COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Nine National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) alumni hoisted a championship trophy recently either in the American Hockey League (AHL) or ECHL, with five former NCHC players lifting the AHL’s Calder Cup with the Hershey Bears and four more winning the ECHL’s Kelly Cup with the Florida Everblades.
 
Winning the 2023 Calder Cup with the Bears were former Denver forward Henrik Borgström, former Western Michigan forward Ethen Frank, former North Dakota forward Shane Gersich, former Omaha forward Mason Morelli and former Minnesota Duluth goaltender Hunter Shepard. Shepard was named MVP of the Calder Cup Playoffs and received the Jack A. Butterfield trophy after logging three shutouts in 20 starts. Hershey defeated Coachella Valley in seven games to clinch the Calder Cup, topping the Firebirds, 3-2, in overtime on June 21 to win the series, 4-3. It was Hershey’s 12th Calder Cup championship in franchise history.
 
Back on June 9, a quartet of NCHC alumni helped the Everblades complete a four-game sweep of the Idaho Steelheads to win the 2023 Kelly Cup as ECHL Playoff champions. Those four alums include former North Dakota forward Ashton Calder, former St. Cloud State netminder Jaxon Castor, former UND goaltender Cam Johnson and former SCSU forward Blake Winiecki. Florida knocked off Idaho, 4-3, in Game 4 to complete the sweep and win the franchise’s third ever Kelly Cup, including second straight. Johnson earned the June M. Kelly Playoffs MVP award after being named MVP of the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the second straight year, becoming the first player to win the award back-to-back. Winiecki also won the Kelly Cup for a second straight season with the Everblades.
 
Borgström totaled 21 points (8g/13a) in 55 regular-season games for Hershey this season, while adding two goals and eight points in 14 playoff games en route to the title. Borgström was a two-year standout at Denver from 2016-2018, earning NCHC Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year and First-Team All-American in his two seasons of college hockey. He racked up 45 goals and 95 points in only 77 games as a Pioneer, while winning a National Championship as a freshman.
 
Frank led the Bears with 30 goals during the regular season, totaling 49 points in 57 games. He then chipped in two goals and six points in 16 Calder Cup Playoff games. Frank was a five-year star at Western Michigan from 2017-2022, serving as an assistant captain while totaling 70 goals and 118 points in 158 career games with the Broncos. He earned First-Team All-NCHC in his final season when he led the NCAA with 26 goals.
 
Gersich played in 53 regular-season games for Hershey in 2022-23, his fifth season with the team, totaling 23 points (9g/14a), while scoring a goal in six playoff appearances. A three-year standout at North Dakota from 2015-2018, Gersich compiled 43 goals and 77 points in 117 career games with UND, while winning the 2016 NCAA National Championship. He helped the Washington Capitals win a Stanley Cup back in 2018, as well.
 
Morelli suited up in 72 regular-season games in his second season with the Bears, tallying 12 goals and 41 points. During the run to the Calder Cup, the former Omaha captain chipped in five goals and 13 points in 20 postseason contests. Morelli played four years with the Omaha Mavericks from 2015-2019, serving as team captain as a senior. He racked up 77 points (37g/40a) in 120 career games at UNO, earning Second-Team All-NCHC in his final campaign.
 
Shepard posted a 20-8-5 record in net with a .916 save percentage in 33 regular-season games this year with Hershey. During the Calder Cup Playoffs, he went 14-6-0 with a .914 save percentage, a 2.27 GAA and three shutouts to earn MVP honors. Shepard was a stellar goaltender for Minnesota Duluth from 2016-2020, winning a pair of National Championships and serving as team captain as a senior. He was twice tabbed NCHC Goaltender of the Year and was a three-time All-NCHC selection, finishing his UMD career with a 76-37-5 record in 119 games. Shepard set an NCHC record with 17 career shutouts and compiled a .922 save percentage and 1.94 GAA as a Bulldog, with the latter second in NCHC history.
 
In the ECHL, Ashton Calder signed with the Everblades following his college career, playing in six regular-season games to end the 2022-23 season. He played in 17 playoff games with Florida, tallying three goals and three assists. Calder played one season at North Dakota in 2021-2022, scoring 11 goals and totaling 21 points in 34 games for the Fighting Hawks.
 
Castor also joined the Everblades late this season after finishing his career at St. Cloud State, appearing in two regular-season games and posting a .912 save percentage. He did not make an appearance during the playoffs. Castor was stellar for the Huskies in the 2023 postseason, however, backstopping SCSU to the 2023 NCHC Frozen Faceoff title and earning All-Tournament Team honors. He played four years with the Huskies varsity program from 2019-2023, playing in 42 career games, while posting a 20-16-1 record with a .910 career save percentage.
 
Johnson played every game in net for Florida during their 2023 Kelly Cup championship run en route to MVP honors, starting 22 games while going 16-4-2 with a .922 save percentage and 2.10 GAA. During the regular season, he made 55 appearances with a 26-20-4 record and a .907 save percentage. Johnson played four years at North Dakota from 2014-2018, serving as a three-year starter, including winning the 2016 NCAA National Championship with Gersich. During his time at UND, Johnson posted a 56-26-12 record in 102 games with a .914 save percentage and a 2.10 career GAA.
 
Winiecki completed his fifth full season with the Everblades in 2022-23, tallying 17 goals and 42 points in 70 regular-season games. The Florida assistant captain potted nine goals and picked up 15 points while playing in all 22 Kelly Cup Playoff games this year. Winiecki played four seasons at St. Cloud State from 2014-2018, serving as an assistant captain for the Huskies as a senior. He totaled 75 points (37g/38a) in 145 career games with the Huskies.
 
Along with the NCHC’s Calder Cup and Kelly Cup champions, the NCHC had three connections to Stanley Cup champions on the Vegas Golden Knights, with former Miami players Reilly Smith and Alec Martinez, as well as former Western Michigan forward Paul Cotter lifting the Cup.