GOAL MCKINNEY: U18 forward Cole McKinney (Lake Forest, Ill.) was on fire at last week's 2025 February Under-18 Five Nations Tournament, cashing in seven points (4G-3A) in four contests for a 1.75 point per game pace. The University of Michigan commit also powered Team USA to two overtime wins, scoring the game-winners in both a 3-2 final over Finland and a 2-1 score against the Czechs to wrap the event.

The decision against the Finns came with 25 seconds to play in overtime while on a 4-on-3 man advantage as Will Moore (Ithaca, N.Y.) worked the puck from the point to Jack Murtagh (East Greenbush, N.Y.) at the right circle. He went cross-crease to McKinney, who blasted a one-timer into the back of the net. McKinney also earned an assist earlier in the action on Moore's game-tying goal.

Sunday's OT marker against Czechia was nearly identical, a blast of a one-timer from the left circle on a power play assisted by Murtagh and Moore with five seconds to play in overtime. Similarly, McKinney collected an assist on the goal to force overtime, this one off the stick of Jacob Kvasnicka (Wayzata, Minn.).

The 6-0", 199 lb. righty also scored a goal and added an assist in the U.S.' tournament opener vs. Sweden, and tacked on one assist in a 4-0 shutout win over the Swiss to put him on a seven game heater, dating back to a 4-3 win over Ferris State University on Jan. 4. McKinney now leads all NTDP skaters with 36 points and 22 assists in 36 games.

SLAVICK SAVES: U18 goaltender Joey Slavick (Westland, Mich.) went undefeated at the 2025 February Under-18 Five Nations Tournament, backstopping the U.S. to overtime wins over Finland and Czechia. Slavick had 25 saves on 26 shots against the Czechs for a near-perfect 0.92 GAA and .962 SV%, and finished the tournament second amongst qualified goaltenders with a 1.40 GAA and third with a .974 SV% overall.

The Westland, Michigan, native now owns three wins on four starts with the U18s in the new year to improve his season total to six with a 3.25 GAA, .889 SV% and two shutouts to lead all Team USA netminders.

JACK ATTACK: U18 forward Jack Murtagh (East Greenbush, N.Y.) had a great showing at the 2025 February Under-18 Five Nations Tournament, registering at least a point in each game while in Sweden for a total of six (2G-4A) over the four-game event.

A future Boston University Terrier, Murtagh collected a pair of assists in Team USA's tournament opener against host Sweden, then found the back of the net the next day vs. Finland with a breakaway tally at 5:56 of the third period. After an errant Finnish pass, he outraced the defense and used a five-hole finish to cut the deficit in half, then added a helper on Cole McKinney's (Lake Forest, Ill.) overtime winner.

Murtagh kicked off the the back half of the tournament with a goal in a shootout win over Switzerland, jamming the puck past Swiss goaltender Nico Birchler after playing tic-tac-toe with Jake Stuart (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) off a dish from Richard Gallant (Concord, Mass.). He also added an assist on the game-winner in a 2-1 overtime win against Czechia to wrap the event and extend his point streak to five games.

The forward owns 34 points (14G-20A) on the season in 33 games, good for third amongst U18 skaters in points, second in assists and t-3rd in goals. 

SAMMY AND SCHAIZY: U17 forward Sammy Nelson (Maple Grove, Minn.) and U17 defenseman Luke Schairer (Charlotte, N.C.) both logged a whopping six points at the 2025 February Under-17 Five Nations Tournament to lead Team USA. Nelson scored twice and added four assists, while Schairer posted six assists.

The duo have cashed in internationally, with Boston University commit Schairer pacing U17 defensemen with two goals and 11 assists for 13 points, and Nelson posting four goals and eight assists for 12 points, both in 14 games.

6-foot-2, 184 lb. Nelson now has 14 goals, including four power-play and two shorthanded markers, and 13 assists to his name to sit fourth on the U17 team with 27 points on the year, while 6-foot-2, 188 lb. Schairer owns three goals and 20 assists to lead all Team USA blueliners in points and helpers.

STUD STU: U17 forward Logan Stuart (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) earned a point in every game Team USA played at the 2025 February Under-17 Five Nations Tournament, the only player to achieve the feat. Through four games, he potted three goals and added two assists to land t-3rd, alongside Dayne Beuker (Portland, Ore.) and Wyatt Cullen (Moorhead, Minn.) with five points.

His first goal of the event came in the final stanza against Sweden after Jamie Glance (Stratham, N.H.) intercepted a Swedish pass at center ice and outskated all five Swedes to fire a shot on net. Milo Tjärnlund made the initial stop, but Stuart grabbed the rebound for the finish.

He also added a pair of goals in an 8-5 win over Switzerland, his first again off a rebound from an initial shot by Glance to beat Swiss goaltender Nico Keller, and his second a tip-in off a fire from Glance once more.

The University of Denver commit is now on a seven-game streak that dates back to Jan. 25 against the Muskegon Lumberjacks. In that time, Stuart has five goals and four assists to his name to improve his season total to 26 points and his 17 assists are good for third amongst U17 skaters.