STREAKING OUT: Isaac Howard has been stellar in the last six contests, racking  up seven goals and 10 points across the stretch. The 5-9 forward currently leads all U17 skaters in scoring with 26 goals, 22 assists and 48 points in 33 games, averaging nearly a point-and-a-half per contest.  

INSTANT IMPACT: Defensemen Seamus Casey (Estero, Fla.) and Lane Hutson (Barrington, Ill.) are having stellar rookie seasons in the USHL. The pair sit third among rookie blueliners with 12 points each. 

Ryan Chesley (Mahtomedi, Minn.) also ranks among the top 10 first-year defensemen with four goals and nine points in 15 games. 

SHATTUCK CONNECTIONS: The U17 team boasts three Shattuck alumni in forwards Maddox Fleming (Rochester, Minn.) and Isaac Howard (Hudson, Wis.), and defenseman Ryan Chesley (Mahtomedi, Minn.). The trio of skaters account for over 20 percent of the U17s' scoring so far this season. 

The U18s have a pair of forwards that were products of SSM. Liam Gilmartin (Falls Church, Va.) played two seasons in Faribault, Minn., while Andre Gasseau (Garden Grove, Calif.) played last season for the Sabres before joining the NTDP. 

In addition, U17 head coach Adam Nightingale (Cheboygan, Mich.) served as the  head coach of the 14U AAA team from 2014-16, where he coached NTDP alums Drew Helleson, Oliver Wahlstrom and Cam York during his tenure.

WELCOME BACK, CHAZ: U18 forward Chaz Lucius (Grant, Minn.) made his season debut last weekend as he returned to the lineup from injury. In two games, the University of Minnesota commit netted three goals, including a power-play tally. The 6-foot-1 skater led the NTDP with 31 goals scored during the 2019-20 season. 

GOOD GOLLY, GIBBY: Under-18 goaltender Gibson Homer (Grand Rapids, Mich.) continued his tremendous stretch in net over the weekend as he picked up two wins in his two starts. The 6-foot-5 goalie made 45 saves over the two games to better his season-long numbers to a 2.53 goals-against average and .886 save percentage. Homer's record is a tremendous 16-5-0 through 23 games of action.

POWERED BY PASTA: Forward Sasha Pastujov (Bradenton, Fla.) continues to pace the U18s in scoring. Pastujov added five points to his ledger in the weekend's trio of games, netting a power-play tally in Monday's win over Green Bay and adding four helpers over the weekend. The Compuware Youth Hockey product leads all U18s with 39 points (20g-19a) in just 23 games played, good for an NTDP-high 1.70 points-per-game. Pastujov leads the team in scoring for the second straight season as he finished atop the U17s with 50 points last season.

TREMENDOUS 25: Twenty members of the 2020-21 U.S. National Under-18 Team and five former NTDP players were named to the National Hockey League Central Scouting's midseason rankings ahead of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. All 20 age-eligible U18 skaters for the draft were rated on the opening list. 

In addition, Owen McLaughlin (Spring City, Pa.) and Nick Roukounakis (Pembroke, Mass.), who have each appeared in five games for the U18s this season, were both listed as C-rated skaters.

HOBEY BAKER WATCH: Six former NTDP players were nominated for the 2021 Hobey Baker Award, presented to college hockey's top player. Matthew Boldy (Boston College / NTDP 2017-19), Cole Caufield (University of Wisconsin /NTDP 2017-19), David Farrance (Boston University / NTDP 2015-17), Logan Hutsko (Boston College / NTDP 2015-16), Spencer Knight (Boston College / NTDP 2017-19 and Cam York (University of Michigan / NTDP 2017-19) were all named to the list of nominees. 

The list will be pared down to 10 finalists before going to a selection committee to be decided. The NTDP has had 26 Hobey Baker Finalists and six winners.