Men's Ice Hockey | 4/21/2026 12:00:00 PM

Forward Alex Pelletier of the Lincoln Stars has been named United States Hockey League (USHL) Forward of the Year, the league announced on Tuesday.

Pelletier delivered one of the top offensive seasons in the USHL, tallying 48 goals and 37 assists in 59 games to rank among the league leaders in scoring. His 48-goal season tied Matt Coronato (Chicago Steel: 2020-21) for the second-most in USHL Tier-1 history. The Boston College commit and West Hartford, Conn. native averaged 1.44 points per game, most among skaters who played the full USHL season. His 270 shots led the league by a wide margin, and his +17 rating was second-best among Stars forwards.

Pelletier is a finalist for USHL Player of the Year, which will be announced on Wednesday, April 22. All end-of-season league award winners were nominated and voted upon by team general managers. Recent winners of the USHL Forward of the Year award include Will Zellers (Green Bay Gamblers), Mac Swanson (Fargo Force), and Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel).

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 nine of the last 10 Hobey Baker Award winners, including Macklin Celebrini.

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, Kyle Connor, Jeremy Swayman, and Johnny Gaudreau.