Halifax receives Martti-Veikko Rotsa and a Year 5, second round pick.

By: Cape Cod Stingrays @capecodstingrays / CapeCodStingrays.com

March 29, 2024

New Bedford, Mass. – Cape Cod Stingrays General Manager Alex Berard announced today, March 19th, that the team has acquired goaltender Terrance Audet from the Halifax Chaos in exchange for forward Martti-Veikko Rotsa and a Year 5, second round pick.

Audet, 27, has appeared in 27 games for the Chaos in Year 1 and 2, recording 14-10-2 record with a 0.912 save percentage and a 3.11 goals against average. The Canadian native was originally selected by Halifax in the 6th round (125th overall) of the 2023 Inaugural Player Dispersal Draft.

Rotsa, 20, has skated 8 games for the Stingrays in two seasons, tallying 1 goal. Rotsa also skated 110 games for the farm organization in two seasons, the Cape Elizabeth Schooners tallying 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points and a plus-two rating. The Finnish native was acquired by Cape Cod in the 12th round (277th overall) of the 2023 Inaugural Player Dispersal Draft. Rotsa was an integral part in the Cape Elizabeth championship run in Year 1, contributing with 5 goals and 5 assists in 19 playoff games.

Motor City receives Johnny Leclair and Terence Bruneau.

By: Cape Cod Stingrays @capecodstingrays / CapeCodStingrays.com

March 11, 2024

New Bedford, Mass. – Cape Cod Stingrays General Manager Alex Berard announced today, March 11th, that the team has acquired forward Ike Currer from the Motor City Mustangs and a Year 4, fourth round pick in exchange for forward Terence Bruneau, defenseman Johnny Leclair.

Currer, 26, has appeared in 117 games for the Mustangs in Year 1 and 2, recording 18 goals and 32 assists for 50 points and a minus-17 rating. The American native was originally selected by Motor City in the 13th round (311st overall) of the 2023 Inaugural Player Dispersal Draft. Currer is expected to make his Stingrays debut tonight, 3/11, against division rivals New York Knights. 

Bruneau, 32, has skated 133 games for the Stingrays in two seasons, tallying 27 goals and 46 assist for 73 points and a minus-five rating. The Canadian native was acquired by Cape Cod in the 17th round (396th overall) of the 2023 Inaugural Player Dispersal Draft.

Leclair, 24, has skated 66 games for the Stingrays in Year 1, tallying 2 goals and 10 assists for 12 points and a minus-three rating. Leclair also skated 37 games for the farm organization in two seasons, the Cape Elizabeth Schooners tallying 3 goals and 11 assists for 14 points and a plus-two rating. The Canadian native went undrafted and was acquired by Cape Cod in the farm league Player Dispersal Draft.

Los Angeles receives Jerry Malmkvist, Kaj Spets, and a Year 3 fourth round pick.

By: Cape Cod Stingrays @capecodstingrays / CapeCodStingrays.com

February 13, 2024

New Bedford, Mass. – Cape Cod Stingrays General Manager Alex Berard announced today, February 13th, that the team has acquired defenseman Roman Mishuyev from the Los Angeles Dynasty in exchange for forward Jerry Malmkvist, defenseman Kaj Spets, and a Year 3 fourth round pick.

Mishuyev, 28, has appeared in 116 games for the Dynasty in Year 1 and 2, recording 19 goals and 70 assists for 89 points and a minus-5 rating. The Russian native was originally selected by Los Angeles in the third round (65th overall) of the 2023 Inaugural Player Dispersal Draft.

Malmkvist, 20, has skated 128 games for the Stingrays farm organization in two seasons, tallying 29 goals and 50 assist for 79 points and a plus-ten rating. The Sweeden native was acquired by Cape Cod in the 19th round (444th overall) of the 2023 Inaugural Player Dispersal Draft and was an integral part of the Cape Elizabeth Schooners Championship roster in Year 1.

Spets, 24, has skated 72 games for the Stingrays in two seasons, tallying 2 goals and 24 assists for 26 points and a plus-five rating. Spets also skated 26 games for the farm organization, the Cape Elizabeth Schooners tallying 3 goals and 11 assists for 14 points and a plus-10 rating. The Finland native was acquired by Cape Cod in the 11th round (252nd overall) of the 2023 Inaugural Player Dispersal Draft.

Quebec City receives Lindon Stallworth, a Year 3 second round pick, and a Year 4 fourth round pick.

By: Cape Cod Stingrays @capecodstingrays / CapeCodStingrays.com

February 8, 2024

New Bedford, Mass. – Cape Cod Stingrays General Manager Alex Berard announced today, February 8th, that the team has acquired forward Derrick Pinches from the Quebec City Harfang in exchange for forward Lindon Stallworth, a Year 3 second and a Year 4 fourth round pick.

Pinches, 23, has appeared in 110 games for the Harfangs in Year 1 and 2, recording 24 goals and 24 assists for 48 points and a plus-18 rating. The American native was originally selected by Quebec City in the fourth round (82nd overall) of the 2023 Inaugural Player Dispersal Draft.

Stallworth, 26, has skated eight games for the Stingrays in Year 2, tallying 1 goal for one point and a minus-four rating. Stallworth also skated 26 games for the farm organization, the Cape Elizabeth Schooners tallying 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points and a plus-eight rating. The American native was acquired by Cape Cod in a trade with the Halifax Chaos over the summer.

Seattle receives Year Two 3rd Round Pick.

By: Cape Cod Stingrays @capecodstingrays / CapeCodStingrays.com

October 18th, 2023

New Bedford, Mass. – Cape Cod Stingrays General Manager Alex Berard announced today, October 18, that the team has acquired defenseman Laurent Presswood from the Seattle Samurai in exchange for a Year 2 third round draft pick, pick 52 in the draft.

Presswood, 33, appeared in 78 games for the Samurai in Year 1, recording 15 goals and 38 assists for 53 points and a minus-eight rating. The Canadian native was originally selected by Seattle in the sixth round (123rd overall) of the 2023 Inaugural Player Dispersal Draft.

