This is the start of the sixth decade (2020-21 / 2029-30) of Musketeer History in Pictures
If you have any picture(s) you’d like to see as part of this Musketeer History Project please send them to the
site administrator (kaptkanuk@aol.com). We will gladly research & date them and gleefully find the proper place for
your photos; making them a permanent part of Sioux City Musketeer History.
We are always seeking additional Musketeer photographs you may want to share. Any season, any player, any game;
we will find a place for your photos in this history project. You can e-mail any of your photos to the site administrator or
arrangements can be made for a convenient pick-up, safe handling and a quick return of your photo memories.
The Musketeers start their sixth decade as Members of the United States Hockey League.
The Musketeers finish the season with a 31-21-1-0 regular season record; third place in the west and sixth overall.
The Musketeers hover around the fifth & sixth slot of the west division for most of the season and by mid-March the Musketeers look
to be a non-contender in this season’s Clark Cup play-offs. However an incredible end-of-the-season 15-3 run, launches the team
in to a tie for second place.
Two Franchises are absent this season; because of extensive storm damage to the Cedar Rapids rink and Wisconsin State
Covid-19 restrictions, both the RoughRiders and the Capitols suspend operations this season.
League consists of fourteen member teams playing 54 regular season games. This season’s Dick’s Sporting Goods Fall Classic
is canceled because of Covid restrictions.
Eastern Conference: Chicago Steel, Green Bay Gamblers, Muskegon Lumberjacks, Team USA, Youngstown Phantoms,
Waterloo Black Hawks
Western Conference: Des Moines Buccaneers, Dubuque Fighting Saints, Fargo Force, Lincoln Stars, Omaha Lancers,
Sioux Falls Stampede, Tri-City Storm, Sioux City Musketeers
This season offers up many scheduling and protocol challenges due to the recent Covid pandemic. Many of the teams face postponed
and canceled games. The east and west are limited by divisional play in order to minimize player & staff travel and contact.
The Tyson Event Center, along with most other arenas face social distancing & mask compliance issue during much of the season.
Travis Morgan joins the Musketeers as the new Vice President of Game Operations and Promotions. He is expected to bring in a new
era of team, staff & fan interaction and excitement, while growing the Musketeer brand in and around Sioux City and the USHL itself.
The Musketeers start the off season with the traditional try-out camps. An invitational goalie, Futures and 40-man camps are held
July18th-23rd at the IBP Ice Center.
Musketeer Front Office Staff
Lloyd Ney Rich Zaber Travis Morgan Tanner Hoops
Long-time owner and Executive President Lloyd Ney and Vice President Rich Zaber remain a part of the traditional Musketeer
front office staff. However, Travis Morgan joins the team as the Vice President of Game Operations and Promotions. Tanner
Hoops joins the team covering all the media operations including social media, game night production and all audio & video
production.Because of the uncertainty of how covid will affect the season the Office Manager position remains unfilled.
Musketeers Coaching Staff
Luke Strand Mark Abalan Michael Berra Brady Ferner Jacqui Gutierrez Brian Collier
Head Coach Associate Assistant Assistant Athletic Equipment
Coach Coach Coach Trainer Manager
Luke Strand is back for his fourth season at the helm as Head Coach and General Manager. Long-time Associate Head
Coach and special teams’ expert Mark Abalan returns for another season. Also joining the team is Assistant Coach
Michael Berra. Past Musketeer and local player Brady Ferner joins the coaching staff while his season playing for
the PRI Engineers is delayed because of east coast covid restrictions. Athletic Trainer Jacqui Gutierrez is back for
her second season and new Equipment Manager Brian Collier starts with the Musketeers after several seasons
working for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL.
Between The Pipes
Seasoned USHL veteran Akira Schmid and rookie Alex Tracy compose this season’s goaltending duo. Together
they compose a 31-21-1 record this season placing them tied for second in the Western Conference. Both backstops
finish the season among the league’s top goaltenders in several veteran and rookie catigories.
Akira Schmid Alex Tracy
Musketeers 2019-21 Musketeers 2020-22
Akira Schmid emergs this season as the leauge’s top goaltender, and is recognized as the USHL Goaltender of the Year.
He is shortly destin for NHL success as one of the very few players making a jump from junior to the pros; playing in six
NHL games next season. Alex Tracy is also on track for his success next season, including his own records, accolades
and a post season championship.
