NAHL Announces Bauer Hockey Stars of the Week

The North American Hockey League (NAHL) announced today the Bauer Hockey Divisional Stars of the Week for the week ending March 23rd, 2025. Only players that are nominated by their respective teams are considered for the Divisional Player of the Week awards.

Central Division Star of the Week: Gavin Middendorf, Forward, Minot Minotauros

Second-year NAHL skater, Gavin Middendorf skated his way to the top. Hailing from the State of Hockey, Middendorf had hats flying on Friday night. The 5’10 righty offensive prowess was on display in Austin as the Minotauros were in the hunt to produce a win on the road against the Austin Bruins. The matchup was scoreless heading into the second period and Middendorf turned up the heat and started the scoring. The ‘04 skater produced two goals in the middle frame. The Bruins were able to tally a goal in the final period thanks to Ashton Bynum; however, it would not turn out to be enough. With 20 seconds on the clock, Middendorf found the back of the net and produced his first hat trick. He was the lone scorer for the Minotauros during this contest, allowing Minot to win 3-1 against Austin.

The Forest Lake, Minnesota native leads his squad with 32 goals on the season. Since joining the Tauros, Middendorf has averaged almost a goal per game. He features 23 goals over 25 games and spotlights 1.20 points per game with Minot. This award marks his first Star of the Week honors and the Tauros’ sixth player to win this award this season.

Head coach of the Minotauros, Cody Campbell, shares more on Middendorf’s contribution to the squad. 

“Gavin has been a key piece to our team since we acquired him over the holiday break. He was fantastic Friday night picking up a hat trick. We look forward to Gavin continuing his strong play as we prepare for the playoffs and he continues to try to earn a division one opportunity.”

2nd Star: Jibber Kuhl, F, Aberdeen Wings

3rd Star: Ashton Bynum, D, Austin Bruins

 

East Division Star of the Week: Ruslan Jamaldinov, Forward, Philadelphia Rebels

The 20-year-old from Sweden, Ruslan Jamaldinov, played an offensive role for the Rebels. Starting on Friday night, the 5’11 lefty notched both goals for Philadelphia. Jamaldinov kept the matchup tight with the Maryland Black Bears. After every goal that the Black Bears scored, Jamaldinov was finding the back of the net quickly. The Rebels would fall to Maryland in a 3-2 fashion however thanks to Jamaldinov's offensive prowess, he kept Philadelphia in the hunt. Moving into Saturday night, the ‘05 skater helped the Rebels notch their second win of the season against the Black Bears. The contest featured a group effort in scoring with Philadelphia orchestrating three goals in both the second and third periods. Jamaldinov found the back of the net in the second period and ultimately helped the Rebels take their first regulation win against the Black Bears this season in a 6-2 fashion.

For the weekend, the first-year skater logged three goals and a plus-three rating. He currently features a four-game point streak. Over the last four games he has scored five times and made one assist for the Rebels. This weekly award marks the first time Jamaldinov has won it, and the second time the Rebels have had a skater named to the honor this season.

Head coach of the Rebels, Justin Hale, explains what he has seen from Jamaldinov’s development. 

“I am very happy for Ruslan. He is playing with a ton of confidence right now and continues to get better as the year goes on. Over the last few games he has scored some big-time goals for us!”

2nd Star: Adam Gionta, F, Rochester Jr. Americans

3rd Star: Laurent Trépanier, F, Maine Nordiques

 

Midwest Division Star of the Week: Brady Zugec, Forward, Minnesota Wilderness

The Western Michigan commit, Brady Zugec, had a season-first on Saturday night. The ‘06 Geneva, New York native is a first-year skater in the NAHL. This past weekend against the Janesville Jets, Zugec helped to lift his squad to an 8-1 victory on Saturday evening. The Jets got the scoring started with a goal in the last three minutes of play in the first period. Moving into the second period, that is when the Minnesota Wilderness was finding the back of the net quickly and fast. The Wilderness built a 3-1 lead heading into the third and final frame. Zugec dished three goals within nine minutes for the Wilderness. His offensive prowess helped him to produce his first hat trick of the season. 

For the weekend, the 6’1 righty spotlights four points (three goals, one assist) and a plus-two rating. Zugec was also named as a 2025 Top Prospect for the Selects Gold squad this year. This award marks the sixth time a Wilderness player has been named to the honor and is Zugec’s first Midwest Division Star of the Week honors this season.

Head coach of the Wilderness, Zach Stepan, went into detail on Zugec’s play this past weekend. 

“Brady deserved everything he got from the weekend as he has continued to get better and better as the stakes have become higher for the playoff push. My favorite part from the weekend was the goals he scored were good and hard hockey goals that he will continue to score over his career. I am happy he finally gets rewarded for the amount of work he puts in day in and day out.”

2nd Star: Hunter Hayes, F, Wisconsin Windigo 

3rd Star: Nick Madsen, D, Fairbanks Ice Dogs

 

South Division Star of the Week: Stepan Kuznetsov, Forward, Corpus Christi IceRays

Earning his third South Division Star of the Week honors on his birthday, Stepan Kuznetsov has been on an offensive tear. Kuznetsov laced up for three matchups this past week and in every contest, he scored two goals in each. His six-goal performance started on Wednesday against the New Mexico Ice Wolves. The IceRays would fall to the Ice Wolves in a 7-4 fashion, however, it does not take away from Kuznetsov's contribution on the ice. He produced half of the goals for the IceRays during this midweek contest, helping to continue his scoring streak into the weekend. 

Heading into Friday evening, the 21-year-old played a major role in the scoring for the IceRays. Three of the four goals scored were in part of Kuznetsov’s work on the ice. The IceRay would fall again, but this time to the Odessa Jackalopes. Kuznetsov notched a three-point performance (two goals, one assist) helping to try to keep Corpus Christi in the matchup. Moving into Saturday night, the 6’1 righty from Mississippi native had a three-point game against the Odessa Jackalopes again. His performance is thanks to his goals in the second and third periods, and his assist on the final goal of the game. Corpus Christi was able to flip the script during this matchup and walk away with an 8-4 victory.

The fourth-year Corpus Christi skater is on a five-game point streak, picking up points in six of the seven matchups in March. On the weekend, Kuznetsov registered six goals and two assists over three contests. For the season, the ‘04 righty leads the IceRays with 25 goals while sitting in second with 50 points the year. This honor marks the third time Kuznetsov has won the award and the sixth time Corpus Christi has had a skater win the award this season.

Head coach of the IceRays, Sylvain Cloutier, shares his excitement for Kuznetsov.

“I am extremely happy for Kuzy. He’s been on fire for us at the right time. The hard work and dedication is paying off for him.”

2nd Star: Kowin Belsterling, F, Odessa Jackalopes

3rd Star: Owen Kerr, F, Lone Star Brahmas