Last season, Presswood with fifth in defensive points, only one point behind new teammate Chipper Sammons. They were both tied in the LTLHL in defensive goals during Season 1 as well. 

Portland receives Vyacheslav Oleshko, a Year Two 2nd and 5th Round Pick, and a Year Three 1st Round Pick.

By: Cape Cod Stingrays @capecodstingrays / CapeCodStingrays.com

July 19th, 2023

New Bedford, Mass. – Cape Cod Stingrays General Manager Alex Berard announced today, July 19, that the team has acquired forward Kurt Plamqvist from the Rochester North Stars in exchange for defenseman Vyacheslav Oleshko, a Year 2 second and fifth-round draft pick and a Year 3 first-round Top 5 protected draft pick. Rochester will receive Cape Cod’s Year 4 first-round pick unprotected if Cape Cod’s Year 3 first round pick is a top 5 pick.

Plamqvist, 30, has appeared in 61 games for the North Stars in Year 1, recording 26 goals and 29 assists for 55 points and a plus-seven rating. The Swedish native was originally selected by Rochester in the seventh round (150th overall) of the 2023 Inaugural Player Dispersal Draft.

Oleshko, 20, has skated 44 games for the Stingrays in Year 1, tallying five assists for five points and a plus-two rating. The Russian native was acquired by Cape Cod in the 13th round (300th overall) of the 2023 Inaugural Player Dispersal Draft. Oleshko also played 16 games for the Cape Cod’s farm team, tallying five assists for five points with a plus-nine rating.

Laval Lead, Rest of the Division Not Far Behind

By: Alex Berard @aberard17 / https://www.ltlhl.com

June 12th, 2023

Winnipeg, Manitoba – As the All-Star game came and went, as well as all teams about to hit the 40-game mark, it’s time to look around the league to see how each team is doing in their respective divisions and conferences. Last up in the Northern Conference, the Eastern Canada Division. Three of the four teams are currently tied with 20 wins a piece, but the Laval Redbull (20-9-8) lead the division thanks to eight overtime/shootout losses. Four points behind are the Halifax Chaos (20-14-4) and the Quebec City Harfangs who trail by five points. Rounding out the division are the Saint-Lamber Maulers (16-17-5) who trial by 11 points but aren’t out of the division race or a chance to climb to the last spot in the conference playoff race.

Laval Redbull: 20-10-8 (48pts)

Home: 7-5-4 Away: 13-5-4

1st Eastern Canada Division, 2nd Northern Conference, 5th Overall

Top 3 Scorers: Charlie Derko 16-27-43 -2,

Donavon Linlithgow 14-18-32 +5,

Darel Lubanski 10-19-29 +7

Top Goalie: Kellen Trayner 12-8-4, 0.916, 2.98

Goals For: 19th 113, Goals Against: 3rd 110, Difference: +3

Powerplay: 24th 10.71%, Penalty Kill: 12th 82.14%

            A team that’s been on the seesaw of luck with multiple close games are the Eastern Canada Division leads the Laval Redbull. Through their first 38 games, they have gone to overtime or shootout in 15 of those contests, coming out victorious in seven of them. No matter what, the Redbull seem to find a way to steal at least a point again their opponent, so never count them out of a game. Inside the division they seem to be handling themselves well with an 8-3-3 record. The numbers that are a cause for concern halfway through the year that go hand in hand are the number of goals the Redbull are scoring and their powerplay. They have the worst powerplay percentage in the league with a 10.71% success rate while rating 19th in goals for.

            Even with their scoring issues, they are still led by Charlie Derko who is 5th in the LTLHL in points. General Manager Danick Bilodeau has yet to make any trades in Season 1 but with how successful they have been this year even with the lack of scoring, I’d expect a move or two for an offensive threat to help keep their division lead.

Halifax Chaos: 20-15-4 (44pts)

Home: 8-8-3 Away: 12-7-1

2nd Eastern Canada Division, 6th Northern Conference, 10th Overall

Top 3 Scorers: Creis Hohka 9-24-33 -2,

Maksim Lanlancette 15-17-32 -2,

Dominick Maclellan 15-16-31 +0

Top Goalie: Terrance Audet 7-4-1, 0.918, 2.78

Goals For: 14th 122, Goals Against: 12th 124, Difference: -2

Powerplay: 7th 21.88%, Penalty Kill: 14th 81.82%

Currently holding the last playoff spot in the Northern Conference and four points from the division leader, the Halifax Chaos have put on a good showing in the first half of Season 1. They are playing at just above a .500%-win rate with a top 10 powerplay. But even with a top 10 powerplay, the Chaos are struggling keeping the puck out of the net with a -2-goal differential. General Manager Neil Oliver did make a trade back on May 24 to try to correct this issue, acquiring Ingemar Sjoberg from the Massachusetts Militia for Presley Acton and a 2nd Round pick in Season 3. Since joining the team, Sjoberg has gone 2-2-0 with a .931 save percentage and a 2.51 goals against average.

Unfortunately, Sjoberg hasn’t been the life saver the Chaos were hoping for, as the team has gone 3-6-1 in their last 10. Something will need to click soon, because their division rivals the Quebec City Harfangs are right on their tail for the last playoff spot. Keep an eye on Oliver and the Chaos moving forward in the second half. A move or two could spark them defensively to help push them to the top of the division.

