PERREAULT PARTY: Gabe Perreault (Hinsdale, Ill.) has offiically hit 50 games played after a three-game weekend against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

With Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.) spending most of the season's back half with the U18s, Perreault leads the Under-17 team in assists (33) and points (47).

Perreault went on a point streak, recording two points-per-game over the course of four games. His scoring heater included a five-point game on the road against the RoughRiders in which he tallied one goal and four assists.

WORKIN' WITH WALSH: On  March 14, the U.S. NTDP announced the hire of Anthony Walsh (Burr Ridge, Ill.) as an assistant coach for the Under-17 Team.

Walsh joined the NTDP after most recently serving as assistant coach at Fredonia State University for the 2021-22 season, a role that started his coaching career.

Prior to going behind the bench, Walsh skated four seasons (2015-19) at Yale University, where he was named captain of the Bulldogs for his senior season.

After completing his playing career, Walsh served as Yale's director of hockey operations for the 2019-20 campaign before moving to Western New York.

"THNKS FR TH MMRS": The Under-18 Team closed out their regular USHL season last weekend with three games on the road, including a pair at Green Bay and a lone Sunday matchup with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

The Pittburgh, Pa. native, Logan Cooley, lead the U18s in their 3-0 weekend run with a seven points, totaling two goals and five assists. Just two points behind him was captain Rutger McGroarty (Lincoln, Neb.) who recorded two goals and three assists.

Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.) scored two goals and added one helper over the weekend, pushing him to 36 points on the season (20g, 16a). Leonard has now notched six goals over the last eight games with the U18s, in which they won nine. Cruz Lucius (Grant, Minn.) also added four points himself to the sweep with three goals and one assist.

On the defensive end, Seamus Casey (Fort Myers, Fla.) got in on the scoring action, recording goals in back-to-back games that included the overtime winner in game one against the Gamblers. With 26 points (7g, 19a) on the season, Casey now ranks second among all NTDP blueliners in points behind Lane Huston (North Barrington, Ill.) with 53 points (10g, 43a).

WORLDS BABY: The IIHF released the official schedule for the 2022 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship in Landshut & Kaufbeuren, Germany from April 23 - May 1 earlier this week.

Team USA will begin pool play with a game against Canada on opening day, and is scheduled to see Czechia and host Germany in the round-robin portion of the tournament. 

The tournament will only have eight participating teams instead of the usual 10 after Russia and Belarus were banned by the IIHF from tournaments until further notice, a response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

All eight teams will qualify for the quarterfinals, set to be played on Thursday, April 28.