A Look at the Cougars Alumni & Players Aging Out By Cougars Staff - April 20, 2017
The Chicago Cougars advanced 11 players from their inaugural 2015-16 season who are on active rosters this season at higher levels of Junior Hockey, ACHA/NCAA Universities and International Pro levels. We take a look at how these players are doing, as well as 5 current players who will age out of Junior Hockey this season.
Anthony Tzveyn (1997) Kenai River Brown Bears NAHL Tzveyn played 24 games for the Cougars through the 2015-16 season, averaging 2 points per game. In his first full season at the Tier 2 level, Tzveyn logged a combined 10 goals and 6 assists through 32 games with both the Northeast Generals and Kenai River Brown Bears. Tzveyn currently plays on the Kenai River roster. Jonathan Dagnal (1996) Amarillo Bulls NAHL Dagnal logged just over a point per game for the Cougars through the 2015-16 season. The Pennsylvania native played 20 games for the Amarillo Bulls earlier this season, registering 6 points, but no longer appears on the teams roster. Jesper Lönnberg (1995) Helsingborgs HC Swedish native Jesper Lonnberg signed International Pro Hockey with the Helsingborgs Hockey Club following his 2015-16 campaign with the Cougars. Lonnberg registered 3 points through 24 games. Maxwell Barr (1996) Long Beach Bombers WSHL Goaltender Maxwell Barr currently ranks top 30 in Save Percent and top 15 in GAA playing at the Tier 2 level in the WSHL. More Advancements from the 2015-16 Season Gavin Nickerson (1995) SUNY-Fredonia NCAA D3 Hunter Schiffman (1997) Lindenwood University ACHA D2 Edward Hirka (1996) Johnstown Tomahawks NAHL Mike Sullivan (1995) Daniel Webster College NCAA D3 Nick Marcuccilli (1995) Lewis University ACHA D2 Michael Butera (1997) University of Illinois ACHA D1 Michael Moore (1998) University of Arkansas ACHA D3
Cougars 1996 Players who will Age Out this Season
Defenseman Micah Hauke is in his second season with the Cougars. The 6'0 190lb Illinois native returned to a Cougars defense that finished the 2015-16 season 26th among 164 teams in goals allowed. Forward Andrew Van Dyke is in his second season with Chicago. The Cougars Captain leads the team in points, registering 42 points through 28 games, including 6 game winners. The 5'11 175lb Illinois native contributes to 35% of the Cougars overall season goals. Belgian Forward Virgil DelBrassine is in his first season playing at the Tier 3 Junior Hockey level. Delbrassine registered 12 goals and 14 assists through 26 games, averaging a point per game, including 1 short handed and two game winners. Forward Nate Janjic is in his first season playing at the Tier 3 Junior Hockey level. Janjic registered his first goal on September 24, 2016 in his third game with the Cougars and currently has 4 goals and 2 assists for 6 points through 27 games. Scoring when it matters most, the 5'10 170lb Massachusetts native logged two game winners on the season. Forward Roey Aharonovich joined the Cougars in late October, logging 8 goals and 7 assists for 15 points through 19 games. The 5'10 175lb native of Israel has represented his home country in the World Juniors since the 2012-13 season. The Cougars currently rank 4th in the USPHL Elite Midwest Division with a 17-11-2 record. The Cougars face the division #1 Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings in a two game series this weekend.
About The USPHL
The United States Premier Hockey League of 2022-23 is the nation’s largest junior amateur ice hockey league and the only league to span the continental United States, from Maine to California, and from Florida to Washington State.
The USPHL includes over 100 organizations comprised of 11,000 players spanning the ages of 6 through 20, including Youth and Midget Division teams in the Tier 1 Hockey Federation.
Overall, across all its divisions, the USPHL see more than 3,100 alumni playing college hockey each year and more than 250 playing pro hockey, including in the NHL.
The league’s top level, the Tuition Free Tier II National Collegiate Development Conference, led all North American Tier II leagues with three players selected in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and has seen more than 200 NCAA Division I commitments since its 2017 inception. The NCDC will also expand to include the NCDC West, with teams in Colorado, Utah and Idaho for 2023-24.
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