Quebec City Harfangs: 20-16-3 (43pts)

Home: 10-8-1 Away: 10-8-2

3rd Eastern Canada Division, 7th Northern Conference, 13th Overall

Top 3 Scorers: Brentt Bing 16-25-41 +10,

Dillon Salerno 21-18-39 +10,

Jake Corbin 14-12-26 +0

Top Goalie: Stephane Wazasnik 13-8-2, 0.921, 2.87

Goals For: 10th 130, Goals Against: 21st 133, Difference: -3

Powerplay: 11th 19.32%, Penalty Kill: 19th 78.26%

Just like their rivals, Quebec City also had a good start to their Season 1 campaign. The numbers are nearly identical in most statistics. But what stands out for the Harfangs against their rivals is their two leading goal scorers who are 8th and 13th respectively in the LTLHL league leaders. Brentt Bing (16-25-41) and Dillon Salerno (21-18-39) have been on a tear in the first half of Season 1 to help lead the Harfangs. Then the similarities kick in and show why the Harfangs are on the outside looking in, but not very far away. Just like the Chaos, the Harfangs also have a negative goal differential at -3. So, for them keeping the puck out of the net is also a challenge.

Quebec also has struggled of late which is why they are still hot on the Chaos’s tail for the last playoff spot, going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games. General Manager Gabriell Bossé just made his first trade of the season a few days ago so expect him to be active in the coming weeks. Defense will be the focus, especially with Kerby Shapley leading the league with plus/minus of -24.

Saint-Lambert Maulers: 16-17-5 (37pts)

Home: 9-11-2 Away: 7-6-3

4th Eastern Canada Division, 10th Northern Conference, 19th Overall

Top 3 Scorers: Artyom Zhloba 16-17-33 -7,

Steve Munslow 14-16-30 +3,

Manas Arzuev 10-18-28 -7

Top Goalie: Volmar Tarvainen 14-8-3, 0.919, 2.75

Goals For: 20th 112, Goals Against: 6th 116, Difference: -4

Powerplay: 13th 18.92%, Penalty Kill: 10th 82.56%

Unlike their division rivals, the Maulers are having no issue keeping the puck out of the net. They’re ranked 6th in the LTLHL in goals allowed but they’re struggling to score goals, ranked 20th in the LTLHL. They have four players with double digit goals and four players with 20 plus points. The Maulers are led by 23-year-old Russian center Artyom Zhloba who leads the team in goals (16) and points (33). On the backend the Maulers led by Reinhold Asp who leads the league in plus/minus with a +20 rating. Strong goaltending has also helped with Volmar Tarvainen between the pipes, holding a 14-8-3 record, with a .919 save percentage and a 2.75 goals against average.

General Manager Wes Oddan has yet to make a trade yet to his squad but an offensive goal scorer or two could get Saint-Lambert into the playoffs. In a tight division and conference race, don’t count the Maulers out. Their strong defense and a goal scorer added up top could make the Maulers a contender to watch out for in July and August.

The LTLHL Eastern Canada Division is a tight division with all four teams having a chance at either winning the division or getting in as a top six team in the conference. Expect these general managers to be active down the stretch as one specific add for each of them could get them moving in the right direction. For now, keep an eye on this division, it’ll come down to the wire in August.

Militia Running Away, Two through Four Battling in the Conference

By: Alex Berard @aberard17 / https://www.ltlhl.com

June 8th, 2023

Winnipeg, Manitoba – With the All-Star game approaching this Sunday, June 11, as well as all teams about to hit the 40-game mark, it’s time to look around the league to see how each team is doing in their respective divisions and conferences. Next up, the North East USA Division. Leading not just their division, but the best team currently in LTLHL by the Massachusetts Militia with a 26-9-3 record and 55 points. From there, the battle in the division gets closer, but the rest of the division is battling for the final playoff spot in the Northern Conference. The New York Knights (18-15-4) trail the Militia by 15 points for the division but are two points from the last playoff spot in the Northern Conference. Rounding out the division are the Maine Mighty Moose (17-16-3) and Cape Cod Stingrays (13-18-6) who are both looking to gain more ground in the Northern Conference before the trade deadline.

Massachusetts Militia: 26-9-3 (55pts)

Home: 12-5-1 Away: 14-4-2

1st North East USA Division, 1st Northern Conference, 1st Overall

Top 3 Scorers: Pavel Boyko 18-21-39 +0,

Nicolas Milliner 12-24-36 +5,

Amadeus Helm 12-13-25 +10

Top Goalie: Andrew Wiewel 14-4-2, 0.933, 2.55

Goals For: 1st 149, Goals Against: 11th 117, Difference: +32

Powerplay: 5th 23.33%, Penalty Kill: 13th 82.00%

            When you lead the league in scoring, with six players in double digit goals, have a top five powerplay in the league, and have the longest win streak of the season so far, you get the Massachusetts Militia. After a lot of question marks after the 2023 Player Dispersal Draft, the Militia quieted all the haters and general managers across the league getting off to a crazy start. Winning eight of their first 11 games and then going on a 14-game winning streak from April 22 to May 15, the Militia couldn’t be stopped. When it comes to in division competition, the Militia have dominated, going 13-2-2 in the first half.

            It hasn’t all been great though for the Militia as they have struggled of late. Once the big win streak ended, Massachusetts have won three of their last 13 games. General Manager Keith Evans made some adjustments of late, making a few trades to try to get his franchise back to their winning ways. Their start was so good that Massachusetts still leads the division, conference, and league but three teams in the Southern Conference are coming for the first-place position in the league standings.

            Still the current favorite in the league, look for the Militia and Evans to continue to make adjustments to the team to get out of their current slump, but with the number one offense in the LTLHL and goaltender Andrew Wiewel playing well, big moves down the stretch are not expected.  

New York Knights: 18-15-4 (40pts)

Home: 10-5-2 Away: 8-10-2

2nd North East USA Division, 7th Northern Conference, 14th Overall

Top 3 Scorers: Tomas Rydval 11-25-36 -4,

Dayton Presswood 12-12-24 +8,

Reinhold Lahdo 17-7-24 +0

Top Goalie: Harri-Juhani Sutelainen 10-4-3, 0.923, 2.71

Goals For: 15th 113, Goals Against: 17th 125, Difference: -12

Powerplay: 14th 18.03%, Penalty Kill: 5th 85.85%

With first place out of sight in the North East USA division for the time being, the New York Knights have gone on a strong streak of late and have put themselves in a good position in the Northern Conference standings heading into the All-Star break. The Knights have won seven of their last 10 and have a top five penalty kill in the LTLHL. The struggles for this team come from the defense, who are allowing the fifth most shots in the league. Even though their starting goalie Harri-Juhani Stuelainen has been solid allowing just under three goals a game, the defense is allowing too many shots which is making it difficult for any other goalie to come in a help the team win.

