Zielinski, Lantz, Feldbergs Named Players of the Week

Men's Ice Hockey | 3/23/2026 2:00:00 PM

Blake Zielinski, Reese Lantz, and Linards Feldbergs have been named United States Hockey League (USHL) players of the week for games played on or between Monday, March 16, and Sunday, March 22.

Blake Zielinski, F, Des Moines Buccaneers
NCAA Commitment:  Providence College
  • Tied for second in scoring among USHL skaters with four goals and one assist.
  • Scored in Des Moines’ 4-3 loss to Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, recorded his first career hat trick in a 5-4 loss to Fargo on Friday, and tallied an assist in the Buccaneers’ 5-1 win against the Force on Saturday.
  • Finished the weekend with nine shots and a +2 rating. He is on a six-game point streak with  six goals and five assists.
Reese Lantz, D, Omaha Lancers
  • Shared the lead among USHL defensemen in scoring with five points on one goal and four assists.
  • Registered two assists in Omaha’s 5-2 win against the NTDP U17 team on Friday, then scored and had two more helpers in the Lancers’ 10-0 win to complete the sweep of the NTDP U17 team on Saturday.
  • Finished with four shots and a +5 rating.
Linards Feldbergs, G, Sioux Falls Stampede
NCAA Commitment: Merrimack College
  • Went 3-0-0-0 on the weekend with a 1.67 goals against average and a .943 save percentage.
  • Made 32 saves in a 7-3 win at Fargo on Thursday, 32 stops in a 5-1 home win against Sioux City, and 18 saves in a 5-1 win against the Musketeers on Saturday night.
  • Tied the Stampede’s franchise record for single-season wins (34), riding a nine-game winning streak.
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).