General | 9/29/2025 2:00:00 PM


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Sam Kappell, Carter Murphy, and Carl Axelsson have been named USHL Players of the Week for games played between Sept. 26-27.

Forward of the Week

Sam Kappell, Madison Capitols

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Led the USHL in goal scoring with a tally in the Capitols’ 3-2 loss to Dubuque on Friday and a pair of goals in Madison’s 5-3 win at Chicago on Saturday.
Scored twice on three shots in the Capitols’ win against the Steel, notching the game-winner.

Defenseman of the Week

Carter Murphy, Youngstown Phantoms

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Led USHL defensemen with four points, recording multi-point games and a +4 rating in the Phantoms’ sweep of the NTDP U-18 team in Plymouth, Mich.
Assisted on Youngstown’s first two goals in its 3-1 win on Friday.
Opened the scoring and added a helper in the Phantom’s 5-2 win on Saturday.

Goalie of the Week

Carl Axelsson, Muskegon Lumberjacks

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Posted an 8-save shutout in Muskegon’s 3-0 win against Green Bay on Friday.
Turned aside 34 of 36 shots to help the Lumberjacks earn a 3-2 victory on Saturday.
Finished the weekend 2-0-0-0 (W-L-OTL-SOL) with a 1.00 goals against average and .972 save percentage.

About the USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world’s leading 16–to 20-year-old junior hockey league. During the 2024-25 season, USHL alumni held over 50% of NCAA Division I roster spots, and over 25% of NHL players had USHL experience. With 10 first-round selections and 49 total picks in the 2024 NHL Draft, the USHL has developed the most draft choices of any junior hockey league since 2012.

Elevated through the recently announced Declaration of Excellence with the NHL and USA Hockey, the league’s player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 92% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel), Matthew Knies (Tri-City Storm), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede). More.