Offensively, the Knights are led by Tomas Rydval (11-25-36) and Reinhold Lahdo (17-7-24) but from there the depth is coming. They have five players with eight goals and seven players with 20 or more points. If things continue to trend in the right direction in the second half of the year, you can expect General Manager Michael Winklsteine to be active in improving the scoring depth and finding a key player to add defensively to help slow down the opposition’s shots per game and scoring.

The New York Knights should be a team to keep an eye on in the second half because at this point, anything can happen with this franchise. But for now, they’re in the playoff race, trailing the sixth seeded Halifax Chaos by two points.

Maine Mighty Moose: 17-16-3 (37pts)

Home: 7-6-3 Away: 10-10-0

3rd North East USA Division, 9th Northern Conference, 17th Overall

Top 3 Scorers: Juha-Pekka Kaukola 20-18-38 +1,

Chet Macintyre 10-20-30 +6,

Stephan Bhatia 11-17-28 +1

Top Goalie: J.T. Haggart 12-8-2, 0.903, 3.45

Goals For: 9th 125, Goals Against: 22nd 134, Difference: -9

Powerplay: 17th 15.38%, Penalty Kill: 18th 79.66%

The Maine Mighty Moose have been on quite the ride in the first season of LTLHL. On May 13, the first general manager for the franchise was relieved of his duties. The team was struggling during the first month and a half of Season 1 winning only nine of 21 games. General Manager Joe Larson took over, made a trade with the Bandits for their now second leading scorer in Chet Macintyre (10-20-30), and now are currently 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. It’s not perfect, but the necessary adjustments were made and now the Maine Mighty Moose are also in a position to make a big push in the second half of the season.

The Moose have a top 10 offense in the league, with a 20 goal scorer in Juha-Pekka Kaukola, six players with double digit goals, and nice players with 20 or more points. The glaring problem for Maine is the goaltending. Starter J.T. Haggart (12-8-2) has a winning record, but he can thank his offense for that. He’s allowing on average 3.45 goals per game with his defense only in the middle of the pack in the league on allowing shots on target. Even Maine’s backup goalie Dirke Hammers (5-8-1) is struggling, allowing on average 3.99 goals per game.

Larsen has help revamp the Maine Mighty Moose to get them in a position to make a big push for the playoffs, trailing by five points for the last playoff spot. Expect Larsen to be active at the trade deadline or even earlier to find a way to solve Maine’s goaltending issue.

Cape Cod Stingrays: 13-18-6 (32pts)

Home: 8-8-4 Away: 5-10-2

4th North East USA Division, 11th Northern Conference, 21st Overall

Top 3 Scorers: Neale Pollak 15-16-31 +0,

Albert Lager 8-21-29 -8,

Chipper Sammons 9-19-28 -2

Top Goalie: Channing Jerome 10-9-5, 0.915, 2.87

Goals For: 16th 113, Goals Against: 15th 124, Difference: -11

Powerplay: 23rd 11.67%, Penalty Kill: 20th 78.95%

Rounding out the North East USA Division is one of the unluckiest teams in LTLHL, the Cape Cod Stingrays. The Stingrays came out slow in Season 1 winning only four of their first 23 games, but out of those 23 games, Cape Cod lost 10 of those games by one goal. It took some time, but something finally clicked in the locker room and the Stingrays went on a bit of a run of late, winning five straight games from May 13 to May 19, and eight of their last 14. It appears the trade back on April 16 with the Portland Twisters has been paying off. The Stingrays received winger Ignat Mikhaltsov and defenseman Chipper Sammons, both who have played a huge part in changing the course of the season.

General Manager Alex Berard seems to be on more of the patient side of things, trusting the players he drafted and adjusting within the organization, outside of the April 16 trade, to help figure out the best way to start winning games. Now, even though they are last in the North East USA division and the bottom of the Northern Conference, with their recent winning ways, the Stingrays have put themselves back in the race for the last playoff spot, being 10 points back from the Halifax Chaos.

Cape Cod looks to continue to lean on their starting goaltender Channing Jerome (10-9-5) who has played 24 of the team’s 37 games and has been looking more comfortable of late. Expect some moves from Berard near the deadline depending on how the team can play in the next month. Fixing the powerplay and penalty kill should be the focus down the stretch.

The LTLHL North East USA Division could be won sooner than later with how hot the Militia came out to start the season and how slow the rest of the division started. But don’t sleep on the rest of the division just yet because the Northern Conference playoff race is closer than it seems. With around 40 games left for each team, a lot of movement is expected in the conference standings and a couple of these teams could squeak in by the last game of the regular season.

Three of the Four Teams Hold a Playoff Spot Halfway Through

By: Alex Berard @aberard17 / https://www.ltlhl.com

June 7th, 2023

Winnipeg, Manitoba – With the All-Star game approaching this Sunday, June 11, as well as all teams about to hit the 40-game mark, it’s time to look around the league to see how each team is doing in their respective divisions and conferences. First up, and arguably the closest division in LTLHL, the North West Division. Led by the Denver Bandits with a 20-12-4 record and 44 points, the North West Division has a three point split between the Bandits, Seattle Samurai (20-14-3), and the Portland Twisters (19-13-3). After the three-way battle for first place is the last place Edmonton Blizzard (14-20-4) who trail the division leader by 12 points.

