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Antoine Cormier Shreveport Mudbugs

Bauer Hockey NAHL Defenseman of the Month: Antoine Cormier, Shreveport Mudbugs

Antoine Cormier showed off his offensive ways from the blue line for the Mudbugs this past month. The 18-year-old skater led defensemen in October with 13 points. The Quebec, Canada, native tallied five goals while posting eight assists in his nine games played for the South Division club. His offensive ways as a defenseman had him recording points in seven games in October, with three of the contests as multipoint nights. Cormier spotlighted a career-high performance on Oct. 10, 2026 against the Amarillo Wranglers as he notched four assists in their 5-0 victory.

In addition to providing helpers for his team, Cormier found twine for the Mudbugs. Two of his five tallies were scored on the man advantage, with his final goal of the month notched as the eventual game-winner for Shreveport on Oct. 25, 2026. From that weekend’s performance against the Lone Star Brahmas and Odessa Jackalopes, Cormier was named as the South Division Star of the Week, tallying four points as a defenseman.

Cormier describes what it means to be named to the Defenseman of the Month honor.

“Winning this award is a huge honor, but it really comes down to the hard work our whole team puts in every day. It’s nice to get individual recognition, but it’s really just a reflection of the trust my teammates and coaches place in me.”

The ‘08 blueliner went on to explain how he was able to find success on the ice in October.

“For me, it came down to playing with confidence and having the freedom from our coaching staff and teammates to be creative and generate offense. I focused heavily on moving the puck north quickly, making clean transition passes, and jumping into the rush when the lanes opened up. Having great teammates around me made my job easy; they created space, finished plays, and made it easy for me to find them from the blue line.”

Head coach of the Mudbugs, Jason Campbell, describes how dedicated Cormier is to developing and getting better day after day.

“Antoine has done things the right way since arriving in Shreveport. He eats right, trains right, practices right, and plays right. He’s a great teammate, and he enjoys competing at everything he does. He’s off to a great start and we are looking forward to the continued development for him and the team over the next few months.”

Runner-up: Hunter Toms, Odessa Jackalopes

Leo Gabriel Lone Star Brahmas

Bauer Hockey Goaltender of the Month: Leo Gabriel, Lone Star Brahmas

Showing just how lethal he is in net, Leo Gabriel earns the honor as October’s Goaltender of the Month. The 6-foot Minnesota native is a second-year veteran of the Brahmas. So far this season, he has topped his rookie year’s performance and is riding hot in the month of October. The 19-year-old posted a 1.62 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage in his six games in net for the Texas-based team. Gabriel is tied for first among goaltenders with his save percentage in October, stopping 146 out of 156 shots for the Brahmas. From his six victories, he recorded three of his wins in extra minutes. The first one came in shootout fashion against the New Mexico Ice Wolves on Oct. 9, 2026. He stood tall in a five-round shootout for Lone Star. His next extra-minute victory was an overtime thriller with the Oklahoma Warriors on Oct. 16, 2026. His final shootout win for October was just this past weekend as he notched a series sweep in the process against the Corpus Christi IceRays on Oct. 31, 2026.

His defensive dominance in net also spotlighted Gabriel earning his second shutout of the year. He was perfect in net against the Oklahoma Warriors with a 21-save performance on Oct. 17, 2026.

The State of Hockey netminder describes what it means to get the chance to show off his ability in net and how the people around him helped him to have success in October.

“In October, it has been fun to be able to get the chance to play back-to-back games on some of the weekends. Showing up early, getting the extra reps, and being able to work a lot with my goalie coach, Trevor, is a big part of what led to some of the success. I am also able to rely on my family members like my parents, brother, aunts, and my cousins to always have someone there and support me along the way.”

So far this season, Gabriel has not notched a loss on his record. He stands out as one of the top goaltenders in the league with a 1.68 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage from his nine games played in his 2026-27 campaign.

Head coach of the Brahmas, Dan Wildfong, went into detail on how Gabriel has continued to develop as a netminder with the Texas-based team.

“Leo has been the backbone of the Brahmas this season. He has continued to mature in his game and has grown since this time last year with Lone Star. We are excited to continue to cheer Leo on as he looks to secure a college commitment as a Brahma this year.”

Runner-up: Lukas Hoglind, Minot Minotauros

Grant Dillard Janesville Jets

Bauer Hockey NAHL Forward of the Month: Grant Dillard, Janesville Jets

The man who delivered night after night for the Janesville Jets, Grant Dillard, earns distinction thanks to a dominating 18-point month for the Midwest Division club. Dillard is a second-year veteran of the Jets, and this season he has continued his offensive ways into his 2026-27 campaign. The 6-foot righty tallied 10 goals and eight assists over 10 games in October, recording 1.8 points per game on average. The Illinois skater showed up on the scoresheet in every contest for Janesville and produced five multipoint nights for the club. His ability to find twine was evident as the ‘06 forward recorded his first and second NAHL hat tricks this past month. His first hat trick was on Oct. 9, 2026 against the Springfield Jr. Blues, helping to lift his team to a 5-1 victory. The next time he had hats flying was on Oct. 23, 2026 against the Minnesota Mallards. His hat trick tally was scored in game-winning fashion as the contest was tied 3-3 until the final 10 minutes of regulation. Thanks to his three-goal performance, Dillard aided the Jets in their 4-3 road win.

For the month of October, the 20-year-old was effective at critical moments of contests, recording a league-leading three game-winning tallies for the Jets. In addition, when Dillard was on the ice, he was playing a major role in helping to get Janesville on the scoreboard while helping his team prevent their competitor from having opportunities. He posted a +14 rating in October, leading all skaters that month. The 6-foot forward also capitalized on man-advantage opportunities, recording four power-play tallies for the Jets.

Dillard went into detail on how it feels to earn this recognition.

“It means a lot to me. I see it as a reflection of the hard work and dedication that our entire team has put in throughout the month. We’ve had a lot of success as a group, and it’s nice to be recognized individually for what we’ve accomplished together.”

The Janesville veteran went on to explain how he was able to earn this accolade thanks to his teammates.

“I think as a team, we’ve done a good job of taking what we’re working on in practice and translating it into games. Personally, I think I’ve done a nice job of finding open space and putting myself in good positions. My teammates and I have been in sync, and we’ve done a good job of creating opportunities for each other. The goal now is to keep building on that and continue having success throughout the season.”

This season, Dillard has registered 21 points in 14 games played. He has tallied a team-leading 12 goals and produced nine helpers for the Wisconsin-based club. The ‘06 forward has made his presence known on the ice night after night, as there has only been one contest this season that Dillard has not shown up on the scoresheet.

Head coach of the Jets, Lennie Childs, explains how valuable Dillard has been to the Janesville organization.

“Grant has been a great leader in our locker room and a dominant force on the ice. He possesses a high IQ and skill that allows him to be a threat while also making guys on the ice better. He plays hard every night and has been a major factor for us to start the season.”

Runner-up: Ferry Netusil, Minnesota Wilderness