In the midst of the World Juniors, USA Hockey subtly announced the rosters for the 2022 Biosteel All-American Game which is set to take place on January 17th. The BAAG is an annual game where Draft-eligible Americans from the USNTDP and USHL square off. In previous years, the game featured a team of NTDP talent facing off against a thrown-together team of USHL players from various teams. But this year the rosters will be a combination of NTDP and USHL talent, in an effort to level out the playing field.
There’s a lot to be excited about with the new system. The game will take on a much more ‘All-Star Showcase’ energy where talent will impede any built-up chemistry or cheeky deployment. And that’s great news for the USHL, a league with a lot of undefined Draft talent this year. The rosters are an interesting mix of talent levels, play styles, and draft projections that are more than worth a truly deep-dive.
There’s no easy way to break down rosters where every player is worth plenty of conversation. So, in lieu of 44 different paragraphs, there will be headlined notes for each team.
Team White
Offense
Isaac Howard (USA) – Logan Cooley (USA) – Maddox Fleming (SF)
Kenny Connors (DBQ) – Stephen Halliday (DBQ) – Connor Kurth (DBQ)
Devin Kaplan (USA) – Quinn Finley (MAD) – Marek Hejduk (USA)
Brady Berard (USA) – Cole Spicer (USA) – Gleb Vermeyev (LIN)
Defense
Lane Hutson (USA) – Seamus Casey (USA)
Luke Mittelstadt (MAD) – Garrett Brown (SC)
Tyler Duke (USA) – Charlie Leddy (USA)
Hunter McDonald (OMA) – Ryan Healey (SF)
Goalies
Gibson Homer (CHI) – Tyler Muszelik (USA)
*Lines are for visual purposes and are not representative of actual lines*
Dubuque Showing Strong — Headlining Team White is undoubtedly the fact that the Dubuque Fighting Saints entire top-line — a line that is in its second year of playing together in Dubuque — made the cut. It will be the second BAAG that Connor Kurth, an undrafted-2003, has played in and the first for his undrafted Fighting Saints teammates Stephen Halliday (2002) and Kenny Connors (2003). It will be incredibly interesting to see if the trio’s chemistry comes into play during the game.
Stephen Halliday Finally in the Light — To finally see Halliday get recognition from the USHL could be a great sign for his NHL Draft stock. Halliday was the #1-overall pick in the 2018 USHL Draft and has flaunted terrific scoring numbers in each of his three USHL seasons prior to this year. He’s sitting comfortable this season as the league’s leading-scorer, in his fourth year, finally earning his way into some semblance of a limelight.
Maddox Fleming is Back — To see Logan Cooley and Isaac Howard joined by an entourage of USNTDP talent is no surprise. But they’ll also be joined by former teammate Maddox Fleming, who left the Program earlier in the season and moved to the Sioux Falls Stampede. A sect of American scouts have lauded Fleming for years and for good reason. While he’s certainly a questionable prospect in some aspects, his raw skill and hockey ability has never been in doubt. He is almost certain to be a focal piece of this game: his first chance to perform on a premier stage since leaving the Program.
Goaltender Gibson Homer shares a similar story. After aging out of the NTDP last year, Homer has joined the Chicago Steel for an up-and-down 2021-22 season. With the BAAG, he’s back in the spotlight of USA Hockey.
Quinn Finley’s Chance to Shine — Quinn Finley had a great summer, forming a lethal trio with Gavin Hayes and Ryan Abraham at Selects and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. And while he started the regular season off a bit slow, Finley’s finally found his stride as the Madison Capitols’ top-line center and has 10 points in 14 games. But he hasn’t garnered the excitement one might expect after his great summer and solid first-half. The BAAG represents a big chance for every player. But for Finley, it seems it could be more vindicating than anything. He’s a strong player worthy of much more love.
It’s worth noting that Quinn Finley is currently dealing with an undisclosed injury and hasn’t played since November 14. His inclusion on the roster doesn’t seem guaranteed as it stands.