Denver Bandits: 20-12-4 (44pts)

Home: 13-6-2 Away: 7-6-2

1st North West Division, 3rd Northern Conference, 6th Overall

Top 3 Scorers: Vladilen Kanareikin 20-21-41 +13,

Nino Hebar 14-22-36 +4,

Quinton Parsons 14-16-30 +18

Top Goalie: Karim Hogdal 16-5-2, 0.925, 2.64

Goals For: 5th 125, Goals Against: 5th 109, Difference: +16

Powerplay: 18th 14.29%, Penalty Kill: 10th 83.10%

The Bandits came out flying to start the season, winning 10 of their first 15 games. After their strong start, Denver slowed down after dealing with some injuries but were able to maintain their progress from the start of the season. Recently Denver has gone 6-2-2 in their last 10 games to continue to lead the North West Division and put them third in the Northern Conference.

General Manager Cameron Clow hasn’t been shy of making moves to improve the Bandits and their farm team affiliate early. In the first half of the first season of LTLHL, Clow has made five trades out of the 13 trades throughout the league, so he’s not afraid to make moves when things are not working for the Bandits.

The road to the playoffs looks promising for Denver but won’t easy. Division rivals Seattle and Portland are not far behind with Denver having a one-point lead on Seattle and three points on Portland. Any slip ups in the second half could be costly in a very tight conference race as well. If Denver can improve their powerplay and stay healthy while leaning on one of the top scorers in the league in Vladilen Kanareikin, the Bandits should be able to hold of their rivals and win the division.  

Seattle Samurai: 20-15-3 (43pts)

Home: 9-8-0 Away: 11-7-3

2nd North West Division, 4th Northern Conference, 7th Overall

Top 3 Scorers: Ragnvald Myntti 15-18-33 -4,

Sterling Capelle 13-19-32 +2,

Kenneth Pehrson 12-18-30 -2

Top Goalie: Ash Galvin 12-9-2, 0.911, 3.14

Goals For: 3rd 129, Goals Against: 20th 125, Difference: +4

Powerplay: 3rd 23.68%, Penalty Kill: 9th 83.33%

Another strong team in the North West Division, the Seattle Samurai also got off to a hot start, winning eight of their first 11 games. From there, it’s been a back-and-forth season picking up big divisional wins but also hitting a very big slump recently, losing six of their last eight games, with three of those losses coming within the division. Seattle currently has a 10-8-0 record inside the division. Some injuries of late have also hindered the Samurai but all four players currently on the Injured Reserve List are expected back before the All-Start break.

General Manager Clarke Stepaniuk also hasn’t been afarid to make some moves earlier on in Season 1, making three trades all in the month of May, including one in the division with the Portland Twisters.

A key concern moving forward for Seattle is keeping the puck out of the net. Seattle is third in the LTLHL for goals for but have let up the sixth most goals in the league to date. If Stepaniuk can find a way to strengthen the defense or the goaltending, or even both, this team could be dangerous heading into the playoff push. The offense numbers are spread out well, led by Ragnvald Myntti who leads the team in goals (15) and points (33). Keep an eye on Seattle as we get closer to the trade deadline.

Portland Twisters: 19-14-3 (41pts)

Home: 9-6-2 Away: 10-8-1

3rd North West Division, 6th Northern Conference, 10th Overall

Top 3 Scorers: Maksim Rutenka 21-21-42 +4,

Daulton Millar 13-24-37 +3,

Cruz Dupont 9-16-25 +4

Top Goalie: Ludvik Lyngmo 11-8-2, 0.932, 2.41

Goals For: 11th 121, Goals Against: 11th 110, Difference: +11

Powerplay: 2nd 23.86%, Penalty Kill: 6th 84.62%

The Portland Twisters did the exact opposite as the Bandits and Samurai at getting off to a good start. Portland went 3-9-3 in the first 15 games of Season 1. It seemed like a failed Player Dispersal Draft, but after a slew of trades in April and May including trading their first-round draft pick (9th overall), Ignat Mikhaltsov who struggled in Portland, posting a 1-1-2 stat line in seven games with a -5 rating. But, since May 1, Portland has arguably been the hottest team in LTLHL, winning 16 of their last 21 games. This hot streak has kept Portland’s season alive and has put them three points from the division lead and in the last playoff spot in the Northern Conference halfway through the season.

General Manager Boston Stepaniuk is another GM in the North West Division that isn’t shy of trading, leading the way in the LTLHL with six trades out of 13 made throughout the league, including three trades being within the division. Those trade didn’t make immediate impact to the Twister’s roster but the adjustments to the roster with farm affiliate call ups and other lineup changes have helped Portland get hot and into a playoff position.

With a top goal scorer in the league in Maksim Rutenka who is second in goals (21) and tied in first in points (42) as well as the second best powerplay in the LTLHL and sixth best penalty kill, the Twisters are on a path of success, and they don’t care who gets in their way. Keep an eye out for Portland once we get closer to the trade deadline as I would expect them to try to add a goal scorer to help spread out the offense.

Edmonton Blizzard: 14-20-4 (32pts)

Home: 7-9-1 Away: 7-11-3

4th North West Division, 12th Northern Conference, 22nd Overall

Top 3 Scorers: Ali Kurakov 10-17-27 -2,

Jeremiah Plaxton 8-18-26 -10,

Lazarz Zawilinski 13-13-26 +2

Top Goalie: Levi Radmacher 8-9-2, 0.907, 3.38

Goals For: 12th 117, Goals Against: 23rd 137, Difference: -20

Powerplay: 21st 13.46%, Penalty Kill: 20th 78.95%

The Edmonton Blizzard have struggled in the first half of Season 1 and being in the hardest division in the LTLHL has not helped. Although they have held their own against all three of their division rivals going 7-7-3, they have had a hard time against the rest of the league with a 7-13-1 record. The team is led by Ali Kurakov with a 10-17-27 stat line in 38 games with a -2 rating and only have three other players with double digit goals. They’re 12th in the league in scoring but have the second to worst goals allowed, 21st ranked powerplay, and 20th ranked penalty kill.

