Chorlton, Francisco, Menard Named USHL Players of the Week

Men's Ice Hockey | 9/28/2026 2:00:00 PM

Nathan Chorlton, A.J. Francisco, and Charlie Menard have been named United States Hockey League (USHL) Players of the Week for games played on or between Monday, September 21 and Sunday, September 27.

Nathan Chorlton, F, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Hometown: Hastings, Minn.
  • Led all skaters in scoring with two goals and four assists, and a +5 rating.
  • Scored twice and added an assist in Cedar Rapids' 5-2 home win against Dubuque on Friday. His six shots led all skaters, and he finished with a +3 rating.
  • Tallied three assists and was among two RoughRiders with a +2 rating in their 5-2 road win at Sioux City on Sunday. He is on a four-game point streak and leads the league in points with 10 points on three goals and seven assists.
A.J. Francisco, D, Fargo Force
Hometown: Hermantown, Minn.
NCAA Commitment: University of Notre Dame
  • Scored the game-winning goal with 2:19 left in Friday’s game to give Fargo a 3-2 loss against Waterloo.
  • Opened the scoring with a power-play goal late in the first period of the Force’s 3-2 loss to the Black Hawks on Saturday.
  • Finished with seven shots and +1 rating. He enters this weekend on a three-game point streak with two goals and two assists.
Charlie Menard, G, Waterloo Black Hawks
Hometown: Fairbanks, Alaska
NCAA Commitment: Augustana University
  • Turned aside 40 of 42 shots for a .952 save percentage in his first win of the season and first as a member of the Black Hawks, a 3-2 victory against Fargo on Friday.
  • Finished last season 9-9-2-0 with a 2.82 goals-against average and .910 save percentage for the Lincoln Stars.
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).