COLLEGE TIER: JOHN KELLY, HILL-MURRAY / OKLAHOMA WARRIORS

Defenseman John Kelly has received Player of the Month honors for the 18 Selects Tier after a strong senior campaign at Hill-Murray. The 18-year-old posted 18 points for the Pioneers last season and was an integral part of their defensive core. Kelly has been with APX for over five years now and the staff have been impressed by his rapid improvement as of late and are hoping to see a strong jump into junior hockey for him this fall.

“His game has blown up in the last calendar year,” said APX Director of Player Development Wes Jirovec. “He keeps making really big jumps in his impact and becoming really mature from a performance standpoint and in his diligence and details. It’s fun because the bar is set high for him but he keeps exceeding expectations.”

18 SELECTS TIER: BRADY MORRELL, HILL-MURRAY

Forward Brady Morrell has been selected by the staff as the Player of the Month for the 18 Selects Tier. The APX team is extremely excited about Morrell’s future as he heads into his senior year of high school. He might have been more of an under-the-radar prospect in the past but the staff is confident that he’ll be turning plenty of heads over the next season. Morrell has been with the program for over five years now. 

“Brady exemplifies the type of attributes that we’re so proud of as a group and as a program as a whole,” said Jirovec. “He’s 10/10 competitive and his 200-foot impact is really profound. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to win. He’s an outstanding culture guy - his energy, his mentality, his efforts on the ice, in the locker room, in the gym, just him being him makes this place better.” 

18s TIER: LANDON HUH, SHAKOPEE

It is only Huh’s second year in the APX program but the staff have been incredibly excited about his growth lately in things such as his on-ice skills, his coachability, and his maturity. The defenseman just wrapped up a successful sophomore season at Shakopee where he tallied 13 points and made a state tournament appearance with the Sabers this past spring. 

“The growth in his mentality, his diligence and his coachability from last year to this year has gone through the roof and he is improving at a remarkable rate because of it,” said Jirovec. “His maturity has evolved and he is on a fast track right now and is doing really well. He's also ultra-competitive and positively contributes to our culture.” 

16s TIER: JAKOB BJORNLIE, STILLWATER

Jakob Bjornlie of Stillwater has been chosen as the Player of the Month for the 16s Tier. This is his third year with the APX program and the staff have loved being able to witness his positive attitude and his growth both on and off the ice. The coaches are very excited to watch Bjornlie continue to excel over the next few years and can’t wait to see what his future holds. 

“He’s been the model of consistent performance. Although he’s one of the smaller guys of the group, he brings a really strong two-way impact and plays much bigger than what you see,” said Jirovec. “We’re proud of the growth we’ve seen over the years on his impact on both sides of the puck. He’s a cerebral, IQ-player and he works really hard.” 

15s TIER: FINN LUNDIN, ROSEMOUNT

Finn Lundin has been with APX since joining the 13s Tier a couple of years ago. The skater from Rosemount might be one of the quieter personalities out on the ice but he has consistently shown great habits at the rink and brings a good work ethic and attitude every day - which is why he was honored this month. 

“He’s a good kid, works hard, shows up every day and doesn’t just go through the motions,” said APX Director of Player Development Kyle Osterberg. “He always seems to be able to create something out of nothing (out on the ice during game situations). He’s been a winner on the ice in all of our game days and he brings a good presence to the rink and is just overall a good kid.” 

14s TIER: GRAY SONDREAL, WOODBURY 

The APX staff all agrees that Gray Sondreal does a great job out on the ice of giving it his all while still having plenty of fun and showing off his infectious personality. His positive energy consistently makes everyone around him better. 

“He’s not afraid to chirp you or go against you in any aspect whether it’s in the weight room or on the ice - and he’s a really good kid as well, he means well and he comes from a great family,” said Osterberg. “I don’t think there’s been a day where Gray shows up to the rink and he isn’t the first person to say ‘hello’ to you or ‘how’s it going’ or maybe ‘what’d you do over the weekend’ - just a very coachable and likeable kid and you can see that there’s a lot of potential in his game.”

13s TIER: ELI ZIETLOW, JEFFERSON

Zietlow is in the youngest tier at APX but he has already made a positive impact on our staff by showing lots of poise to his game. He is currently one of the best players of the 13s Tier and he’s been putting in a lot of work this summer to improve various aspects of his game. 

“He never seems to be out of position, he’s doing the right things and his defensive game has been incredibly sound,” said Osterberg. “Day after day you know what you’re getting from him and he’s working hard.”

GIRLS TIER: ASHLEY PUTT, FARMINGTON

Putt is new to the APX program and is in her first year with the team but she has already been turning heads out on the ice with the growth in her game. The staff have said that the Farmington skater has an amazing attitude and her coachability and accountability are second to none. 

“She’s acclimated super well to the details and the coaching curriculum with what we are coaching on the ice,” said Jirovec. “She’s been a really strong fit with details, super responsive to feedback, she’s got a good compete level, good presence and attitude. She’s a refreshing, easy fit. She's got a really good mindset.” 

GOALTENDER TIER: JAMESON MURPHY, WHITE BEAR LAKE

Murphy is in his first year with the APX program and is one the youngest netminders in the program but the staff have been impressed with his outstanding attendance and how he has adapted to the curriculum so far. 

“He’s a really good athlete and we’re excited to continue to refine his game. It’s always nice having a goalie who’s got that good athletic base too,” said APX Director of Goaltending Drew Fielding. “Being able to apply the curriculum in game situations has been outstanding and most importantly he’s just a super high character kid - he’s got a smile on his face everyday and he puts in the work and it's been paying dividends so far in our training season.”