USHL 2023-24 Preview: Waterloo Black Hawks
Waterloo returns a wealth of experience at forward and in net
WATERLOO — With a 40-21-0-1 record last year, the Waterloo Black Hawks earned the most wins in a single season (40) since 2016-17 and the most points (81) since 2017-18.
Finishing with less than 70 points in three consecutive years, Waterloo got back on track in 2022-23 and added a bevy of talent at the trade deadline for their second-half and postseason push.
The Black Hawks acquired forward Miko Matikka from the Madison Capitols in January, arguably one of the two most-coveted trade targets last year. The Finnish forward gave Waterloo a much-needed boost offensively, recording 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 30 games.
Waterloo secured the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, fending off Lincoln who finished just three points back. However, the Stars ended the Black Hawks season in the second round of the Clark Cup Playoffs, taking a decisive Game 3 at Young Arena.
The Hawks will turn over much of its roster both at forward and along the blueline, but Matt Smaby's squad has a strong group of returning forwards ready to take on expanded roles and minutes in 2023-24.
“Obviously, the first thing that comes to mind is not getting the result that we wanted, which was a disappointing thing. We really liked our team and our group,” said Smaby, who will be entering his third season as Waterloo's head coach in 2023-24.
“But that aside, kind of looking back at the regular season: to tie for first in regular season wins, to make a really good push towards the end of the season, the team accomplishments that we had were great, a couple of seven-game winning streaks, that was an awesome thing, and then just kind of looking at the group and the development that individuals had.
“So, you have that kind of disappointing taste in your mouth with the end result. Obviously, every year for us the goal is to win, and we didn't do that. But there was a lot of good that happened throughout the year, and I'm proud of the work that our guys put in and proud of the development we had. There were plenty of good learning experiences for us, so for our players, for us as coaches and as an organization that we'll use to be better moving forward.”
Key Departures
Miko Matikka, F
Garrett Schifsky, F
Gavin O’Connell, F
Aaron Pionk, D
Garrett Brown, D
James Hong, F (traded to Madison)
Sam Rinzel, D
Caden Brown, F
Owen Baker, F
Ben Robertson, D
Gennadi Chaly, D (traded to Sioux Falls)
David Klee, F (traded to Muskegon)
Key Returners
Jack Spicer, G
Griffin Erdman, F
Myles Hilman, F
Gavin Lindberg, F
Gavyn Thoreson, F
Zach Bade, F
Jaedon Kerr, D
Keith McInnis, D
Key Acquisitions
Adam Zlnka, F (acquired from Sioux Falls)
Nicholas Fascia, D (acquired from Madison)
Carson Reed, D (2023 USHL Phase II Draft)
Tender Signings
None
Three Keys To 2023-24
Spicer Back For Another Year
With most teams building from the net out, the Waterloo Black Hawks are in a great spot, with Jack Spicer returning for the 2023-24 season. Waterloo’s goaltending depth was not where they wanted it to be coming into the 2022-23 season, and bringing in a guy like Spicer, who was taken in the seventh round of the 2022 USHL Phase II Draft, really solidified the room.
Emmett Croteau was initially getting the bulk of the starts in net, but as the season progressed, Spicer emerged as the featured netminder. The University of Nebraska-Omaha commit recorded a 2.99 goals-against average and .887 save percentage in his first season.
With a 21-11-1-0 record in 34 games of action, Spicer's win total was the fifth-most among all USHL netminders.
“We were short a goalie for a long time. Jack got an opportunity to jump in and take the job,” said Smaby. “I think coming in with that body of work is a good thing. The other part of it is I know Jack; he’s a hungry kid, and I think he would tell you the same thing. I think he's going to want to push to be even better than he was last year.
“We got some great results, and he improved and developed as the season went on, but I know him as a kid. He’s going to be hungry for more. For me, as a coach, knowing that coming into the season, that’s really exciting. I’m excited to see him continue taking steps and continue getting better for us.”
In addition to Spicer, the Black Hawks will look to break in two new netminders in both Calvin Vachon and Niko Goich.
Vachon joins Waterloo, having spent the last three seasons with the Shattuck St. Mary’s program. With the 18U squad last year, the 18-year-old posted outstanding numbers: a 2.00 goals-against average, a .929 save percentage, and six shutouts to go along with a 22-5-0 record. He also represented Team USA at the 2022 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, seeing action in two games.
Goich spent the last two seasons in the North American Hockey League, most recently, backstopping the Shreveport Mudbugs in 2022-23 and posting a 1.25 goals-against average and a .946 save percentage with one shutout. Despite no USHL experience, the 19-year-old netminder should be a solid complementary piece for Spicer.