Akira Schmid
Musketeers 2019-21
This seasoned USHL veteran has tons of experience; playing at the international level logging time for his home
country Team Switzerland and playing the last three seasons with Omaha and Sioux City. In the 2018 NHL draft, he is
selected in the fifth round by the New Jersey Devils.
Akira Schmid finishes the season with a 22-13 record, including an end of the season twelve game winning streak that
propels the Musketeers from fifth to second place. He leads all goaltenders with a .921 Save Percentage, shares the League
shut-out record with three shut-outs and surrenders an average of just two goals per game. He is selected the league’s Goalie
of the Week three times in March and another in April. Akira would go on to be the second of only two Musketeers
selected as the USHL Goaltender of the Year.
2021 USHL Goaltender of the Year
Musketeer Akira Schmid is selected as the USHL’s goaltender of the year. The Bern, Switzerland, native appeared
in thirty-six games and finished the season with a 22-13-1 record. Schmid posted the USHL’s best goals against
average (2.01) and save percentage (.921) to go along with a league leading three shut-out victories. He was selected
136th overall by New Jersey in the 2018 NHL Draft, signed an entry level contract with the Devils in late May.
Longest Winning Streak-Goalie (Season)
Musketeer’s goaltender Akira Schmid sets a Musketeer record winning twelve consecutive starts helping the Musketeers to
a 13-1 winninng streak. He would record a pair of shutouts, five one-goal outings and surrender just sixteen goals during this
streak that would launch the Musketeers into second place.
Alex Tracy
Musketeers 2020-22
Rookie Alex Tracey is assigned the Musketeers back-up duties. Prior to his first USHL season, he arrives with experience
playing for the Johnstown Tomahawks in the NAHL and three seasons paying for the Chicago Young Americans.
The rookie sees time in eighteen USHL contests; winning nine and losing seven. He would record his first USHL shut-out
on December 11th when he stopped all twenty-one attempts by the Des Moines Buccaneers. He posts a .889 save percentage
and his 2.66 goals against average is among the top seven USHL goaltenders. Alex is destin for his own success next
season winning the Clark Cup, play-off MVP award and the USA Hockey Goalie of the Year honors.
High Scorers
Chase Bradley Brian Carrabes Justin Hrychowian Ethan Edwards Shai Buium
Musketeers 20-21 Musketeers 19-21 Musketeers 20-21 Musketeers 20-21 Musketeers 19-21
Chase Bradley and Brian Carrabes lead the way this season with forty points; Chase records a team leading twenty-
two goals and Brian is one goals shy with twenty. Justin Hrychowian finishes third with seventeen red-lighters and
Ethan Edwards grabs seven goals himself with both players’ record twenty-one assists. Shai Buium rounds out the
the scoring with just four goals but a leading the team with twenty-two helpers.
Heavy Hitters
Gabe Blanchard Ethan Edwards Christian Jimenez Chase Bradely Carter Loney
Musketeers 19-21 Musketeers 20-21 Musketeers 2018-21 Musketeers 20-21 Musketeers 20-21
Returning veteran Gabe Blanchard tops the heavy hitter list this season with 113 minutes. Rookie Ethan Edwards clocks
in with ninety-six penalty minutes. Another Musketeer veteran; Christian Jimenez rounds out his three seasons in Sioux
City, adding eighty-nine minutes to his career stats. Seasoned USHL veteran Chase Bradely finishes with eighty-eight
minutes and rookie Carter Loney a distant fifth with fifty-nine minutes in the box.
Chase Bradley
Musketeers 2020-21
After playing two prior seasons for the Omaha Lancers Chase joins the Musketeers for his final season. During the prior
season with the Lancers he recorded a dozen points but also lead the team in Penalty Minutes with 77.
However, his season Chase Bradley would help carry the mail for the Musketeers; scoring a team leading twenty-one goals
and adding another eighteen assists. He would also lead the team with seven game winners as well as seven power play
goals. He is a University of Connecticut commitment and was selected by the Detroit red Wings in the 2020 draft.
Did You Know…Former Musketeer Odeen Tufto (2016-17) is selected as one of the ten finalists for the Hoby Baker
Award (NCAA’s Most Valuable Player) Playing four season for Quinnipiac College he was selected the ECAC Player
of the Year and named to the All-Conference First Team.
