USPHL Premier Season Preview: Springfield Pics

The Nation's Premier Hockey League

USPHL Premier Season Preview: Springfield Pics

By Mike Klein / Joshua Boyd, 09/16/16, 11:00AM EDT

2015-16 regular season: 11-30-3

Head Coach: Patrick Tabb

General outlook: “We like the opportunity, as this is our first year in the Premier Division that we’ll have a good core of returning players. The last two years, we went into both years without returning players. We’re excited about the group of guys coming back.”

Key returning players: Henry Burns returns in goal. Defensemen Keenan Murray, Thomas Martyn and Chris Garrity are also back, along with forwards Hayden Smith and Scott Swanson.

Key newcomers: Nick Chaoush and Alden Weller come in with junior experience, and Nick Gravina was the leading scorer for last year’s Islanders Hockey Club USPHL Elite team.

Promoting from within: “We’re excited to bring up ’99 forwards Lukas Radina and Dominik Olszewski. Both were USPHL 16U All-Stars last year. Both guys know the league, know the culture and they know what to expect.”

Notable alumni in NCAA: Corbin McGuire (Wisconsin), Austin Orszulak (American International College)

Dan K’s Projected Finish:

Since joining the USPHL Premier following their USPHL Elite title in 2014, the Pics have won nine and 11 games in their first two Premier seasons. Head coach Patrick Tabb believes he finally has the veteran core he needs to climb up the standings and compete in the Pics' first USPHL Premier playoffs. There will be some good, young homegrown talent skating up as well to excite the NCAA (and NHL?) scouts. Like Mike Myers said in "Mystery, Alaska," "I'm loving these kids. I want to adopt them, how's that? I want to clean them up and raise them as my own."