New Wave of Defensemen
A significant reason why Waterloo finished tied with Fargo for the most regular-season wins (40) was because of their depth on the back end. The Black Hawks’ group of defensemen — players like Aaron Pionk, Garrett Brown, Sam Rinzel, Ben Robertson, and Gennadi Chaly — brought a unique combination of size and skill that served as the backbone for the 2022-23 roster.
With most of those players moving on, the Black Hawks will break in a new D corps, except for a few key players.
Keith McInnis, who was limited to just nine games in 2022-23, is back. The North Dakota commit is hoping for better luck on the injury front, and he will provide experience and guidance for the younger guys coming in.
Jaedon Kerr played really well in his first season with the Black Hawks in 2022-23, collecting 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) in 58 games played. He also displayed tremendous leadership qualitites, something he will be expected to do more of this year.
The Black Hawks certainly have a lot of potential in the next wave of blueliners.
Carson Reed joins the team this year having spent 2022-23 with the Niverville Nighthawks of the MJHL, recording 26 points (five goals, 21 assists) in 50 games. As a 19-year-old first-year player, Reed also brings tremendous size to the Black Hawks’ blueline, standing at 6-foot-2 and 181 pounds.
While he will be new to the Black Hawks, Hayden Lacquette comes into the organization already at 20 years of age, having spent the 2022-23 season with the MJHL’s Portage Terriers. Lacquette was one of the more offensively gifted defensemen, recording 15 goals and 39 assists in 54 games. His 54 points were the most among D men in the league.
Over the summer, Waterloo bolstered their blueline with some USHL experience, adding Nicholas Fascia from the Madison Capitols. The Penn State commit is more of a defensive-minded defenseman, contributing just four points (one goal, three assists) in 31 games a season ago.
“I think the exciting part is it's a lot of new faces,” Smaby said of the D corps this year. “The other exciting part is our players should be in good spots for an opportunity with so many guys going out the door, and that's a really good thing.
“Obviously, excited for the guys we have coming in. What it looks like will kind of be dependent on who takes it and earns it, and I think that’s a really exciting thing to have a little bit of healthy competition for some of the opportunities that are there for our D corps. All in all, we really like the group that we got back there. We think they're going to continue getting better as the season goes on.”
Strong Group of Returning Forwards
Despite a considerable turnover from last year’s roster, the Waterloo Black Hawks will return a number of experienced forwards in 2023-24.
The Hawks see their top-three forwards in Matikka, Garrett Schifsky, and Gavin O’Connell move on to the NCAA; however, there is plenty of excitement with Griffin Erdman, Gavin Lindberg, Myles Hilman, and Gavyn Thoreson, among others, returning for at least one more year.
After seeing just three games of action in 2021-22, Erdman exploded for 41 points (18 goals, 23 assists) and played in all 62 games for Waterloo last year. The Northeastern commit played really well in the second half, recording 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists) and adding five points in three playoffs games as well.
Lindberg seemed to be there when Waterloo needed someone to step up in 2022-23, recording four game-winning goals. Overall, the Colorado College commit tallied 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) in 58 games, with 15 points coming after the holiday break.
Hilman and Thoreson finished in a similar boat in terms of production, scoring 25 and 23 points, respectively. Both should be in line for increased roles in 2023-24.
While James Hong and his 25 points from last season were traded to Madison for help on defense, Waterloo made a smart trade with Sioux Falls, acquiring forward Adam Zlnka. The 19-year-old, drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the seventh round, 204th overall, in the 2022 NHL Draft had a strong first full season in the USHL, recording 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) in 56 games.
Zlnka played in 10 games for the Herd in 2021-22, potting four points over that span, so, in essence, it is like the Black Hawks are getting a third-year player in the Slovakian forward, who figures to be a big piece of the team’s production this year.
So, while losing the top guys from last year is something Waterloo must compensate, there is reason for excitement around Young Arena heading into 2023-24.
“The base of the forwards we have coming back, we have some experience, but we also have some high character in those kids coming back,” said Smaby. “So, all the new guys coming in, guys maybe outside the organization, I know (the returning group) is going to drive the ship as far as the work goes and as far as setting the standard for our culture — they are familiar with the system, they know those details.
“I'm really excited for those guys to have them back and be a big part of what we are going to do. Those guys are going to push to continue to get better,” Smaby continued. “I think we’ve got a really solid base up front and some really exciting pieces coming in. In talking amongst the staff, we are really excited with the group we’ve got and can’t wait to get going.”