Zocco, Grimes, White Named Players of the Week

General | 2/9/2026 2:00:00 PM

Thomas Zocco, Matthew Grimes, and Ajay White have been named United States Hockey League (USHL) Players of the Week for games played on or between Monday, Feb. 2, and Sunday, Feb. 8.

Thomas Zocco, F, Sioux Falls Stampede
NCAA Commitment: Merrimack College
  • Led all USHL skaters in scoring with three goals and four assists, extending his point streak to five games.
  • Scored in Sioux Falls’ 6-3 win against Green Bay on Thursday, had two goals and two assists in the Stampede’s 10-4 victory at Sioux City on Friday, then had a pair of helpers in Sioux Falls’ return home for another 6-3 win against the Gamblers on Saturday.
  • Fired 13 shots and had a +2 rating over three games.
Matthew Grimes, D, Sioux Falls Stampede
NCAA Commitment: University of Minnesota
  • Led USHL defensemen in scoring with teammate Jack Brauti, recording four points on two goals and two assists.
  • Assisted in the Stampede’s 6-3 win against Green Bay on Thursday, had a goal and an assist in its 10-4 win against the Musketeers, and scored again in its 6-3 victory against the Gamblers.
  • Finished the week with two shots and a +3 rating. With goals in back-to-back games for the first time in his career, Grimes is on a four-game point streak for the second time this season.
Ajay White, G, Fargo Force
NCAA Commitment: University of St. Thomas
  • Stopped 25 of 26 shots on Friday, backstopping Fargo to a 4-1 win against Waterloo.
  • Turned aside 23 of 24 shots to complete the Force’s sweep of the Black Hawks with a 3-1 win on Saturday.
  • Finished the week 2-0-0-0 (W-L-OTL-SOL) with a 1.00 goals against average, tying Madison’s Caleb Heil for the best mark of the week among goalies with more than one game played, and a .960 save percentage, the highest mark for any goalie with more than 65 minutes played over the week.
About the USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading junior hockey league. This season, more than 50% of NCAA Division I men's hockey players and nearly 25% of NHL players have USHL experience. The USHL has developed more than 285 direct NHL Draft picks since 2020, and eight of the last 10 Hobey Baker Award winners, including Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel).

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 90% 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 Auston Matthews (NTDP), Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede), and Johnny Gaudreau (Dubuque Fighting Saints).