General | 8/11/2025 10:50:33 AM

More than 20 alumni and prospects of the United States Hockey League are getting the opportunity to show their talents on the national stage at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup from August 11 to 16 in Brno, Czech Republic, and Trencín, Slovakia.
 
Top returners Jack Hextall (Youngstown Phantoms) and Blake Zielinski (Des Moines Buccaneers) headline a crew of 11 Americans with USHL ties. The league has five prospects on Slovakia’s roster, including Tri-City Storm tender Oliver Ozogany.
 
United States

• Nathan Bienstock, Green Bay Gamblers, D
• Nick Bogas, Waterloo Black Hawks, D*
• Aidan Hesse, Sioux Falls Stampede, G
• Jack Hextall, Youngstown Phantoms, F*
• Nikita Klepov, Sioux City Musketeers, F*
• Brady Knowling, NTDP, G
• Kade Meyer, Waterloo Black Hawks, D
• Zaide Penner, Fargo Force, D
• Luke Puchner, Lincoln Stars, F**
• Kaenan Smith, NTDP/Sioux Falls Stampede, G,
• Blake Zielinski, Des Moines Buccaneers, F 

Canada

• Callum Croskery, Chicago Streel, D*
• Tynan Lawrence, Muskegon Lumberjacks, F
• Adam Valentini, Chicago Steel, F*

Germany

• Max Penkin, Muskegon Lumberjacks, F**

Switzerland

• Jonah Neuenschwander, Lincoln Stars, F**

Slovakia

• Matus Lukacik, Tri-City Storm, F**
• Alexej Kubát, Sioux City Musketeers, F**
• Oliver Ozogany, Tri-City Storm, F***
• Kristian Reznicak, Muskegon Lumberjacks, F**
• Tibor Baran, Tri-City Storm, D**

*USHL Alumni
**Prospect
***Tender
 
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.