CHICAGO – The United States Hockey League today announced the coaches selected for the 2015 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on January 13th in Dubuque, Iowa. Mark Carlson of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Jay Varady of the Sioux City Musketeers will lead the two teams during the showcase event. 
It is the third time the League will conduct the USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, showcasing 40 of the USHL’s top players eligible for the 2015 NHL Draft. Players will compete during the event in front of scouts and personnel from all 30 NHL teams at the Mystique Community Ice Center in Dubuque as they continue their evaluations for the 2015 NHL Draft which takes place in Sunrise, Florida on June 26-27, 2015 at the BB&T Center, home of the NHL’s Florida Panthers.
The coaches for the USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game were selected based on their teams leading their respective conferences as of January 1st. Carlson has guided the RoughRiders to the USHL’s best record as they lead the Eastern Conference with a 22-8-0 mark. They opened the season winning each of their first 12 road games, setting a new USHL record for most road victories to begin a season. The team has the most players in the USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game as six RoughRiders were selected by NHL scouts to compete in the event.
Carlson also reached a personal milestone this season as he earned his 500th USHL coaching victory when the RoughRiders defeated the Sioux Falls Stampede 4-2 on October 25th, 2014. He is just the fifth coach in League history to reach the 500-win mark and just the second to do so with one team. It’s his 16th season with the RoughRiders.
It has already been a busy season for Varady who has the Musketeers on top of the Western Conference with an 18-9-3 record. Prior to the season beginning, he led the Musketeers to a bronze medal finish at the 2014 Junior Club World Cup in Ufa, Russia in August, making it three consecutive years that a USHL team has medaled in the event. Varady recently coached in another international event as he guided the U.S. Junior Select Team, made up of entirely USHL players, to a gold medal at the 2014 World Junior A Challenge last month.
It’s the second season in the USHL for Varady after leading the Musketeers to a 38-19-3 record in 2013-14, tying for the most wins by the team in the Tier 1 era (2002-present). Two of his players this season were selected by NHL scouts to compete in the USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. He also has a personal history with Dubuque as he suited up as a player for two seasons with the Fighting Saints (1995-97) and served as team captain during the 1996-97 campaign.
Two USHL coaches with connections to the host Dubuque Fighting Saints will also be joining the coaching staffs for the USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. Matt Shaw is currently in his second season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints and has led the team to a 19-7-2 record, second in the Eastern Conference. He will serve as assistant coach to Mark Carlson on Team East.
Cary Eades is in his third season with the Sioux Falls Stampede and has led them to a 15-12-3 record, fourth in the Western Conference. He began his USHL coaching career by spending two seasons with the Dubuque Fighting Saints (1991-93) and compiling a 57-32-7 record. He will serve as assistant coach to Jay Varady on Team West.
In addition to the coaching staff, Sean Murdoch of the Dubuque Fighting Saints (2nd season) will serve as athletic trainer for Team East while Trevor Heinzerling of the Dubuque Fighting Saints (1st season) is serving as equipment manager. Bill Nervig of the Omaha Lancers, currently in his 16th season with the organization, will serve as the athletic trainer and equipment manager for Team West in the event.
You must be logged in to post a comment.