APX GOALTENDING TIER: ELI SWENSON

Eli Swenson has been chosen as the APX Goaltending Tier Player of the Month after showing extreme dedication this summer to improving his game in every training session. The Lakeville South netminder just finished up his sophomore season of high school hockey with the Cougars and is set up to have an impressive junior year this winter.

“Eli has one of our highest attendance numbers both on and off the ice,” said APX Director of Goaltending Drew Fielding. “He has made excellent strides both as an athlete and goaltender this summer. ‘Swenny’ is extremely dedicated to improving every aspect of his game, and while he may be pretty reserved, he is an excellent student and applies our coaches’ feedback instantly. Keep up the great work Eli!”

GOALTENDING TIER HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Burke Nelson (Sioux Falls Power)

• Nathan Janavitz (Breck)

• Jack Ryan (White Bear Lake)

APX COLLEGE TIER: TOMMY CRONIN

Edina native and St. Thomas Academy alum Tommy Cronin is coming off of an impressive freshman season for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, posting almost a point per game for the Nanooks. The skilled forward is now headed to Union for his sophomore year of college hockey, where he will be a big asset to a talented Garnet Chargers squad. The APX staff loves to see Cronin’s compete level out on the ice every day, and he has a passion for winning that fuels him and consistently elevates those around him.

“Tommy has brought a tremendous leadership presence to our group all summer. He continues to invest in the details of his skill and gameplay development while being a remarkably positive presence at the rink, and we’re very appreciative of the influence that he’s had on the other boys,” said APX Director of Player Development, Wes Jirovec. “For someone who’s been in the program as long as Tommy has, we couldn’t be more proud of the player and person that he’s become.”

APX COLLEGE TIER: TOMMY MILLER

Defenseman Tommy Miller is coming off of a strong senior season at Hill-Murray, where he posted over a point per game and wore a ‘C’ for the Pioneers. He already has a few games of junior hockey experience under his belt with the Bismarck Bobcats of the NAHL, but he’s preparing for his first full season of juniors this winter. He has signed with West Kelowna of the BCHL for 2026-27.

“It can be a difficult task for the younger guys, especially defensemen, to acclimate to the pace and mentality in our College Tier, but we were proud to offer that challenge for Tommy and a few others going into their first full year of junior hockey,” said APX Director of Player Development Wes Jirovec. “Tommy has already very much established a confident identity and impact over the course of the summer, and he has such profound presence every day at the rink. I think that’s been key for him to boost his situational awareness and anticipation on the ice. He’s always learning from his reps and the reps of others because he’s always locked in. That will be so helpful for him to get the most out of this upcoming season. We know he’ll absorb everything he can and gain a lot of valuable experience.”

APX SELECTS TIER: GRIFFIN STOREY

Forward Griffin Storey has been on an incredible trajectory over the past few years. He has always shown tremendous athletic ability and skill both on and off the ice, and he has always been ambitious about furthering his career beyond what is right in front of him. After leading Waseca High School in scoring over the past three seasons, Storey will join Team USA’s National Team Development Program U18 squad in 2026-27.

“Griffin has put so much time into his development on and off the ice over the years,” said APX Director of Player Development Wes Jirovec about the 17-year-old forward. “He’s responded well about attacking the working points in his game. He’s rounded out his defensive impact and hard skill to make for a stronger, 200-foot impact. He’s playing with more pace and aggressiveness than he was at the beginning of the training season, and as exciting as things are for him right now, he’s still got a lot of growth in his game that he can still accomplish.”

APX HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SELECTS TIER: RILEY MCINTYRE

Riley McIntyre of Minneapolis already has multiple seasons of varsity hockey under her belt and will now be relied upon heavily for her high school squad in 2026-27 as one of the top upperclassmen forwards on her team. She was fifth on the Minneapolis roster in overall scoring this past season, and she’ll be an exciting player to watch over the next calendar year after all the hard work she has put in at APX this offseason.

“McIntyre is a strong forward from Minneapolis who has made huge strides this summer with her shot and overall team play,” said APX Director of Girls Development Karyn Bye. “At times, she even seems to surprise herself when she finishes a goal or makes a big play, which makes her a fun player to watch. Riley is extremely coachable, works hard every session, and is clearly driven to take her game to the next level. After posting eight goals and eight assists last season for Minneapolis, she is expected to step into a first-line forward role this year. Congratulations, Riley!”