General Manager Kelly Flewelling hasn’t made a trade yet, unlike the rest of his rival GMs in the division so expect some moves coming soon. Counting out Edmonton now is early but if something doesn’t change soon, Flewelling will have to consider being a seller come the trade deadline. Even with scoring spread out, adding another scorer on the offense to help the powerplay would be a plus but the focus for the next month should be fixing defensive issues or finding a new goaltender.

The LTLHL North West Division has the tightest race out of the six divisions in the league. Keep a close eye on this division coming down the stretch, especially right before the trade deadline on July 21. All four teams should be active, more than they already are while three of them are strong contenders to make a run in the playoffs.

By: Fraser Vaughn @stingraysbeatwriter / CapeCodStingrays.com

April 24th, 2023

New Bedford, Mass. – It was far from a perfect week for the Cape Cod Stingrays, but they were able to end the week with a win to go 1-2-1 in Week 3 and 2-8-2 on the season.

The week started with a 3-0 loss to Saint-Lambert. Even though the Stingrays outshot the Maulers in the game 31-29, they were unable to get any by Saint-Lambert's hot goaltender. Channing Jerome (1-4-1) stopped 26 of 29 shots. Cape Cod looked to turn the page the next night to only get their hearts broken in overtime, losing 3-2 to Rochester. Neale Pollak (5) and Ashton Thompson (4) scored 17 seconds apart in the third period to take the lead. Rochester later tied the game in the third and won 69 seconds into the extra frame. Jensen Pettersson (0-0-1) earned the call-up after going 4-2-0 in six games in the Farm League, with a 0.930 save percentage and a 1.84 goals-against average. He stopped 32 of 35 shots against the North Stars. On Thursday, the Stingrays had a division matchup again Maine. Goals from Tome Folke (3) and Cookie Von Tettau (1) weren’t enough as Cape Cod drops another division game 3-2. Pettersson once again got the start and stopped 40 of 43 shots. The week ended with another in-division rival, New York City Knights. Cape Cod was able to outlast the scoring fest, taking down the Knights 6-4. Newcomers from last Sunday’s trade, Chipper Sammons and Ignat Mikhaltsov both lead the Rays with a goal and assist each. Kaden Lawless (3) and Folke (4) each scored while German Tabonov (3,4) scored twice. Pettersson (1-1-1) started his third straight game for Cape Cod, earning the win with 32 saves on 36 shots.

For Week 4, Cape Cod have another four-game week with another matchup with rival Militia and three games against new competitors. Cape Cod looks to keep moving in the right direction.

4/24: @ Massachusetts Militia

4/25: vs. Los Angeles Dynasty

4/27: vs. Port City Privateers

4/29: @ Quebec City Harfang

Cape Elizabeth, Maine – The Cape Elizabeth Schooners struggled to start the week dropping their match against Rimouski 7-5 and losing in overtime the next night to Baltimore 2-1. The Cape responded in a big way taking down Traverse City 7-1 and Scranton 5-1. Leading the way on the week for the Schooners was Jonah Fountaine who scored a hat trick and had an assist on Thursday night against Traverse City. Bernt Metsasalo had a big week, with four goals and two assists as well as Benjamin Joule who had two goals and four assists. Rafal Papps made his Schooners debut this week, going 1-0-1 with a 0.932 save percentage and 1.49 goals against average on the week.

Week 4 includes a four-game schedule, highlighted by a home-and-home with Talladega Knights on Wednesday and Friday.

4/25: vs. Derry Unicorns

4/26: vs. Talladega Knights

4/28: @ Talladega Knights

4/29: vs. Scranton Kindle

By: Fraser Vaughn @stingraysbeatwriter / CapeCodStingrays.com

April 17th, 2023

New Bedford, Mass. – Another week goes by, and the Cape Cod Stingrays' struggles continue. The Stingrays went 0-3-1 on the week putting their early season record at 1-6-1.

The week started with a division matchup against the Maine Mighty Moose. The Stingrays came out slow and were able to tie the game early in the third period but were unable to hang on, losing 5-3 with goals from Ashton Thomson (3), German Tabanov (2), and Terence Bruneau (1). Channing Jerome stopped 37 of 41 shots for the Stingrays (1-3-0). The next night, they hosted division rivals Massachusetts Militia, where they again came out slow, falling 4-2. Mikhail Radeyev (1) and Tom Folke (2) scored for the Rays, with Svyatoslav Nikushkin getting the loss in net (0-2-0), stopping 35 of 39 shots. On Thursday, Cape Cod traveled to Devner once again, taking on the Bandits. The Stingrays finally had a good first period with goals from Neale Pollak (4) and newly signed free agent Yngve Hasselgren (1). A strong third period by the Bandits forced overtime where they were able to take the second point by scoring 10 seconds into overtime, winning 4-3. Bruneau (2) scored the Stingrays' third goal and Jerome (1-3-1) stopped 34 of 38 shots for the overtime loss. The last game of the week came against the Militia again, where another slow start cost the Stingrays another game, dropping their fourth game in a row, 5-3. Valdemar Toresson (1), Radeyev (2), and Bruneau (3) scored for the Rays, while Nikushkin (0-3-0) dropped his third in a row in net, stopping 30 of 35 shots. 23-year-old defenseman, Kaj Spets, made his pro league debut against the Militia on Friday night after having a strong start on the Cape Elizabeth Schooners, leading the team with five points (2-3-5).

For Week 3, Cape Cod has four straight games at home games, including three teams they have yet to face, one of which is in the Northeast USA division, and another in a division matchup against the Mighty Moose.

4/17: vs. Saint-Lambert Maulers

4/18: vs. Rochester North Stars

4/20: vs. Maine Mighty Moose

4/22: vs. New York City Knights

Cape Elizabeth, Maine – A four-week schedule brought the Cape Elizabeth Schooners to a 5-2-0 record, keeping them at the top of the East Coast Division and the Eastern Conference. The Schooners took the first game of the week against Scranton, winning 2-1. Cape Elizabeth then went on to drop two straight, 3-1 to Syracuse and 4-2 to Scranton. They bounced back to end the week on a high by taking down Syracuse on the road, 3-2. Bernt Metsasalo led the team with three goals on the week while Jensen Pettersson had another stellar week, posting a 2-1-0 record with a 1.67 goals-against average, and a 0.942 save percentage.

