Springfield, Illinois – The Springfield Jr. Blues took full advantage of being back on home ice over the weekend and swept the Kenai River Brown Bears to pick up four crucial points in the standings.

Friday: SPR 4 – 2 KNR

Friday night saw the Jr. Blues get on the board early as forward Bobby Bartell would dance his way to the net on a beautiful individual effort and wrist a shot past Brown Bears goalie Conor Sullivan for his third goal of the season. With Jr. Blues defensemen Jake Peterson in the penalty box, Kenai forward Hayden Walters would get the equalizer on the power play to send the teams to the locker rooms tied 1-1.

The Jr. Blues would get off to another fast start in the second period when forward Zach Howard would put the good guys on top 2-1 with his 6^th of the season off a nifty pass from Hadley Hudak. Springfield would find themselves down two men midway through the period and the Brown Bears were able to capitalize when Andy Larson would one time a feed from Kotaro Tsutsumi past Cataldo to even the score 2-2. Dylan Glinski would get the eventual game winner at 16:29 of the third period when he fired a shot over Sullivans right shoulder to give the Springfield a 3-2 lead. Landry Schmuch would add an empty net goal to put the game away.

Hadley Hudak, Aidan Dyer, and Andrew Schultz all picked up assists in the game and JJ Cataldo stopped 40 of 42.

Saturday: SPR 3 – 2 KNR

It was all Jr. Blues early on Saturday night as they jumped out to a 3-0. Jake Peterson got the scoring started in the first when Landry Schmuck found him in the slot, and he ripped a wrister past Brown Bears goaltender Marks Slavinskis. Hadley Hudak would make it 2-0 as he banged home his own rebound on the power play at 3:33 of the second period and Aidan Dyer would create a turnover in the neutral zone and fired a wrister over Slavinskis glove to make it 3-0 Jr. Blues at 13:11 of the second. Brown Bears Nick Stevens and Tiziano Pauchard would add goals to make it 3-2 but the Jr. Blues were able to hold on and secure the two points.

Landry Schmuck, Simzon Koch, and Anthony Ruklic (2) added assists in the game and JJ Cataldo was solid in net again stopping 29 of 31.

The Jr. Blues are back in action this weekend at home for a three-game series as the Anchorage Wolverines make their first and only visit to the Nelson Center this season. Below are details for our action-packed weekend of hockey:

Thursday December 14 – 7:05 PM: Presented by Coors Light

• $2 16oz Coors Light Drafts

Friday December 15 – 7:05 PM

• Happy Hour from 6-7 PM with GREAT drink specials

Saturday December 16 – 6:05 PM

• Holly the Holiday Bus will make an appearance at the Nelson Center
• ugly Christmas sweater contest
• Teddy Bear Toss
• Post Game skate with the team

Come on out to the Nelson Center this weekend for some fast-paced family fun!

Springfield, Illinois – The Springfield Jr. Blues are finally back in action this weekend as they kick off the second half of the season with a three-game series against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs at the Nelson Center. The Jr. Blues and Ice Dogs played earlier this season up in Fairbanks with the Jr.Blues winning both games by scores of 5-4 and 5-1.

The Jr. Blues, who currently sit in 8^th place in the Midwest Division, have a record of 10-17-2-1 for 23 points and are 3-7 in the past ten games. Veteran defensemen Jake Peterson had a great first half of the season and continues to lead the Jr. Blues in scoring with 23 points including 8 goals. Peterson led the offensive attack in December with 7 points in 7 games including 4 goals. Team captain Isaac Keller is second on the team in scoring with 20 points and Landry Schmuck leads the Jr. Blues in goals with 9 including 3 game winning goals.

Goaltender JJ Cataldo has carried the load in the net through the first half appearing in 24 of the 30 games. He has 2.92 goals against average and a .916 save percentage. Cataldo has been in the net for all 10 wins this season for the Jr. Blues and has a record of 10-11-1-1.

The Fairbanks Ice Dogs make their first and only trip to the Nelson Center this season and currently sit in 6^thplace in the Midwest Division with a record of 12-15-1-4 for 29 points. Forwards Marc Lund, Jake Cameron, Nick Blood, and Reece Cordray are all tied for the lead in scoring with 19 points. Lund also leads the team in goals with 10. Veteran goaltender Tyler Krivtsov has carried the load for the Dogs in net starting 22 games. He has a record of 10-9-1-2 with 2.70 goals against average and .911 save percentage.

The two teams will begin the three-game set on Friday January 5 at the Nelson Center with puck drop set for 7:05 PM CST. They will also play Saturday January 6 at 6:05 PM CST and Sunday January 7 at 4:05 PM CST. Come on out to the Nelson Center for some fast-paced family fun!

Springfield, Illinois – The Springfield Jr. Blues, proud members of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), are excited to announce that forward Zach Howard has announced his NCAA Division 1 commitment to Army West Point!