Does Mittelstadt Need Drafted? — Luke Mittelstadt was quite divisive among U.S. scouts last season. Some took an immediate liking to the defenseman, some were a bit more hesitant. But after going undrafted in his first year of eligibility, Mittelstadt has really taken this season by storm. He has 8 goals and 23 points in 28 games this season, good for third in goals and fifth in scoring among defensemen. But… there’s still the question of where is his potential truly at? What will the next few years look like for the UMN-commit? While the BAAG certainly won’t answer these questions outright, it could be a cheeky chance for scouts to see Mittelstadt in a raw environment. He might not be a First Round talent like some of his teammates, but he’s a name to watch closely simply because of the question marks surrounding him.
Team White Overview — Team White is a solid offense with a defense of question marks. Lane Hutson and Seamus Casey are battling hard for their spot in the First Round of the 2022 NHL Draft, while guys like Mittelstadt and Garrett Brown are simply fighting to be mentioned. Teams typically rotate lines pretty aggressively during the BAAG, which should bode well for the 8 defensemen with pretty big question marks surrounding them.
Team Blue
Offense
Jimmy Snuggerud (USA) – Frank Nazar III (USA) – Rutger McGroarty (USA)
Zam Plante (CHI) – Cole Knuble (FGO) – Cam Lund (GB)
Sam Harris (SF) – Cutter Gauthier (USA) – Cruz Lucius (USA)
Jack Harvey (CHI) – Tyler Haskins (MAD) – Jared Wright (OMA)
Defense
Jake Livanavage (CHI) – Ryan Chesley (USA)
Jackson Dorrington (DM) – Sam Rinzel (WAT)
Damien Carfagna (GB) – Vinny Borgesi (TC)
Seamus Powell (USA) – Kaden Muir (USA)
Goalies
Dylan Silverstein (USA) – Paxton Geisel (DBQ)
*Lines are for visual purposes and are not representative of actual lines*
Who… Who is going to play Center? — While not a comment on the talent-level, a really interesting note about Team Blue is that they have seven different centers on their roster. Nazar, Plante, Knuble, Lund, Gauthier, Lucius, and Haskins will all have to find a way to settle into just four center spots, which will make any assemblance of lines interesting. The mock-lines above represent potentially the best guess, seeing how guys like Plante, Lund, and Lucius have been moved to the wing a few times this season, but someone will be getting the short end of the stick regardless.
Jake Livanavage Hype Train Now Boarding— Jake Livanavage is, undoubtedly, the best non-NTDP player on Team Blue. He is performing at a historic level this season, scoring at a rate comparable to Torey Krug and Mario Ferraro’s draft year. His 25 points in 28 games is tied for fourth among all defensemen in the USHL and leads Draft-eligible defensemen (DY-0) by 13 points. He’s taken on a strong role as the Chicago Steel’s #1 defenseman and is thriving in it, but has yet to manage the high-end hype his play deserves. With a strong BAAG, Livanavage could finally blow up in the public sphere’s eyes.
The Hlinka Gretzky Cup was Fun — Someone in the decision-making process must have loved the Hlinka Gretzky Cup because the potential second-line is pulled directly from that tournament. Zam Plante, Cole Knuble, and Cam Lund were all heavily-featured over the summer and spent some time together, to strong avail. But the trio has seen varying levels of success over the course of the USHL season. Plante struggled to hit a clear stride with the Chicago Steel and has returned to high school, Lund had a slow start but has since pulled together a really strong season, and Knuble has dominated a top-line role for Fargo all year long. With varying levels of success and all eyes on them, the Hlinka boys come into the BAAG with a high bar to clear.
Tremendous Blue Line — Team White’s defense has some glaring question marks but Team Blue’s defense is looking like one of the most exciting things the BAAG has seen in a few years. There is a seriously strong argument that six of their eight defenseman are worthy of a selection in the top-four rounds of the 2022 NHL Draft. This includes re-entry defenseman Damien Carfagna, whose 30 points in 24 games this year is the greatest DY+1 defenseman scoring in USHL history. Sam Rinzel has dominated in the three USHL games he’s played and has looked great with his high school squad and Vinny Borgesi — another Hlinka name — is looking like one of the best under-the-radar names in America this year. If there were any question marks surrounding the blue-line, they’d likely fall on Jackson Dorrington, who has had seriously tremendous flashes this season but is working to stay consistent. Still, the mock-top-six of Team Blue is an incredibly talented bunch that will likely be the decision maker in the BAAG.