APX 18s TIER: BO SKELTON

Bo Skelton, a forward who attends Shattuck-St. Mary’s, is an incredibly exciting prospect to watch. He’s only in his first year of training at APX, but the staff has all been impressed by his mindset and the way that he has fit into our culture from Day 1. He’s coming off of a strong year where he posted 55 points in 57 games for Shattuck’s 15U team, and he’ll join their 16U squad in 2026-27.

“Bo plays with a lot of tenacity and he loves to compete, and that approach to the game has allowed him to improve his skills greatly this summer,” said APX Director of Player Development Wes Jirovec. “He’s very coachable and wants to learn, so he’s absorbed a lot of the teaching points that have been presented to him. Our staff are always big supporters of a young player who is willing to impact the game any way he can, and we love the versatility and overall desire to win that Bo plays with.”

MAP SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL TIER: HENRY KIRCHNER

Lakeville South forward Henry Kirchner has made a very positive impression on the MAP South staff this summer after his past year of Bantam competition for the Cougars. He works hard on and off the ice and has been extremely consistent with his work ethic. Kirchner is oftentimes the guy that you would want to have on your team, because he tends to elevate those around him both in their gameplay and in their attitudes.

“Henry is a guy who has been showing up consistently throughout the training season and has had great attendance. When he shows up, he works hard and has a great compete level,” said MAP South Director of Hockey Development Kevin Schulze about the young skater. “He’s an athlete that makes other guys in his group better, which is always an attribute that we’re looking for.”

APX HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS TIER: WILLA WOOD

Willa Wood, from Minneapolis, has been chosen as Player of the Month due to her competitive drive that is seen on the ice in every session and her natural athletic ability that has made her a fun prospect to work with. Wood will continue her hockey career in Minneapolis this winter after posting four assists for the varsity squad in 2025-26.

“Congratulations to Willa Wood, our August Player of the Month! Willa will be a sophomore at Minneapolis this year and continues to stand out for her strong work ethic, positive attitude, and commitment to improving her game,” said APX Director of Girls Development Karyn Bye.

APX Coach Ella Olson added, “Willa consistently shows up to practice with an extremely positive attitude and is willing to put in the work to get better. She is always asking how she can improve, and her dedication shows every time she steps on the ice.”

MAP SOUTH SKATING & SKILLS TIER: GRIFFIN LARSEN

Griffin Larsen of Bloomington Jefferson is in his first season within our program, but the MAP South staff have loved his attitude throughout the summer and his ability to give every drill his all - no matter how challenging it may be. The forward is entering his junior year of hockey at Jefferson this winter.

“Griffin is a player that you know is gonna show up with a smile on his face and give his best effort, no matter if it is something new, something easy, or something challenging,” said MAP South Director of Hockey Development Kevin Schulze. “He is always wanting to do more, and he has a true desire to improve his game on and off the ice.”

APX 16s TIER: JAKOB BODIN

Jakob Bodin has been with APX for a handful of seasons now, but his game continues to take itself to new heights each year. The forward from Prior Lake recently won a Bantam AA state title and will be an exciting prospect to watch at the varsity level in the future. He’s an athlete who is ultra-competitive and loves to win, which is great fuel for improvement. We think Bodin has an exciting season ahead of him for the Lakers.

“While Jake had already established a strong reputation in his training season efforts with us over the last few years, it’s so fun to see him take another big step forward,” said APX Director of Player Development Wes Jirovec. “The stakes get higher as our groups get older, and more competitive game environments require more contributions to be a winner, and Jake keeps rising to the occasion. We’re especially proud of how much he’s grown in terms of puck management and offensive organization. He’s not just creating scoring chances with pure talent - his vision, awareness and decision-making have all improved.”

APX 15s TIER: JAMESON MATUSHAK

Forward Jameson Matushak has been with APX for a while now, but he has recently started to make a lot of noise as a top prospect after a strong offseason in 2026. The Edina native had an extremely strong showing at the Bantam Elite League this year and was named to the All-Tournament Team, scoring a whopping 18 points through just five games played. He’ll be a strong asset to St. Thomas Academy when he eventually reaches the varsity high school level.

“Matushak is consistently one of the best players in our program for having a nose for the net,” said APX Director of Player Development Kyle Osterberg. “He really knows how to put himself in the best goal-scoring areas of the ice and can be a scoring threat from virtually anywhere. In addition to his skill, he also has a winning mentality, which makes his future in hockey incredibly bright.”

APX 14s TIER: LOUIE ROTHMUND

Rothmund, who competed for Stillwater’s PeeWee AA program in 2025-26, is in his first summer with APX, but he has already shown incredible growth over just the past month alone. He came into the program as an already talented skater, but he has really started to carve out a name for himself this summer and will be someone to keep on your ‘prospects to watch’ list for this winter after all of the hard work that he has put in on the ice this summer.

