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 October 11, 2026. 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: Filip Henriksson, Forward, Aberdeen Wings

Exceeding on the ice for the Aberdeen Wings was the 5-foot-10 Swede over the weekend. Filip Henriksson was an offensive force for the Central Division club, recording an impressive eight points across the two-game set against the St. Cloud Norsemen. The first-year forward recorded a NAHL career-high on Friday night, registering five points in the contest. The ‘06 skater logged his first point of the night with a primary assist on Payne Riffey’s first-period tally. The 5-foot-10 righty would go on to score his first goal of the night late in the second period on a 2-on-1 rush. Less than a minute later, Henriksson provided a feed to Melker Hof, helping him to find twine and extend the Wings’ score to 5. Heading into the final period of regulation, the Swedish skater lit the lamp early in the frame, scoring in backdoor fashion. Henriksson registered his final point on the scoresheet with another assist. He helped to provide the setup for Payne Riffey’s second tally of the night. The Wings skated to an 8-5 victory and clinched Scott Langer’s 800th win as a head coach in the process.

Moving into Saturday night, Henriksson helped to get the scoring started quickly into the contest by firing from the blue line, which provided the setup to Payne Riffey’s first-period goal. That playmaking would continue into the second frame as the 5-foot-10 forward logged another helper, this time for Ari Popovskiy’s tally. Henriksson provided the primary feed for Popovskiy’s first goal of the season. The Swede would notch his final point of the night in one-timer fashion from the point in the third frame. With less than three minutes on the clock, Henriksson lights the lamp and aids the Wings in their quest to battle from behind.

For the weekend, the first-year Wing recorded eight points, tallying three goals while producing five assists. Friday night spotlighted his second two-goal contest of the season. The ‘06 forward skated away with a +7 rating on the ice while recording his first game-winning goal of the year.

Head coach of the Wings, Scott Langer, states what impresses him the most about Henriksson.

“Filip is a player who possesses skill, speed, and IQ that can separate him on any given night. Filip is acclimating very well to the North American style of play, and we saw that this weekend.”

2nd Star: Mate Tardi, F, St. Cloud Norsemen

3rd Star: Mason Gudridge, G, Watertown Shamrocks

 

East Division Star of the Week: Conor O’Brien, Goaltender, Elmira Aviators

There is no lying about Conor O’Brien’s impressive performance over the weekend. The 6-foot-1 netminder showcased his defensive dominance in the blue paint for the Aviators against the East Division leaders, the Maryland Black Bears. Friday night featured the Georgia native recording an NAHL career-high 58 saves. O’Brien broke Elmira’s single-game save record and helped to defeat the Black Bears in 3-1 fashion on the road. The lone goal scored by Maryland came after three rebounded shots and a scramble in the blue paint. The Black Bears commanded the puck in the second and third periods and had three times more shots on goal. From that lone contest, O’Brien recorded a .983 save percentage, a 1.00 goals-against average and a 58-save performance.

Moving into Saturday night, the Georgia native and his team were in a back-and-forth battle with the Elmira Aviators. As the contest was tight between the teams, O’Brien continued to keep the Aviators in the contest with timely saves. The Black Bears, like the night before, commanded the second and third periods, this time outshooting the Aviators 2-1. The ‘07 netminder would end the night turning aside 34 out of the 38 shots on net. Despite recording a loss, O’Brien’s ability between the pipes was in large part of the Aviators’ ability to stay competitive in contests against the reigning champions.

Head coach of the Aviators, Leeor Shtrom, states what has impressed him about the first-year netminder.

“Conor has been really good for us in all of his starts. He’s given our team a chance to win. He stayed patient and focused since the beginning of the season. Once he got his opportunity, he took advantage of it. We are happy for him, and fortunate to have him on our team.”

2nd Star: Aidan Petroff, F, New Hampshire Mountain Kings

3rd Star: Ben Short, F, New Hampshire Mountain Kings

 

Midwest Division Star of the Week: Ferry Netusil, Forward, Minnesota Wilderness

The 5-foot-10 Western Michigan commit, Ferry Netusil, showcased his offensive prowess against a tough Anchorage Wolverines team over the weekend. The second-year Wilderness skater showed up on the scoresheet in every game across the three-game set, logging six goals for the Minnesota-based club. Starting on Friday night, the Praha, Czechian native found twine late into the third frame with a snipe in top-shelf fashion. The Wilderness would fall in 3-1 fashion; however, Netusil's playmaking ability was evident in the first contest of the weekend.

Moving into Saturday night, the top scorer of the Wilderness recorded his third NAHL career hat trick; however, this one marked his first of his 2026-27 campaign. Netusil gets his scoring started late in the first period, firing from the face-off circle 19 seconds into Minnesota’s power play. His next tally of the night would also come on the man advantage, this time midway through the second period. Netusil lights the lamp in one-timer fashion from the face-off circle once again to help regain the Wilderness’ lead. His final tally of the night would be late in the third frame while the two teams were playing 4-on-4 hockey. Anchorage’s netminder was pulled in the contest to give the Wolverines the man advantage on the ice; however, Netusil was able to tap in his third and final goal with an empty net, sealing the hat trick. The Wilderness would end the night with a 9-5 victory at the Sullivan Arena.

