All-American Game: Standouts And Recap Of The USHL's NHL Draft Showcase

PLYMOUTH, Mich. – The USHL's annual showcase of NHL draft-eligible talent was no ordinary All-Star Game – it got very competitive.

Each period saw the physicality ramp up, the intensity rise and the speed increase. Ultimately, it was Team Blue that took home the 5-4 victory over Team White in a very entertaining game, which finished with a big scrum as the buzzer sounded.

The first period was fairly even with both teams having their moments of dictating play. The back-and-forth action made for a fun period for the fans in the building. Although the score ended with both teams tied at zero after 20 minutes, each team had a glorious chance.

First, it was Team White on the power play, firing pucks all over the offensive zone. Mikey Berchild and Dayne Beuker were toying with defenders, firing passes through traffic and moving around the offensive zone.

Berchild got the puck in the slot and unleashed a heavy shot that hit Anthony Thomas Maroon in the midsection, where he caught it and seemed to flip it into the net. The goal was reviewed and disallowed, but it was almost one of the weirdest goals scored in any USHL game this season.

Team Blue seemed a bit more on-and-off with their offensive game.

Their best chance came of a beautiful rush up ice by Jamie Glance, a 2027 NHL draft-eligible member of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. Bursting by defenders, Glance got in on the goalie with a blueliner on his back and made a move to cut across the net, where Tobias Trejbal made a beautiful save with an outstretched leg.

The second period saw both teams a bit more fired up, getting engaged more physically, and it saw a few goals get in behind netminders and actually count.

It started with a great play by Berchild to get the puck back before Wyatt Cullen got in behind the defense and scored a beautiful goal from in tight to open the scoring for Team White.

It wasn't too long before Team Blue responded. Buzzing around the zone, the puck came back to the point where Logan Lutner whipped the puck on net right as Will Tomko flashed by the front, spinning and getting his stick on the biscuit to put it just by the netminder's outstretched arm. It was a tough one for goalie Will Keane to try to stop after coming in fresh off the bench, but Tomko found the back of the net, and the game was tied once again.

Team Blue continued to set the pace from that point forward.

AJ Garcia was left alone out front, and as the Team White defenders started chasing play a bit, the puck made it to Garcia, who roofed it from 10 feet out to give Blue the lead.

With Blue going on the power play late in the second, they had a chance to really take hold of the game. Instead, they allowed Cullen to get in behind the defense, where he made no mistake and floated a shot in tight over the netminder's shoulder for his second of the game.

Blue responded quickly with a goal by Brody George, but instead of taking control of the game, they merely came out of the power play with a one-goal lead, the same way they went into it.

Just before the frame expired, Team White's listed fourth line of Cullen, Beuker and Berchild went hunting once again. Berchild got to a dump-in on the forecheck, beating a defender to the puck and shielding it before cycling it into the corner for Cullen. He quickly chipped the puck off the wall to a downhill-attacking Beuker, who ripped the puck top-shelf to tie the game late in the second period.

With the score tied 3-3 to begin the third, both teams seemed to buy into the fact that, while this was a showcase game, neither team wanted to lose. The physicality amped up, and the pace of play was more consistent from both teams.

About halfway through the third period, Jack Hextall found himself in the penalty box, giving White a power play.

It started off with Blue's Will Tomko taking over shorthanded, bursting up ice for a scoring chance before chasing down his own rebound and trying to set up a teammate in front. He turned the play around again in the neutral zone, which helped Blue stave off the first minute of pressure with White not even getting setup in the offensive zone. Blue eventually killed off the power play, having generated more on the penalty kill than White did on the man advantage.

With time winding down in the game, Blue was buzzing in the offensive zone. White couldn't seem to get a handle on the puck. There were a number of chances, but Blue's defense did a good job of pinching down the wall and keeping the puck in. Their forwards overwhelmed White's defense down low as well.

AJ Fransisco walked down the wall, peeled to the inside and drew defenders in toward him. Glance came streaking down the far side, and Fransisco hit him with a perfect pass through traffic. Glane fired a one-timer from inside the dot home to take a late lead with under three minutes to go for Team Blue. They would add an empty-netter before White cut it to one again, and Blue would take home the win at the Chipotle All-American Game.

Every year at showcase events like this, a player seems to jump out and put themselves on the radar. This year, it was defender Myles Brosnan.

Primarily playing prep hockey this season, the 6-foot-1 defender looked like a player well worth a look at the NHL draft. His defensive reads and willingness to engage physically with attackers were impressive. He showed really fluid footwork and some intelligent escapability when dealing with the forecheck. A right-shot defender with decent size, good mobility, and intelligent skill? Seems like a player worth watching moving forward.

Although he isn't eligible for the NHL draft until next year, Jamie Glance was impressive all night long. He was one of Team Blue's most dangerous offensive players every time he stepped on the ice, accounting for most of their offensive generation through the first period and a half of the game. The Boston University commit has the shiftiness in tight areas and the speed in open ice to be a very impactful player.

Wyatt Cullen, have yourself a game. Throughout the match, Cullen's speed was a factor, getting in behind the defense to generate scoring chances. He scored the opening goal of the game and added a shorthanded goal, both coming in the second period. His first came on a hard, low shot by the netminder, and the second was a floater over the shoulder.

Alongside Cullen, Mikey Berchild was all over the ice in this game. Size be damned, he was winning races to pucks, beating defenders on the forecheck and advancing play for his teammates all night. Berchild was hunting the puck down throughout the night and making really smart passes. He also showed off his slick hands a number of times throughout this game, weaving by defenders in the neutral zone.

Justin Graf had a really solid night, consistently working to get pucks and finding teammates streaking to the net. He was consistently looking to apply pressure as the opposing team broke out, and he took contact to make a play a number of times. He showcased a really steady game and played at pace throughout the night.

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