“Rothmund is a very dynamic player,” said Osterberg about the young forward. “Louie had an excellent training season with us, and we saw firsthand his confidence grow day after day. I can say that he is definitely one of the most underrated shooters in our program.”

MAP SOUTH BANTAM TIER: LOGAN IAQUINTO

Rosemount’s Logan Iaquinto has shown that he’s ready to make a splash on his Irish squad this winter after a strong training season throughout the course of the summer. The first-year MAP South trainee came into the program after competing with Rosemount’s PeeWee B2 squad this past season, and his positive attitude and the consistency in his work have made a very positive impression on the coaching staff at the rink.

“Logan is a player that constantly shows up ready to work both on and off the ice, and he has a great work ethic,” said MAP South Director of Hockey Development Kevin Schulze. “He pays attention and gives consistent effort throughout the training season, and he has shown a lot of improvement on the ice this summer, which can be credited to his desire to improve every time that he shows up to the rink.”

MAP SOUTH U15 GIRLS TIER: MAYA BLAIDO

Maya Blaido of West St. Paul has earned Player of the Month honors after being a delight to coach at the rink every day due to her infectiously positive attitude. Blaido is the kind of skater that anyone would want on their team due to the hard work that she puts in and her enthusiasm for the game.

“Maya has been a part of our program for several years now, and she continues to be a great presence every time she comes to the rink. She always arrives with a smile and brings a positive energy that carries over to both her teammates and coaches,” said the Director of MAP South Sean Foley. “Maya works hard in each session and genuinely enjoys being on the ice. Her consistency, attitude, and the energy she brings every day make her a very deserving choice for Player of the Month.”

MAP SOUTH U12 GIRLS TIER: ISABEL PARAMO

West St. Paul’s Isabel Paramo has been a part of the program for a while now, along with her two brothers Joey and Ben, and the coaching staff at MAP South has loved being able to see her game develop more and more each summer.

“Izzy brings a fun personality to the rink, but she also knows how to change gears the moment she steps on the ice. She is a feisty, competitive player who brings intensity and purpose to every drill,” said Sean Foley, the Director of MAP South, about the skater for the Saints. “Her competitive nature, energy, and willingness to work make her a deserving choice for our U12 Player of the Month.”

APX 13s TIER: CAM PLOEGER

This is Cam Ploeger’s first training season at APX, but he has already shown that he has a lot of the attributes that we want to see in a top defenseman in our program. Our coaching staff thinks highly of his game and has a feeling that the Eagan skater will absolutely be a prospect to keep an eye on over the next few years.

“You want a gamer on your team? Pick Cam. He plays hard, plays the right way, and plays to win. He will have a long career if he stays on the path and the trajectory that he’s on now,” said APX Director of Player Development Kyle Osterberg.

APX 12s TIER: CAL BJORKLUND

Cal Bjorklund, who skates with Rosemount, has had a great first training season with APX, and our coaching staff has all been impressed with his ability on both offense and defense and his work ethic that will surely take him to great places if he keeps it up in the future.

“Cal’s game is gritty, detailed, explosive, and relentless,” said APX Director of Player Development Kyle Osterberg. “He’s a skater that will help you on both sides of the puck. Cal plays hard every shift, until the moment that the whistle blows.”

MAP SOUTH PEEWEE TIER: GRAYSON JUNG

Grayson Jung of Eagan was selected as the PeeWee Tier Player of the Month at MAP South due to his combination of skill out on the ice, his positive work ethic, and the consistency that he’s shown in his day-to-day training.

“Grayson stands out amongst the rest due to his consistency and the work ethic that he brings to the rink every day,” said Sean Foley, the Director of MAP South. “He is a highly skilled player who approaches each session with focus and is always willing to listen, learn, and make adjustments. Grayson is extremely coachable and can be counted on to bring a strong effort regardless of the drill or challenge in front of him.”

MAP SOUTH SQUIRTS TIER: TURNER CHORNEY

St. Paul’s Turner Chorney has shown the coaching staff at MAP South that he has found a way to combine his natural athletic ability, his strong hockey instincts, and a desire to get better every day, which makes him an exciting player to watch out on the ice.

“Turner is new to our MAP South program this year, but it didn't take long for him to make an impression on our staff. He is a hockey player through and through, with a natural feel for the game and a skill level that stands out at a young age,” said Sean Foley, the Director of MAP South. “Turner is highly coachable, eager to learn, and consistently puts instruction into action on the ice.”

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