Howard, who is in his first full year of junior hockey, is settling in nicely in Springfield and through 29 games he has 6 goals and 7 assists for 13 points. He was named the Jimmy Johns Athlete of the Month for November where he notched 5 points in 6 games.

The New Richmond, WI native comes to the Jr. Blues after three seasons at St. Thomas Academy where he registered 58 points in 72 games on 27 goals and 31 assists. He will join fellow Jr. Blues alum Joey Dosan and Mac Gadowsky who currently play for the Army Black Knights.

“Zach is very hard working and loves to compete, “Said Head Coach Todd Pococke. “He continues to grow each week and we look forward to seeing how much he can accomplish the rest of this season. Army is getting a great hockey player and outstanding character kid.”

Howard is the second player on the Jr. Blues to commit to an NCAA Division 1 program. He joins Jake Peterson who is committed to Air Force Academy.

Springfield, Illinois – The Springfield Jr. Blues, proud members of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), are proud to announce that they have signed forward Aidan Anderson to a tender agreement for the 2024-25 season.

Anderson, a native of Thousand Oaks, CA, is currently playing for the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks of the NA3HL. In 26 games this season he has 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points. Prior to joining Danbury, he played his youth hockey for the Nashville Jr. Predators program.

“Aidan is a big strong kid with a heavy shot”, Said Head Coach Todd Pococke. “He also brings a high level of compete everyday makes his teammates better.”

Anderson is the first player to sign a tender agreement with the Jr. Blues this season. Join us in welcoming him to the Capital City!

Springfield, Illinois – The Springfield Jr. Blues are coming off a pair of exciting victories over Fairbanks and are back at the Nelson Center this weekend as they host the Chippewa Steel for a two games Friday and Saturday. Springfield and Chippewa met on October 6^th and 7^th in Chippewa Falls where the Steel swept the Jr. Blues by scores of 6-1 and 5-2. When the Puck drops Friday night, the Jr. Blues will be looking to repay the favor.

The Jr. Blues, who currently sit in 7^th place in the Midwest Division, have a record of 12-18-2-1 for 27 points and are 5-5 in their last ten games. Veteran co-captain Jake Peterson and Isaack Keller continue to lead the team offensively. Peterson has 8 goals and 15 assist while Keller has notched 7 goals and 16 assists for 23 points. Both players have already surpassed last season point totals as they both finished the 22-23 season with 20 points.

Goaltending has been a strong suit for the Jr. Blues this season and 20-year-old JJ Cataldo has been carrying the load in the crease. JJ has a record of 11-12-1-1 with 2.85 goals against average and .920 save percentage. Rookie newcomer Matt Schoephoester picked up his first win in a Springfield Jersey on Sunday beating Fairbanks 4-3 stopping 39 of 42 shots.

Chippewa will be making their first appearance in the Capital City this season and currently sit in 5^th place in the Midwest Division with a record of 15-14-2-2 for 34 pts. The Steel are 4-3-2-1 in their las ten games and are coming off a 3-2 OT loss in Janesville on Friday night. The Steel are led by Forward Peyton Platter who has tallied 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points. Former Jr. Blues defensemen Scott Miner has 4 goals and 11 assist so far this season.

Steel goaltenders Ajay White and Carter Wishart has split playing time both appearing in 17 games. Wishart has a record of 6-7-1-1 with 3.06 goals against average and .895 save percentage. White’s numbers are a little better as he has 2.65 goals against and .906 save percentage.

The Jr. Blues and Steel will square off Friday night at 7:05 PM and will meet again on Saturday at 6:05 PM. Both games are at the Nelson Center. Don’t forget to join us on the blue mat for Happy Hour on Friday from 6-7 PM. There will also be a post game skate with the team on Saturday.

BY THE NUMBERS: Veteran forward Hadley Hudak is coming off a big weekend where he notched 4 points in the three-game series against Fairbanks. Hadley had 2 goals in the 4-3 win on Sunday. He also suited up for his 100^th game in a Jr. Blues jersey on Saturday. He has recorded 15 goals and 19 assists for 34 points in 101 NAHL games.

Springfield, Illinois – The Springfield Jr. Blues have made a trade acquiring Defensemen Brian Robertson from the New Jersey Jr. Titans in exchange for a 2023 tender.

Robertson, a native of Littleton, CO, has appeared in 70 games for the Titans over the last two seasons and has tallied 20 points. “Brian is a big strong kid that can skate very well,” said Head Coach Todd Pococke. “He brings a lot of experience and leadership with him, and we look forward to getting him in the lineup soon.”

Prior to joining the Titans, Robertson was a product of Detroit Victory Honda where he was a teammate of current Jr. Blues forward Hadley Hudak.

Help me in welcoming Brian to Springfield, and we look forward to watching him soon!

