Men's Ice Hockey | 4/23/2026 2:00:00 PM

Tony Gasparini of the Sioux Falls Stampede has been named United States Hockey League (USHL) General Manager of the Year, the league announced Thursday.

All end-of-season league award winners were nominated and voted upon by team general managers.

The Stampede finished at the top of the Western Conference with a well-balanced roster that featured a veteran presence, an injection of offense, and tremendous goaltending, finishing 43-16-3-0. Thomas Zocco, an offseason add, and Logan Renkowski, a returner, were the top scorers for the Stampede, but it was their well-rounded attack that put them in an elite class. Brent Solomon (DET) posted 53 points in his first USHL season, while 2026 NHL Draft prospect Cooper Soller and 17-year-old defenseman Jake Prunty had 49 and 37-point seasons, respectively. Solomon and Soller were drafted by Sioux Falls in 2024, and Prunty joined the Herd to make an immediate impact after being picked in last year’s Phase I Draft. In net, Gasparini’s selection of Lindards Feldbergs in the 12th round of the Phase II Draft paid dividends as the Latvian goalie posted a league-best 35 wins to pair with a 2.51 goals against average and .910 save percentage. Sioux Falls also made in-season acquisitions to bolster its roster, adding Tobias Öhman from the Chicago Steel and Brock Schultz from the Waterloo Black Hawks, among others, in preparation for a playoff run.

Recent winners of the USHL GM of the Year include Nick Fabrizio (Lincoln Stars), Cary Eades (Fargo Force), and Bryn Chyzyk (Dubuque Fighting Saints). This marks the second GM of the Year award for the Stampede, previously winning in the 1999-2000 season with Bob Motzo.

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 (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).