Tyler Haskins Makes the Cut — Tyler Haskins is a hard-nosed center that works relentlessly to win battles in the corner or in front of the net. He was a surprise exclusion from last year’s game, so his feature this year is certainly one to note. Haskins has managed 16 points in 18 games this season after going undrafted in 2021 and will work to show how good his workhorse style really is when the lights are turned up at the BAAG.
A Goalie Tandem to Love — Dylan Silverstein has received USA Hockey’s undying faith this season and for good reason. While not a top-two round goalie by any means, Silverstein is a poised and athletic netminder whose strong ability at such a young age earned him an invite to the World Juniors. But Paxton Geisel should not live in the shadows of Silverstein by any means. He is just as draft-worthy, after winning the Dubuque starting role this season. Geisel currently has the best save percentage among all USHL goalies in their first year of Draft-eligibility and has heated up recently. The tandem is very strong, relative to usual BAAG duos, and both deserve a lot of attention from NHL scouts.
Team Blue Overview — Team Blue seems like the easy favorite as the Biosteel All-American Game approaches. They have a very strong defense backing up a tremendous offense. It’s likely that bonafide First Rounders like Cutter Gauthier and Frankie Nazar could relinquish some ice time to give their USHL counterparts a chance to show off, but even in a limited role the impact of the star NTDP talent on Team Blue will be tremendous. With a strong goalie duo to boot, it really seems like Team Blue has it all going for them this year.
Notable Snubs
Jeremy Wilmer (Tri-City Storm) — Jeremy Wilmer missing the cut is… shocking and disappointing. After a 2020-21 season where his role with the NTDP was inconsistent, to say the least, Wilmer has found a new home on Tri-City’s top-line. And he is exceling in the new shoes. Wilmer has 34 points in 25 games, good for 7th in the league in scoring and 8th in points-per-game. Every 2022 NHL Draft-eligible player above Wilmer in scoring made the game.
In a year where he’s seemingly taken a big step forward, the BAAG felt like the next logical step for Wilmer. Wilmer had 1 assist and a +2 in last year’s BAAG.
David Burnside (Des Moines Buccaneers) — Davis Burnside doesn’t have the flashy style that many BAAG-invites boast. But he’s a relentless forechecker with a tremendous defensive ability. And his ability on the off-side of the puck has directly translated to offense, with Burnside’s 21 points in 25 games ranking third in among first-year Draft eligible USHLers in scoring. Burnside has forgone any mainstream hype but with his tenacious, high-energy style, there’s a good feeling that whenever Burnside does get a shot in the limelight, he’ll make sure to look good.
Make sure to keep an eye on RecScouting for a deep-dive into Burnside’s game, coming later in the year.
Alex Bump (Omaha Lancers) — Jeremy Wilmer has dominated this season and Davis Burnside is among the best USHLers in their first year of Draft eligibility. Alex Bump hasn’t earned a jaw-dropping descriptor like they have. But he still showed ton of promise in the 14 USHL games he’s played so far this season, netting 11 points. He was one of many to return to high school and has played well with Prior Lake as well, with 17 points in 10 games. Bump is a very poised goal-scorer who would have looked very nice next to the slow-but-poised play of the Dubuque Fighting Saints trio on Team White or the shot-heavy abilities of players like Cutter Gauthier and Cam Lund on Team Blue.
Preview of the Game
The new ‘mixed-squads’ rule will completely change the face of the Biosteel All-American Game. And while anticipating the time on ice for each player is never easy with games like this, the new rule makes it that much harder. Will teams heavily favor talent from one of either the NTDP or USHL? Will the stars on the rosters receive the most minutes? While this game ultimately means nothing competitively, and is simply a showcase, there’s a long precedent of playing to win and deploying the elite players as a means of getting it done.
But what better year to implement such large-scale changes than in a year where the USHL is lacking a bona fide star. Team White is commanded by a likely future-top-five pick in Logan Cooley and hones much of its strength in a talented, experienced forward group. Team Blue is built much more on depth, with all 22 players offering a serious punch. The early favorite is far-and-away Team Blue, thanks to the questions surrounding Team White’s blue line depth. But the no matter the outcome, the game will once again be a tremendous learning experience for scouts hoping to learn more about some of America’s top talent.