Springfield, Illinois – The Springfield Jr. Blues are heading to Mason City, IA this weekend for a date with the Central Divisions North Iowa Bulls. The Jr. Blues are coming off a weekend split with the Chippewa Steel but picked up 3 of a possible 4 points losing Friday night 5-4 in OT and winning Saturday 4-3 in OT. The Bulls and Jr. Blues met in Springfield on November 3^rd & 4^th and the two teams split the weekend with Springfield winning 2-1 and North Iowa winning the second game 4-3 in a shootout.

The Jr. Blues, who currently sit in 7^th place in the Midwest Division, have a record of 13-18-3-1 for 30 points and are 6-3-1 in the last ten games. With 2 goals on Saturday, veteran forward Isaac Keller now leads the team in scoring with 9 goals and 16 assists for 25 points. Defensemen Jake Peterson is second in scoring with 8 goals and 16 assists for 24 points. 20-year-old goaltender JJ Cataldo continues to carry the load in net for the Jr. Blues. The Stuart, FL native has a record of 12-12-2-1 with 2.93 goals against average and .919 save percentage.

The North Iowa Bulls, who currently sit in 6^th place in the Central Division, have a record of 7-25-0-2 for 16 points and are 1-8-0-1 in their last ten games. Forward Jack Seaverson leads the Bulls offensive attack with 4 goals and 9 assists for 13 points. Veteran center Justin Mexico is second in scoring with 7 goals and 5 assists for 12 points in just 17 games played. Goaltender Santo Simmchen has been the go-to goalie for the Bulls and has a record of 2-11-0-1 with 3.18 goals against average and .884 save percentage.

The Jr. Blues and Bulls will faceoff at Mason City Arena Friday and Saturday with both games starting at 7:10 PM. The Jr. Blues will return to the Nelson Center on Friday January 26^th when the Janesville Jets come to town for two games.

BY THE NUMBERS:

Forward Hadley Hudak has had the hot hand as of late. The Michigan native has recorded 13 points in the last ten games including 5 goals in the past three games. Hudak is coming off a 2-goal game on Saturday which included the OT winner against Chippewa. Hadley now has 11 goals and 11 assist for 22 points on the season.

Springfield, Illinois – The Springfield Jr. Blues, proud members of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), are proud to announce that forwards Isaac Keller and Hadley Hudak have been selected to participate in the Top Prospects tournament February 5-6 in Pittsburgh, PA. They will suit up for Team Selects Silver during the event.

Keller, in his third season with the Jr. Blues, has been leading the team offensively most of the year. The Grand Rapids, MI native currently leads the Jr. Blues in scoring with 9 goals and 16 assists for 25 points. Isaac is set to play in his 200^th NAHL game later this season and this is his first appearance at the Top Prospects event.

Hudak, a native of Canton, MI, has had a hot hand as of late. He has 13 points in his last 10 games including 5 goals in the team’s last three outings. He has bumped his totals up to 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points on the season. Hadley played in his 100^th NAHL game a few weeks ago and will also be making his first trip to Pittsburgh for the event.

The 2024 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament will feature six teams. Four divisional teams, each consisting of players from their respective divisions. The event will also feature two NAHL Selects teams: NAHL selects Gold and NAHL selects Silver.

NAHL Selects Silver schedule is as follows:

Monday February 5 at 4:45 PM EST vs. NAHL Selects Gold

Tuesday February 6 at 10:00 AM EST vs. Team Midwest.

You can catch all the action live on NAHLTV.com.

Springfield, Illinois – The Springfield Jr. Blues, proud members of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), are proud to announce that they have signed forward Owen Lowe to a tender agreement for the 2024-25 season.

Lowe, a native of Powell, OH, currently plays for Belle Tire 18U AAA program and has 16 points in 13 games including 8 goals. Owen played two games with the Jr. Blues last weekend and impressed the staff with his strong play earning the opportunity to sign for next season.

“Owen is a big strong kid that understands how he has to play to be effective,” said Head Coach Todd Pococke. “He uses his size to create scoring chances and we feel he has a lot of potential to be a great player in this league and beyond.”

Lowe is the second player to sign a tender with the Jr. Blues for the 2024-25 season. He joins forward Aidan Anderson who also played a few games last week for the Jr. Blues.

The Springfield Jr. Blues of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) are pleased to announce that goaltender JJ Cataldo has announced his commitment to play NCAA Division I Hockey for Army-West Point in the Atlantic Hockey Conference. 

Cataldo, 21, is playing his 3rd and final season of junior hockey and first full season in the NAHL. He made his debut in the 2021-22 campaign with the Janesville Jets and wouldn’t play again in the league until joining the Jr. Blues roster this season. The Stuart, Florida native has been the primary backstop for Springfield, appearing in 34 games. Throughout those games, he has accumulated a 3.24 goals against average and a .916 save percentage. 

Cataldo previously had stints in junior hockey with the USHL and NCDC. Prior to playing junior hockey, he spent his time playing youth hockey for Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and Selects Academy programs. 

Cataldo is the 4th player on the Springfield roster to commit to playing NCAA Division I Hockey.