Heading into Sunday afternoon, the Wilderness would finish out their Alaska road trip with one more game against the Anchorage Wolverines. Just like on Friday night, the Western Michigan commit showcased his playmaking ways late into the third period. While the Minnesota-based team was down 5-2, the ‘07 forward got to work and scored two quick tallies. His first goal was on the man advantage in one-timer fashion from the face-off circle. His quick shot is lethal during those power-play moments for the Wilderness. His second goal of the night would be scored from the point with 21 seconds left on the clock. The Wilderness would eventually fall in 5-4 fashion; however, his late-game heroics kept his team in the hunt.

For the weekend, Netusil skated to a six-goal performance, recording three of his tallies on the power play. This season, the Western Michigan commit has shown up on the scoresheet in nine of his 10 games played so far. His offensive playmaking has been a cornerstone of the team’s scoring ways this year.

Head coach of the Wilderness, Sam Graham, states why Netusil continues to be an impact player.

“Ferry is a dynamic player who can change the momentum of a game. He’s a threat every time he steps on the ice, and he showed that with six goals this weekend. This is well-deserved recognition for him.”

2nd Star: Braden Hansberger, F, Kenai River Brown Bears

3rd Star: Grant Dillard, F, Janesville Jets

 

Mountain Division Star of the Week: Lincoln Martin, Forward, Grand Junction River Hawks

The 18-year-old from Alberta, Canada, Lincoln Martin played an important offensive role for the River Hawks in a three-game set against the Pueblo Peppers. The 5-foot-10 righty recorded his first point on Friday night midway through the opening frame. Martin carried the puck from Grand Junction’s defensive zone to their offensive zone following a Pueblo turnover. He provided the primary helper to Brodie Donovan’s tally. Grand Junction would eventually skate to a 3-2 overtime win over the Peppers. Moving into Saturday night, the 18-year-old recorded a primary assist on Gabriel Simpson’s tally late in the second period. Martin fed the puck to Simpson as he found the net for the first time this season. The River Hawks would eventually fall in 4-1 fashion; however, Martin’s playmaking helped the team to their one and only goal of the night.

Heading into Sunday afternoon, a series win was on the line between the River Hawks and Peppers. The first-year NAHL player lit the lamp midway through the first frame with a goal that went five-hole on Pueblo’s netminder. His goal-scoring ways continued into the final frame as Martin scored in breakaway fashion around the 10-minute mark. This contest marked his first two-goal game of the season, and he skated to a big four-point weekend for Grand Junction.

Head coach of the River Hawks, Dustin Timm, states why this award is deserved for Martin.

“Lincoln Martin earning First Star honors in the Mountain Division is a well-deserved recognition of his hard work and commitment to our team. He continues to set a great example of what it means to ‘Be a Young Pro,’ and we’re excited to see him continue to build on his success.”

2nd Star: Nicolas Rempel, G, Billings Cattle Punchers

3rd Star: Jack Foy, G, Ogden Mustangs

 

South Division Star of the Week: Gunner Gullstrand, Forward, Shreveport Mudbugs

The 2026 NAHL Entry Draft selection for the Shreveport Mudbugs, Gunner Gullstrand, recorded his first NAHL goal and then went on to notch a hat trick for the Louisiana-based club over the weekend. Before his goal-making ways were in full swing, the ‘09 forward recorded an assist on Friday night for the Mudbugs. The 6-foot righty provided the setup to Jeremiah Roberts’ first-period goal. Shreveport would eventually skate to an 8-6 victory and carried their winning ways into the next day.

On Saturday night, the 16-year-old recorded his first NAHL goal with a one-timer late into the first period. Gullstrand picked back up the goal-scoring with a tally from the same spot of the face-off circle midway through the third frame. His final goal of the night to seal the hat trick was fired off in spin-o-rama fashion late into the third period. The Mudbugs skated to a big 5-0 shutout, thanks to his hat trick night.

For the weekend, Gullstrand spotlighted a four-point weekend, scoring a hat trick while recording an assist for the Mudbugs.

Head coach of the Mudbugs, Jason Campbell, explains how Gullstrand is developing and adjusting at the junior level.

“Gunner is a great young talent that is beginning to find his way at the junior level. He has made some minor adjustments to his game and practices that are starting to provide results. He has a great knack for seeing plays develop, distributing the puck, and burying the chances he gets.”

2nd Star: Jackson Silverberg, G, New Mexico Ice Wolves

3rd Star: Antonie Cromier, D, Shreveport Mudbugs