preferred Goaltending Equipment Supplier of the NA3HL and NAPHL. Founded in 1982, Vaughn became one of the first major hockey production companies to use multiple foam layers in equipment. As strictly a goalie equipment company, the main focus for Vaughn is the innovation and quality of their product. Visit Vaughn online at: www.vaughnhockey.com
