Betzold, Grimes, Axelsson Named Players of the Week

Men's Ice Hockey | 3/16/2026 2:00:00 PM

Ryder Betzold, Matthew Grimes, and Carl Axelsson have been named United States Hockey League (USHL) players of the week for games played on or between Monday, March 9, and Sunday, March 15.

Ryder Betzold, F, Sioux Falls Stampede
NCAA Commitment:  Arizona State University
  • Shared the lead for scoring among USHL forwards with a goal and four assists in a pair of wins for the Western Conference-leading Stampede.
  • Scored one goal and had three assists in Sioux Falls 6-4 win at Sioux City on Friday.
  • Notched another helper in the Stampede’s 4-1 victory on the road against Lincoln to mark an 11-game road winning streak for Sioux Falls, the longest in team history.
  • Finished the weekend with five shots and a +5 rating.
Matthew Grimes, D, Sioux Falls Stampede
NCAA Commitment: University of Minnesota
  • Had two assists and five shots in the Stampede’s 6-4 win against Sioux City.
  • Scored in Sioux Falls’ second victory of the weekend, a 4-1 road win at Lincoln, to extend his point streak to five games. He has two goals and five assists in the stretch.
  • Finished with six shots and a +5 rating.
Carl Axelsson, G, Muskegon Lumberjacks
NCAA Commitment: University of Minnesota Duluth
  • Went 2-0-0-0 on the weekend with a 1.50 goals against average and a .912 save percentage.
  • Stopped 18 of 19 shots in Muskegon’s 4-1 win against Chicago on Friday, then turned aside 21 of 23 shots against the Steel on Saturday in a home-and-home series.
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 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 Auston Matthews (NTDP), Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede), and Johnny Gaudreau (Dubuque Fighting Saints).