Akira Schmid becomes the first Musketeer goaltender making the transition from the USHL to the NHL the following season.
Drafted by the New Jersey Devils in 2018 while playing for the Omaha Lancers, he logs another season in Omaha and then
two more in Sioux City prior to joining the Devils the following season.
Jackson Nieuwendyk
Musketeers 2019-21
Last season, Jackson saw a busy rookie season playing in forty-eight regular season games. He posted his first red-lighter
against the Tri-City Sorm and added six additional assists this first season.
Returning for a second season, Jackson Nieuwendyk would see time in forty-one regular season games; notching a goal
and four assists. He would play the following to season the BCHL for the Penticton Vees before committing to play
collegiate hockey at Canisius College.
Did You Know…Jackson is the son of NHL veteran and Hall of Famer Joe Nieuwendyk. He would play twenty NHL
seasons winning three Stanley Cup Championships with the Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils. Along
the way he would win the Lady Byng Thophy, the Calder Cup and a Conn Smythe Trophy along with an Olympic
Gold Medal. In addition to his player career, Joe spent a dozen seasons on NHL coaching staffs in Florida,
Dallas and Carolina.
Mason Langenbrunner Griffin Ludtke
Musketeers 2020-21 Musketeers 2020-22
Youngster Mason Langenbrunner is a defenseman from Dallas who made a name for himself playing in Minnesota.
He joins the Musketeers to test the USHL waters, playing in four games this season. Drafted by the Boston Bruins
in the 2020 draft, he is a Minnesota High School stand-out player who is committed to play at Harvard University.
Did You Know…Mason is the son of NHL veteran Jamie Langenbrunner. He would play twenty-one NHL seasons
winning a pair of Stanley Cup Championships in 1999 with the Dallas Stars and in 2003 with the New Jersey Devils. In
2003 he would lead the NHL in play-off goals with eleven and play-off points with eighteen.
Griffin Ludtke joins the team with some past USHL experience having suited-up for two Musketeer games the previous
season. He would also finish his high school season as a Lakeville South top five scorer and top scoring defenceman.
This season he would see time in firty-three tilts; recording his first USHL red-lighter in a February 26th win over the
Lincoln Stars and adding an additional eleven regular season assists.
Joel Matta
Musketeers 2018-22
Joel Maatta the most recent player in the Musketeers Finnish pipeline. A seasoned veteran of the country’s Jokerit
organization. Last season the rookie finished among the Musketeers’ top six scorers with eleven goals and fourteen assists.
He returns for his second season with lots of veteran experience and is expected to place among the team top scorers. Joel
played in fifty-two games this season recording nine goals; including three game winners and a power play tally. His twenty
pointsput him among the top eight team scorers. He is a Michigan State University commitment.
Kirklan Irey
Musketeers 2019-22
Last season Kirklan saw a full schedule for a rookie playing in forty-five contests. He would notch six goals including
his first goal against Green Bay and first game-winner against Fargo. he would also add eleven assists.
Veteran Kirklan Irey returns for a second season with the Musketeers where he plays fifty-one games during this shortened
regular season. He records ten goals including a game winner and a power play red-lighter and and eight assists.
Brian Carrabes
Musketeers 2019-21
A late season trade made Brian a Musketeer for the remaining four games of his rookie season. Prior to that trade,
he notched eight goals and nineteen assists for the Sioux Falls Stampede playing in forty-two contests.
This season, veteran Brian Carrabes helps usher the Musketeers into the play-offs. The team’s second leading scorer would
rack-up twenty-one goals; including four game winners and four power-play tallies. Brian would also add nineteen helpers this
season; recording several multi-point games, including his best outing on December 29th when he recorded both a pair of goals
and assists in a 6-3 win over the Fargo Force. He will go on to play at Boston University after his USHL career.
Did You Know…five former Musketeers were finalists for this year’s Hoby Baker Award. This honor is presented to the
nation’s most outstanding college hockey player. Odeen Tufto, Connor Ford, Alex Steeves, Cole Koepke and Marcel
Godbout. Odeen would advance to the Hoby Baker Award’s top ten finalists.
Gabe Blanchard
Musketeers 2019-21
Last season as a rookie, Gabe finished the regular schedule with four goals and seven assists. He was also third among
the team’s penalty minute leaders with sixty-four.