Week 3 includes a four-game schedule, three against new opponents, and another rematch with the Kindle.

4/17: @ Rimouski Northmen

4/18: @ Baltimore Rock

4/20: vs. Traverse City Cherry Pickers

4/21: vs. Scranton Kindle

Stingrays Acquire Ignat Mikhaltsov and Chipper Sammons from Twisters

Portland receives Jean-Francois Soehner, Yngve Hasselgren, and a Year 2 Third Round Pick

New Bedford, Mass. – Cape Cod Stingrays General Manager Alex Berard announced today, April 16, that the team has acquired forward Ignat Mikhaltsov and defenseman Chipper Sammons from the Portland Twisters in exchange for defenseman Jean-Francois Soehner, forward Yngve Hasselgren, and a Year 2 third-round draft pick.

Mikhaltsov, 29, has appeared in seven games for the Twisters in Year 1, recording one goal and one assists for two points and a minus-five rating. The Russian native was originally selected by Portland in the first round (9th overall) of the 2023 Inaugural Player Dispersal Draft.

Sammons, 35, has appeared in seven games for the Twisters in Year 1, recording two goals and one assist for three points and a minus-six rating. The United States native was originally selected by Portland in the fourth round (88thoverall) of the 2023 Inaugural Player Dispersal Draft.

Soehner, 29, has skated eight games for the Stingrays in Year 1, tallying two assists for two points and a minus-three rating. The Canadian native was acquired by Cape Cod in the 2023 Farm League Player Dispersal.

Hasselgren, 25, has skated two games for the Stingrays in Year 1, tallying one goal and one assist for two points and a minus-two rating. The Swedish native was recently acquired in free agency by the Stingrays on April 11, 2023.

By: Fraser Vaughn @stingraysbeatwriter / CapeCodStingrays.com

April 12th, 2023

New Bedford, Mass. – The first full week of the Inaugural Season is in the books, and it didn’t go the Stingray’s way. Cape Cod finished the first week with a 1-3-0 record losing three straight tough battles before getting their first win of the campaign on Saturday. Led by Albert Lager (5 assists) and Neale Pollak (3 goals), the Stingrays are looking to get back on track in Week 2.

On Monday the Stingrays battled hard in Denver but lost to the Bandits 2-1, allowing two unanswered goals in the third. The lone goal came from Kayden Lawless (1) while Channing Jerome (0-1-0) was stellar, stopping 30 of 32 shots. Cape Cod had to hit the red eye and travel across the country to Maine and take on division rivals the Maine Mighty Moose the next day. Another tough battle for the Stingrays and three goals from the Mighty Moose in the third period put the Stingrays at 0-2. Pollak scored twice with two assists from Lager while Svyatoslav Nikushkin (0-1-0) stopped 24 of 30 shots. Friday night was opening night in New Bedford, Massachusetts at Nantucket Arena where the Stingrays took on the Seattle Samurai. Cape Cod came out flying scoring two goals in the first period by Kayden Lawless (2) and German Tabanov (1). Seattle responded scoring three unanswered in the final 40 minutes to take the win and put the Stingrays at 0-3. Channing Jerome (0-2-0) stopped 19 of 22 shots. Cape Cod hosted the Miami Trident the following night for the last game of the week. Four goals in the final 40 minutes gave the Stingrays their first win of the season. Led by Ashton Thomson (2) who had two goals, Lager who had another two assists, and goals from Pollak (3), Sondre Risoy (1), and Tom Folke (1). Channing Jerome (1-2-0) was strong again, stopping 27 of 30 shots. The week was not all lost, the Stingrays were strong on the penalty kill, going six for six in four games.

For Week 2, Cape Cod has another four-game schedule, including a rematch with the Bandits and Mighty Moose and two games against in-state rivals the Massachusetts Militia.

4/10: @ Maine Mighty Moose

4/11: vs. Massachusetts Militia

4/13: @ Denver Bandits

4/14: @ Massachusetts Militia

Cape Elizabeth, Maine – Unlike the pro team, the Cape Elizabeth Schooners came out flying in the opening week of the season. The Schooners took down the Scranton Kindle 5-3, the Syracuse Comets 3-1, and the Derry Unicorns 4-0. The Schooners were led by defenseman Kaj Spets (2-2-4), and defenseman Johnny Leclair (1-3-4), while goaltender Jensen Pettersson won two games, shutting out the Unicorns.

Week 2 includes a four-game week that includes rematches with the Comets and two games against the Kindle.

4/10: vs. Scranton Kindle

4/12: @ Syracuse Comets

4/13: vs. Scranton Kindle

4/15: @ Syracuse Comets

By: Fraser Vaughn @stingraysbeatwriter / CapeCodStingrays.com

March 5th, 2023

New Bedford, Mass. – After 10 days, 20 rounds, and countless hours of research and scouting, the Cape Cod Stingrays organization has selected 20 players to begin their journey in the Inaugural Season of Light the Lamp Hockey League (LTLHL). General Manager, Alex Berard commented on the draft, saying “Our team scouted diligently, and we liked the players we were able to select. Our strategy had to shift slightly, but the main focus of how we wanted to build our team didn’t change. We were able to select some really good leaders, a few veterans, and a handful of rookies. I think we have something special here for Season One and for seasons to come.” 

The Stingrays were selecting 12th overall in the 24-team snake draft and started by drafting Albert Lager, a 26-year-old, left winger from Sweden. Lager has everything you could ask for in a player and at the age of 26, Lager can become a cornerstone player for the Stingrays for years to come. When asked, Berard said “I’m honestly shocked Lager fell to us at 12, we had eyes on him but weren’t expecting much come day one. I’m very glad we were able to draft a player like him. I look forward to watching him grow as a player in this organization.” Even with a small stature (five foot nine inches, 184 pounds), he has the speed, skill, and scoring touch to be an elite player in the LTLHL for years to come.

