USHL Muskegon Lumberjacks

Jack Forwards Del Gaizo and Pekar Earn Major USHL Honors

April 30, 2018 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


MUSKEGON, MI - The United States Hockey League announced Monday that Anthony Del Gaizo of the Muskegon Lumberjacks has been named the 2018 USHL Player of the Year as determined by a vote of League general managers.

Del Gaizo, a native of Basking Ridge, NJ, led the USHL in scoring this season with 72 points (40G, 32A) and played in all 60 of Muskegon's regular season games. He led the USHL in goals (40) and tallied at least one point in 46 of the 60 games he played. Additionally, Del Gaizo recorded multiple points 21 times this season, including a span from Jan. 5 to Jan. 15 where he had multi-point efforts in five straight contests.

After starting the season with just three points (1G, 2A) in his first six games of the season, Del Gaizo consistently stuffed the stat sheet for the remainder of the year, earning at least one point in 45 of the final 54 games of the year. He recorded a six-game point streak from Dec. 31 through Jan. 15, with 15 points in that span (9G, 6A). He then exploded for a 13-game point streak from Mar. 3 through Apr. 7, with 19 points in that stretch (7G, 12A), and also had at least one point in 16 of his final 18 games of the regular season, an incredible mark of consistency. Del Gaizo finished his USHL career with exactly 100 points (53G, 47A) in 157 games from 2015-18.

Del Gaizo finishes an illustrious Lumberjacks career second all-time in goals (53), fourth all-time in points (100), second all-time in games played (157) and fourth all-time in penalty minutes (225). Anthony is the third Lumberjack to score 40 goals in a season, and only the fifth USHL player to reach that plateau since the league joined the Tier One ranks in 2002. Del Gaizo's 72 points are the second-most ever scored by a Lumberjack in a single season.

Del Gaizo is committed to the University of Massachusetts and will join his brother Marc Del Gaizo, a NHL Central Scouting-ranked blueliner, in Amherst this upcoming fall. Anthony joined Muskegon prior to the 2015-16 campaign and previously played for the New Jersey Rockets (EHL) and Delbarton School (USHS).

Del Gaizo is the first Muskegon player to be named USHL Player of the Year since current University of Minnesota forward Rem Pitlick won the award in 2015-16 and joins Pitlick as the only two players in the history of the Lumberjacks to be named USHL Player of the Year.

PEKAR NAMED ROOKIE OF YEAR

The United States Hockey league also announced Monday that Muskegon Lumberjacks forward Matej Pekar has been named the 2018 USHL Rookie of the Year as determined by a vote of League general managers.

Pekar played in 56 games with Muskegon this season, putting up an impressive 54 points (14G, 40A) in those contests. He tied for the rookie scoring lead with those 54 points, led all rookies in assists (40) and finished 10th among rookies with his 14 goals. In total, Pekar recorded 10 multi-point games and had point streaks of seven games, six games and four games. The Turnov, Czech Republic native finished second on the Lumberjacks in scoring, behind only USHL scoring leader and Player of the Year Anthony Del Gaizo.

Pekar represented the Czech Republic at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and U18 World Championship, tallying five points (1G, 4A) in six games in that tournament. He was also named to Team East for the 2018 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Pekar's 54 points on the season rank 8th in Muskegon history, and third among rookies, trailing only Collin Adams and Andrei Svechnikov.

Pekar is committed to the University of Nebraska Omaha and was recently ranked as the 55th North American skater according to NHL Central Scouting's Final Rankings, and is eligible for the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, TX. He was acquired from the Chicago Steel in a September trade and previously played for the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies (T1EHL).

Pekar is the second straight Lumberjacks player and second Muskegon player ever to win USHL Rookie of the Year, joining 2017 USHL Rookie of the Year Andrei Svechnikov.

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United States Hockey League Stories from April 30, 2018


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