APX GOALTENDING TIER: JACK FREIN

Frein is a multi-year member of the APX family and has shown consistent growth year over year that will culminate in a successful senior season for Bloomington Jefferson this winter. As a junior, Frein posted a solid .913 save percentage and a 2.20 goals-against average for the Jaguars, with two shutouts.

“Jack's attendance has been outstanding, and he has come to each skate with a dedicated game plan of what he needs to work on to prepare himself for the high school season,” said APX Director of Goaltending Drew Fielding. “He has made strong strides in his play-reading ability, and he competes like crazy for every puck. He has developed a lot of fans in our program, from both the player and goalie staff. Keep up the excellent work, Jack!”

GOALTENDING TIER HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Maddox Haider (Lakeville North)

• Jack Evanson (Prior Lake)

• Ryker Landon (Northfield)

• Kylen Martinson (Bloomington Jefferson)

APX SELECTS TIER: CHASE CROWLEY

Crowley had a big varsity debut last season as a sophomore, scoring 27 points through 27 games for the Pioneers. The 6-foot-2 forward, who has been training with APX since 2021, recently participated in the USA Boys National 17s Festival this summer and currently leads the Upper Midwest High School Elite League in both assists (17) and overall points scored (23), which just goes to show that he is absolutely a prospect to keep your eye on in 2026-27 as he enters his junior year of high school hockey.

“Chase is having a phenomenal overall training season of growth and performance. He continues to be ultra-competitive and highly motivated about improving his game every day that he's at the rink,” said APX Director of Player Development Wes Jirovec. “He's definitely a ‘details guy ’ - meaning he's always inquisitive with our staff about specific teaching points, whether that's something physical in his execution of a skating maneuver or it's the reads and decisions in his gameplay. His offense has taken another big jump this year, too. While his physical tools keep improving, so does his situational awareness. He's really fun to play with right now because of how much he makes his linemates better. We can't wait to see this growth translate into the regular season for Hill-Murray.”

APX HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SELECTS TIER: ELLIE SWEENY

Sweeny, who is entering her senior season at East Ridge this winter, is a talented forward who will be an integral part of the Raptors squad in 2026-27. Sweeny recorded 10 points for East Ridge as a junior, and her seven goals were the fifth-most on the entire varsity roster last year. In addition to her skills out on the ice, she is also a great leader, shown by the fact that she’ll wear a ‘C’ for her high school squad this season.

“Ellie is an absolute joy to coach. She works hard at every practice and always brings energy, positivity, and fun to the ice,” said APX Director of Girls Development Karyn Bye about the senior forward. “When it comes to celebrating a game-winning goal, no one does it quite like Sweeny! Congratulations, Ellie, and best of luck as you begin your senior year at East Ridge!”

APX 18s TIER: VINNY REDPATH

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: NOLAN BRUSTAD

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: CHLOE STOKES

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.”

APX 16s TIER: CHARLIE POHL

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: DALTON SCHWARZE

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: AIDEN OPSTAD

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.”

APX 13s TIER: LEO SASS

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: DYLAN WEGNER

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.”

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