NCHC Players of the Month Archive

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Closing out the 2021 calendar year strong, a pair of Pioneers and one Western Michigan Bronco have garnered National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) monthly honors for December. Denver senior forward Brett Stapley earned NCHC Player of the Month, while his fellow forward teammate Carter Mazur repeated as Rookie of the Month. Western Michigan junior netminder Brandon Bussi has been named Goaltender of the Month.

This is the first career NCHC monthly honor for both Stapley and Bussi, while Mazur was also the November NCHC Rookie of the Month. Bussi becomes the first WMU goalie to ever earn NCHC Goaltender of the Month honors, while Denver has now claimed all three NCHC Rookie of the Month honors so far this season.

Player of the Month

Brett Stapley, Denver
Senior Forward
Campbell River, B.C.

Stapley had the best month of his career to finish off 2021, compiling nine points in five games to lead all NCHC players in December scoring and helping Denver to a 4-1-0 record. The Montreal Canadiens draft pick potted five goals in the month, again leading NCHC skaters in December, while dishing out four assists. Stapley recorded three multi-point games in December and had a point in four of his five games.

Stapley started December with a bang, tallying a career-high four points in a 6-2 win at Arizona State on Dec. 3, including his first collegiate hat trick. He tacked on another goal and assist in the series finale with ASU to earn NCHC Forward of the Week honors. Stapley dished out an assist in a win at No. 5 Minnesota Duluth Dec. 10, before ending 2021 with his first career game-winning goal and adding an assist in a win over Alaska on New Year’s Eve. He again earned Forward of the Week honors for his work against the Nanooks.

Stapley fired 16 shots on goal in December and posted a +5 plus/minus, with two of his five goals coming on the power play. On the season, Stapley is tied for second on his team with 22 points (8g/14a) in 18 games.

Stapley is now eligible for Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) National Player of the Month, which will be announced on Wednesday.

Goaltender of the Month

Brandon Bussi, Western Michigan
Junior Goaltender
Sound Beach, N.Y.

Bussi was rock solid in goal for the Broncos in December, posting a 4-1-0 record with a .928 save percentage and a 2.02 goals-against average as WMU ascended to a No. 3 national ranking, its highest in program history. His .928 save percentage led all NCHC netminders in the month, as he stopped 127 of the 137 shots he faced. Of his 10 goals allowed, only seven were even strength and three were power-play goals. Bussi also collected a pair of assists in December to help the WMU offense.

Bussi opened December backstopping WMU to a sweep at rival Miami Dec. 3-4, making 28 saves in the opener and 18 saves a night later. He also handed out his first assist in the opener at Miami. A weekend later, he compiled 28 saves in a win over No. 14 Omaha and made 25 more stops in a tough-luck, 1-0 loss in the series finale. Bussi was at his best to close out 2021, turning aside 28 of 29 shots in a 3-1 win at Michigan State in the Great Lakes Invitational on Dec. 29. In that game, he stopped a penalty shot and doled out his other assist of the month, helping him earn NCHC Co-Goaltender of the Week honors.

On the season, Bussi is 14-5-0 with a .916 save percentage and a 2.39 GAA, both of which rank fourth in the NCHC.

Bussi is now eligible for Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) National Goaltender of the Month, which will be announced on Wednesday.

ROOKIE OF THE MONTH

Carter Mazur, Denver
Freshman Forward
Jackson, Mich.

Mazur continued his strong freshman campaign, leading all NCHC rookies with eight points in five December games. He scored two goals and dished out six assists in the month, the most of any NCHC player in December. The Detroit Red Wings draft pick had at least one assist in all five games last month, while recording three multi-point games as part of a nine-game point streak that carried over from November. He was +5 in the month of December, as well.

Mazur opened December with a pair of assists in a 6-2 victory at Arizona State on Dec. 3, then tallied a goal and an assist in a 7-1 win to cap the sweep. The following weekend, the forward notched three points in a split at No. 5 Minnesota Duluth with an assist each night and a goal in defeat. Mazur then capped his month and 2021 with an assist in a 7-2 win over Alaska on New Year’s Eve.

On the season, Mazur has 18 points (9g/9a) in 18 games, with his nine goals tying for the most among any NCAA rookie along with his teammate, Massimo Rizzo.

Mazur is now eligible for Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) National Rookie of the Month, which will be announced on Wednesday.

OTHER NOMINEES:

Player of the Month
Easton Brodzinski, Sr., F, SCSU
Gavin Hain, Sr., F, UND

Goaltender of the Month
Magnus Chrona, Jr., Denver
Isaiah Saville, Jr., Omaha

Rookie of the Month
Jakob Hellsten, G, UND

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