Four IceRays are in Pittsburgh for the 2022 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament. Nathan Butler, Jude Kurtas, Stepan Kuznetsov, and Oliver Stumpel will be competing in front of scouts at one of the league’s premier events.
Nathan Butler and Jude Kurtas will be competing on the South Division’s team that is led by New Mexico’s head coach, Phil Fox. For Butler, this is his first time at Top Prospects. He currently lead the IceRays in scoring this season with thirty points. The captain, Kurtas, went to Top Prospects last season as he represented the East division as a member of the Maryland Black Bears. They join 18 other skaters from the division in hopes of earning a place to play in the NCAA.
Stepan Kuznetsov and Oliver Stumpel will be competing on the Selects team, which is comprised of younger players in the NAHL. Both are uncommitted, which is odd for players on the Selects team as the majority of players on the team have NCAA commitments. Both Kuznetsov and Stumpel are eligible for the NHL Draft this summer. This means that not only are the two IceRays trying to show out for the NCAA scouts but also NHL scouts that will be in attendance.
Schedule
Monday, February 7th
12:30 pm CT: Selects vs. USNTDP U-17
5:30 pm CT: South Division vs. East Division
Tuesday, February 8th
8:00 am CT: Selects vs. Midwest Division
10:30 am CT: South Division vs. Central Division
