Blaine, MN - The North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) has announced the T1ER League Peak Performers from the T1ER / T1EHL Invitational event in Blaine, MN, and three members of the Pittsburgh Stars AAA Hockey Program were named.
Congratulations to Pittsburgh Stars AAA Hockey players Nikita Oleksiienko, U16 goaltender, Maxim Popienko, U15 forward, and Jacob Johnson, U15 goaltender, as all were honored as T1ER League Peak Performers for the T1ER / T1EHL Invitational event in Blaine.
Nikita Oleksiienko, U16 goaltender Peak Performer, posted a 2-0-0-0 record in Blaine, securing victories over the CarShield (2-1) and the Madison Capitols (3-2). Over the course of the two games, the Dnipro, Ukraine, native faced 75 shots, making 72 saves. Oleksiienko's standout performance at the T1ER event included making 40 saves on 42 shots against Madison and 32 saves on 33 shots against CarShield.
"Nikita came up big for us in Blaine," 16U Pittsburgh Stars head coach Yuri Krivokhija said. "His performance in both games was outstanding and he shut the door on both CarShield and Madison."
Maksim Popienko, 15U Forward Peak Performer, is the second overall leading scorer at the NAT1HL 15U level, second to teammate Brock Bienemann. Popienko added to his league total with another strong performance in Minnesota, tallying an impressive six points in four games. After notching one assist during game one, the New Kensington, PA, native went on a scoring frenzy, finding the back of the net in each of the remaining three games. Against both the Orange County Ice Dogs and Tri-State Spartans, Popienko netted a pair of goals as he rang up five goals over the course of the weekend.
Jacob Johnson, 15U Goaltender Peak Performer, posted back to back wins against the Orange County Ice Dogs and the Philadelphia Hockey Club, improving his NAT1HL season record to 3-1-0-0. Over the course of the weekend, the Johnstown, PA averaged just over 38 shots per game as he faced 77 shots, making 76 saves. In his two wins, Johnson earned his first shutout of the season after turning away all 29 shots against the Ice Dogs and posted an impressive .979 save percentage, stopping 47 of 48 shots he faced, in a 5-1 win over the Philly Hockey Club.
“Both Maksim and Jacob had outstanding weekends," said U15 Stars head coach Chris Stern. “Their hard work paid off in both ends of the ice. And they certainly contributed to our team's overall success at the event."
Players were chosen based on their performances in the regular season games that took place from Dec 13 - 16.
NAT1HL "Peak Performers" are selected by the NAT1HL scouting service, following the completion of each event ... top forward, defenseman and goaltender ... at each age level of play at the showcase.
Pittsburgh, PA - The Pittsburgh Stars AAA Hockey Program, proud members of the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) and the Tier I Hockey Federation (T1HF), are set to kick-off their Community Initiative Games for the 2024-25 season beginning this upcoming Saturday, Dec. 6, as the U16 Pittsburgh Stars will square-off with the Palmyra Black Knights at 6:00 p.m., at the Pittsburgh Ice Arena.
For the game on Dec 6, the 16U Pittsburgh Stars will wear special third jerseys, designed to recognize and honor CJ's Choice as their Cause / Initiative. They will also recognize the non-profit, which is dedicated to mental health awareness, with a variety of events that evening to help raise money to be donated to CJ's Choice.
Named for CJ Selfridge, the nonprofit was started by a friend, Karter Cuppett, to honor CJ's memory and legacy.
CJ was a 22 years-old local hockey player from the Johnstown area who lost his life to mental illness last year. He was an avid hockey player who loved helping people, especially young kids. The designated mission of the non-profit in his name is to give underprivileged kids the chance to play hockey. CJ's Choice is dedicated to mental health awareness and helps buy equipment and pay for hockey lessons in CJs name for those who can't afford it.
The Pittsburgh Stars AAA Hockey Community Initiative games are designed to celebrate a local charity or cause and help raise awareness and funds for them.
Each of the Stars seven AAA teams selected a recipient and have organized a “special home game” to recognize the cause / charity and raise money on behalf of them.
At each game, a donation / gate fee will be charged for admission, and the Pittsburgh Stars teams will wear special third jerseys, designed around the event, that will then be auctioned off after the game.
Additionally, each event may include other activities, including a Chinese Auction with special prizes; a 50/50 raffle; a Chuck-A-Puck contest; and other related activities to help raise both awareness of the cause / effort and to help raise money to be donated on behalf of that effort / cause.
The list of dates, times and special selected local charities or causes, for the remaining Stars teams are as follows:
U12 AAA Pittsburgh Stars – North Hills Community Outreach – Saturday, Jan 25, 2025, 3:30 p.m., vs. Flyers Elite
U13 AAA White Pittsburgh Stars – Belair Healthcare Nursing Home – Saturday, Dec 21, 2024, 6:00 p.m., vs. Columbus Capitals
U13 AAA Red Pittsburgh Stars – Carson’s Hope – Saturday, Dec 14, 2024, 12:00 p.m., vs. Pittsburgh Predators
U14 AAA Pittsburgh Stars – Ronald McDonald House – Saturday, Feb 8, 2025, 5:00 p.m., vs. Jersey Hitmen
U15 AAA Pittsburgh Stars – Ronald McDonald House – Saturday, Jan 11, 2025, 3:00 p.m., vs. Ohio AAA Blue Jackets
U16 AAA Pittsburgh Stars – CJ’s Choice – Saturday, Dec 7, 2024, 6:00 p.m., vs. Palmyra Black Knights
U18 AAA Pittsburgh Stars – Officer Brian Shaw Foundation – Sunday, Dec 22, 2024, 12:00 p.m., vs. Cleveland Barons
All games will be played at the Pittsburgh Ice Arena in New Kensington, PA, home rink for the Pittsburgh Stars AAA Hockey program.
"We are excited to recognize and honor some of our local charities and causes in our community that provide support and relief to local residents as part of our 40th year celebration," said program founder and Stars General Manager Dave Kosick.
"Giving back to the community and to these efforts is a great opportunity for each of our teams and players to get a real first-person view of the work that each cause does and their value to our local community,” Kosick added.
Additional information on the special Community Initiative Games will be announced as they become available and can be found on the Star’s website (www.pittsburghstarshockey.com).
The Pittsburgh Stars AAA Hockey program, the oldest Tier I AAA program in the Mid-American District (founded in 1984 and continuously providing elite training and showcase opportunities for amateur hockey players since) and one of the oldest Tier I AAA programs under the USA Hockey umbrella, was founded in 1984 and is celebrating their 40th season during the 2024-2025 campaign.
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Zilina, Slovakia - The Pittsburgh Stars AAA Hockey program extends congratulations to U16 Stars forward Joey Moore III on helping Team USA win the bronze medal at the International Street and Ball Hockey Federation (ISBHF) Ball Hockey World Champions in Zilina, Slovakia.
Moore scored the game winning goal, on a penalty shot, in a 3-1 win over Team Czechia Red to secure the bronze medal for Team USA.
Moore collected five points (3G, 2A) in five round-robin and the Bronze Medal Game at the Championships.