Selection Process: The league media office sends top statistical candidates to divisional coaches for review and coaches either approve or challenge the nominations.
By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com
Forward: Justin Morrissey, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
Morrissey (‘06/Patchogue, N.Y.) continues to be a massive threat, and one that has helped the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders stand as one of the Atlantic Division-leading teams. He put up five goals and added eight assists for 13 points, giving him an average of 2.6 points per game. He is also averaging more than two points per game for his whole season, scoring 70 points in 33 games.
Forward: Lucas Lewin, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
Lewin (‘06/Hewlett, N.Y.) was right there point-for-point with Morrissey as he scored eight goals and added five assists for 13 points in six games. He helped get himself into the Elite Conference’s top 10 of scoring, with 55 points in 34 games. Lewin first started with P.A.L. in the 15U Division, helping them win a USPHL 15U title in 2022. He played for the P.A.L.’s THF 16U team last year and this year has skated in both the Elite Conference and Premier, putting up three points in his two Premier games.
Forward: Bobby Trites, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
Trites (‘06/Smithtown, N.Y.) came into the P.A.L. Elite squad having plenty of prior experience playing with both Lewin – on the P.A.L. 15U team – and Morrissey – on the Long Island Royals, so it’s not surprising that he’s having offensive success. Experience and chemistry are two powerful ingredients to putting up numbers like his seven goals and five assists for 12 points in six games. He has played in just 23 games so far this year, but has already put up 37 points on the season.
Defense: Matt Burns, Jersey Hitmen
Burns (‘05/Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Que.) has helped the Jersey Hitmen go 8-1-1-0 over their last 10 games, thanks in part to a busy month of three goals and three assists for six points. The Hitmen went 7-1-0-0 during the month of January, and Burns has put up eight points in his nine Elite games so far. He’s also played at the USPHL Premier Conference level this year.
Defense: Peter Allen, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
Chalk up another veteran of the 2022 USPHL 15U Champion Jr. Islanders who is helping to make the P.A.L. Elite squad a difference-maker this year, and a team that has the 2024 USPHL Nationals in their crosshairs for the first time. Allen registered four assists in five games during the month of January. The ‘05 from Oceanside, N.Y., was a P.A.L. youth player even before joining their Midget ranks. He went right from the 15U championship team into the Elite last season and had 18 points. This year, he’s nearly doubled that already, with 30 points in 33 games.
Goaltender: Jacob Duff, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights
Duff (‘07/Salisbury, N.B.) came to the Knights out of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) U17’s Ontario Hockey Academy team, and enjoyed his best USPHL month yet. He registered a 3-1-0-0 record, stopping 109 saves on 117 shots with a 2.16 GAA. He also earned a .932 save percentage and one shutout for January, a 21-save gem against the Elmira Impact.
Top Performers Of The Week (Jan. 25-Jan. 31)
Forward: Bobby Trites, P.A.L. Jr Islanders – 2GP 5G 3A 8PTS
Defense: Owen Stewart, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights – 2GP 1G 2A 3PTS
Goaltender: Jacob Duff, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights – 2-0, 44 saves on 45 shots, 0.50 GAA, .978 save %
