HATS OFF: U18 forward Cutter Gauthier (Scottsdale, Ariz.) netted three goals in Friday's 8-4 win in Muskegon to give him his third hat trick and sixth multi-goal game of the season. The feat also gave the 6-foot-3 forward hat-tricks in back to back games against the Lumberjacks, after scoring three in February 4's 9-8 USA win.

His hat trick was the first for Team USA on the road in USHL play since Chaz Lucius did it in Muskegon on March 23, 2021. Gauthier has scored 10 times over his past eight games played and leads all NTDP skaters with 30 goals on the season.

The Boston College commit has added 17 helpers on the season to give him 47 points in 42 games, making him one of eight skaters averaging at least a point-per-game on the season for the Under-18 Team.

RYAN'S RIPPER: U18 defenseman Ryan Chesley (Mahtomedi, Minn.) continued his torrid streak with two goals and an assist in the team's two wins over Muskegon.

Chesley has now scored in five consecutive games and has seven goals over his last seven games played. The Minnesota native has added a pair of helpers in that span to give him nine points over the stretch, exactly half of his season total in the past seven games.

Ranked 22nd among all North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's Midseason Rankings, Chesley's nine markers lead all NTDP defensemen on the season. Chesley has also accumulated a +16 rating over his scoring streak, bringing his season total to +27 on the year. 

COOLER THAN COOLS: U18 forward Logan Cooley (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had a six-point weekend to push him over 50 total points on the season.

Cooley had a goal and added three assists Friday evening before coming back the next day with another goal and assist. 

Over his past nine games played, the University of Minnesota commit has three goals and 11 helpers for 14 total points. Cooley's 1.46 points-per-game leads the NTDP and his 51 points (18g-33a) is third overall on the U18s.

KEEPING PACE: A pair of U18 forwards have identical stat lines 44 games into the season. Frank Nazar III (Mount Clemens, Mich.) and Isaac Howard (Hudson, Wis.) have both collected 23 goals and 35 assists for 58 total points on the year.

Both forwards have a trio of game-winning goals to their name, while Nazar has the slight advantage with six special-teams markers (5 PPG, 1 SHG) while Howard has three on the man advantage.

Both skaters have been equally as hot recently, accumulating the same three goals and seven assists over the last five games played. 

Howard, headed to the University of Minnesota Duluth after the season, recorded an NTDP-high 73 points last season and is 15 points away from breaking into the NTDP's top-10 scorers of all-time. 

SMITTY SZN: Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.), a 2005-born forward who has been a permanent fixture on the U18s of late, has been making the most of his opportunity this year.

Suiting up on the right wing on a line with Howard and Nazar, Smith scored three times over the weekend in Muskegon and has dumped in eight goals and 13 points over his past eight games with the U18s. 

Smith had a multi-goal game Saturday evening, first netting early in the third off a wicked snap shot from the right wing to put Team USA up a pair of goals at 5-3. He added another as time expired on the clock in regulation, one-timing a pass from Nazar.

Combined with both NTDP teams on the year, Smith has 53 points (27g-26a) in just 49 games, the lone U17 player to average over a point-per-game.

Over their last six games together as a trio, the line of Howard-Nazar-Smith has produced 16 goals and 21 assists for a ridiculous 37 total points.

TO THE SHOW: A pair of 2001-born NTDP alums signed NHL contracts on Tuesday afternoon.

Drew Helleson (Farmington, Minn.), recently acquired by the Anaheim Ducks in a trade, signed his three-year entry-level contract. He helped lead Team USA to a gold medal at the 2021 World Junior Championship, where he recorded two goals and two assists. Helleson also represented the U.s. at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, where he recorded an assist in three games played.

Alex Vlasic (Wilmette, Ill.), after finishing his collegiate career at Boston University, signed his entry-level deal with the Chicago Blackhawks through the 2023-24 season. Vlasic arrived in Chicago and joined the Blackhawks earlier this week. The 6-foot-6 defenseman scored eight points (1g-7a) in 32 games with the Terriers, led the team with 51 blocked shots and served as an alternate captain for BU this season.