On day two, the organization made three more selections, and all three just like Lager, have an opportunity to succeed from the start in LTLHL. In the second round, Cape Cod selected 25-year-old center, Neale Pollak from the United States of America. In the third round, the organization selected 28-year-old right winger, Tom Folke, also from Sweden. Pollak and Folke are projected to play an extensive amount of time on the first line with Lager as all three looks to complement each other night in and night out. The last pick of day two ended with Cape Cod selecting their first defenseman, German-born Irmin Rosner. At 27 years old, Rosner looks to lead the back end with his lockdown defensive skill and elite passing ability.

Below is the full list of draft picks that the organization made in the league’s Inaugural Dispersal Draft. More information on each player can be found on the league’s website, https://www.ltlhl.com/team.php?team=18.

1st Round (Pick 12)                Albert Lager (Left Wing)

2nd Round (Pick 37)               Neale Pollak (Center)

3rd Round (Pick 60)               Tom Folke (Right Wing)

4th Round (Pick 85)               Irmin Rosner (Defense)

5th Round (Pick 108)             Jonah Keitaanranta (Defense)

6th Round (Pick 133)             Ashton Thomson (Center)

7th Round (Pick 156)             Jensen Pettersson (Goalie)

8th Round (Pick 181)             Pascal Latonas (Defense)

9th Round (Pick 204)             German Tabanov (Right Wing)

10th Round (Pick 229)           Vlademar Toresson (Left Wing)

11th Round (Pick 253)           Kaj Spets (Defense)

12th Round (Pick 277)           Martti-Veikko Rotsa (Center)

13th Round (Pick 300)           Vyacheslav Oleshko (Defense)

14th Round (Pick 325)           Brook Babcock (Left Wing)

15th Round (Pick 348)           Channing Jerome (Goalie)

16th Round (Pick 373)           Mikhail Radeyev (Center)

17th Round (Pick 396)           Terence Bruneau (Left Wing)

18th Round (Pick 421)           Kazimir Papazov (Defense)

19th Round (Pick 444)           Jerry Malmkvist (Left Wing)

20th Round (Pick 469)           Orjan Severin (Left Wing)

By: Alex Berard @aberard17 / https://www.ltlhl.com

Winnipeg, Manitoba – The time has finally come! We are roughly 24 hours away from the first round of the Light the Lamp Hockey League (LTLHL) Player Dispersal Draft! From what started from just a conversation in November 2022 to now having 24 General Managers from across North America eager to begin drafting their teams. The Player Dispersal Draft will consist of 20 rounds stretched out between 10 days, 480 picks to be exact. Each team will plan to select 12 forwards, six defensemen, and two goalies to fill out their 20-man starting rosters. After, another 25 players will be randomly selected for each organization to fill out their Farm League rosters. On February 1st, the draft order was randomized, and below is the order each franchise will draft. The Player Dispersal Draft will be a snake format draft where once each franchise picks in the first round, the order will reverse for the next round, and continue to flip-flop each round after that.

#1. Maine Moose

#2. Port City Privateers

#3. Miami Trident

#4. Memphis Blues

#5. New York Knights

#6. Rochester North Stars

#7. Denver Bandits

#8. Tucson Muertos

#9. Portland Twisters

#10. Laval Redbull

#11. Saint-Lambert Maulers

#12. Cape Cod Stingrays

#13. Atlanta Royals

#14. Minnesota Dockheads

#15. Quebec City Harfang

#16. Edmonton Blizzard

#17. Los Angeles Dynasty

#18. Las Vegas High Rollers

#19. Saint Paul Razorbacks

#20. Halifax Chaos

#21. San Francisco Orcas

#22. Seattle Samurai

#23. Motor City Mustangs

#24. Massachusetts Militia

The Player Dispersal Draft will begin on Friday, 2/17 at 8 pm eastern with the completion of the first round taking roughly 45 minutes. From there, round two through four will take place throughout the afternoon on Saturday. Starting Sunday, two rounds per day will be conducted until the completion of the draft on Sunday, February 26th. Following the draft free agency and trades will open, the league-wide salary minimums and maximums will be determined, and the pre-season will kick off.

Berard Starts from Scratch in Inaugural Season

By: Fraser Vaughn @stingraysbeatwriter / CapeCodStingrays.com

February 8th, 2023

New Bedford, Mass. - Based out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, the Cape Cod Stingrays are one of 24 franchises to help start the Light the Lamp Hockey League (LTLHL). On November 19th, 2022, General Manager, Alex Berard was awarded a spot to create a franchise for LTLHL. Shortly after the Cape Cod Stingrays were born. The other 23 teams are stretched as far east as Nova Scotia, Canada, as far west as Seattle, Washington, and everything in between. Cape Cod will be representing the Northeast Division and playing in the Northern Conference. Northeast Division rivals include the Maine Mighty Moose, the New York City Knights, and the Massachusetts Militia. 

LTLHL debuts on Friday, February 17th with their Inaugural Player Dispersal Draft. Each team will have the opportunity to select the players of their choosing for 20 rounds, giving all 24 franchises an equal playing field to kick off the season and their franchise's careers. From there, 20 more players will be randomly and evenly distributed throughout the league to fill all 24 organization’s Farm League teams. When asked about the draft, Berard said “I’m excited! There are a lot of good players on the draft list, especially some that could give our organization a great starting point to build around and succeed sooner than later. I look forward to building this roster and getting our organization off on the right foot in season one.” The rosters for the Cape Cod Stingrays, as well as their affiliate Cape Elizabeth Schooners, will be finalized at the completion of the Inaugural Player Dispersal Draft that will conclude on February 26th, 2023. 

More information about the pro and farm teams will be released at a later date including coaching staff, arena information, ticket prices, game and promotional schedule, and much more.