General | 4/22/2025 12:00:00 PM

Luke Osburn (Youngstown Phantoms), Sam Laurila (Fargo Force) and Dylan Compton (Waterloo Black Hawks) have been named finalists for United States Hockey League (USHL) Defenseman of the Year, the league announced Tuesday.

The award winner will be announced with the All-USHL Teams, Forward of the Year and Goalie of the Year on Tuesday, April 29. 
 
Luke Osburn, D, Youngstown Phantoms
The 6’1”, 182-pound Plymouth, Mich. native was a steady force for the Phantoms on the blue line, finishing fourth among USHL defensemen in scoring with 41 points in 55 games and finishing third on the team in assists with 31. Osburn had 19 power play assists and 20 power play points, both tied for third among league blue liners. The Buffalo Sabres’ fourth-round pick and Wisconsin commit finished the regular season with a +10 rating, helping the Phantoms to the second-lowest goals against average in the league at 2.69.
 
Sam Laurila, D, Fargo Force
After two seasons with the NTDP, Laurila tied for Fargo’s team lead in scoring with 41 points in 57 games. The Moorhead, Minn. native had eight goals, 33 assists and an even rating. He finished tied for fourth in points (41) and assists (33) among league defensemen. The North Dakota commit was part of the U.S. championship-winning team at the World Junior A Challenge and is ranked 65^th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft.   
 
Dylan Compton, D, Waterloo Black Hawks
Compton tied for first in team scoring and led USHL defensemen with 45 points on five goals and 40 assists through all 62 games. The Victoria, British Columbia native and Northeastern commit tied for fifth in the league with 40 assists, led all USHL skaters with 28 power-play points, and finished the regular season with a +1 rating. With Compton’s efforts, Waterloo allowed an average of 2.84 goals against per game, fourth lowest in the league.
 
About the USHL

The United States Hockey League and its 16 member clubs are committed to being the leading 16–20-year-old junior hockey league in the world. More than half of Division I men’s hockey roster spots are held by USHL alumni and more than 195 alumni were listed on NHL rosters at the start of the 2024-25 season.

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), Cole Caufield (NTDP), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede). More.