WHAT ARE NHL POWER PLAYERS?

NHL Power Players is an initiative focused on selecting young hockey fans to help advise the League on hockey-related topics important to their generation.

Our goal is to attract more youth to the game of hockey, and for the past five seasons qualified applicants between the ages of 13-17 were chosen to be NHL Power Players. These young fans have the opportunity to have their voice heard directly by the NHL, learn about the business side of sports and develop lasting friendships with board members.

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Think you can be an NHL Power Player? Learn more about the program, and email us at [email protected] with questions, or to receive information about becoming a member.

Meet The 2023-24 NHL Power Players

Miranda Backus

Age 17 | Calgary, AB

Miranda is a 17-year-old from Calgary, Alberta. Despite living in Calgary for all her life, she is a dedicated Montréal Canadiens fan, and has been following them for 4 years. Miranda has found the hockey community to be engaging and welcoming and is excited to be a part of a team that will give new fans that same experience.

Miranda plays soccer, field hockey, and curling with her high school. When she’s not on the field or at the rink, she volunteers with her school’s basketball teams. She is passionate about sports management and hopes to pursue the business side of sports in post-secondary. Outside of sports, she can be found working to develop her high school’s first ever newspaper and playing in the school band. Miranda is excited to have this amazing opportunity to work with the NHL Power Players to help give others a positive experience in the hockey world!

Emma Bracken

Age 17 | Cary, NC

Emma has been passionately following the Hurricanes since fifth grade. She loves going to games with her family and engaging with other hockey fans online. Emma also enjoys making art, especially art centered around hockey. She markets it towards hockey fans, players, and teams and so far, has sold over 20 original works. Apart from hockey art, Emma tries to raise awareness of our impacts on the environment through art projects and local charities.

Emma is a senior in high school in Raleigh, NC. She is on the cross-country team and leads the Ethics Bowl team, book club, art club, and is editor of the school newspaper. Outside of school, she works on the junior board of Polka Dot Mama, a Melanoma charity, to help spread awareness about skin cancer. In her free time, she is an avid reader and writer when she is not watching hockey. Emma is so excited to be returning to the Power Players and to help them grow their youth fanbase!

Chloe Brinson

Age 15 | Larchmont, NY

Chloe Brinson is a second year Power Player from Larchmont, NY. She is also in her second year of playing for the U16 Bishop Kearney Selects program. Her time attending boarding school has helped her realize that not everyone is blessed with the same experiences, by joining the NHL Power Players she hopes to help make the game more inclusive and help more girls get interested in the game.

Wilson Bryant

Age 17 | Phoenix, AZ

Wilson Bryant is a senior at Brophy College Preparatory High School in Phoenix, AZ. Hello! He is a captain for his school’s varsity hockey team, an aspiring filmmaker and plans to major in this area in college next year. His YouTube channel has over 53 shorts that he has created. One of them has been nominated at the All-American High School Film Festival and will be screened at the AMC Times Square in New York City. While Wilson loves playing hockey, he is also passionate about playing the violin. He has been playing since he was three years-old, and currently plays in the orchestra at school. He is also excited about his role as President of the Black Student Union at school. It allows him to serve as a bridge to the other affinity groups on campus. Wilson looks forward to listening and learning from everyone so we can grow our awesome sport!

Dean Butler

Age 14 | New York, NY

Dean is a native New Yorker, a devoted New York Islanders fan, and a committed Tier 1 AAA hockey player, who has been playing ice hockey since before he can remember and currently plays for the Minuteman Flames U14 National team.   

A returning Power Player, Dean had the opportunity last year to attend the Winter Classic at Fenway Park as well as the Stadium Series event at Carter-Finley Stadium, both of which rank among the most exciting events of his life.  So impactful were these experiences that Dean decided to share them with others by writing an article about his time at the Stadium Series event for NHL.com Spanish-language website. Playing ice hockey has brought Dean fitness, fun, and friends, and given him the opportunity to see the world.  Dean has played hockey throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe, including at the 62nd Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, the World Selects Invitational in Prague, the Crimson Combine at Harvard University, and the Andrews International Hockey Showcase in Prince Edward Island, where he achieved his goal of earning the famed gold skate previously earned by Sid the Kid (Sidney Crosby) and numerous other NHLers, and hopes to return as a junior coach and player next summer.   

Since he doesn't think it's fair for other kids to miss out on the fun, Dean is committed to helping level the playing field so that kids living in cities, children of color, and girls all have an equal chance to enjoy hockey. 

Though hockey is Dean's passion, he also enjoys school, particularly his classes at the Groton School, and a broad range of sports including lacrosse and soccer.  He also has fun attending NHL games with his family – which grew this year with the addition of a billet brother – as well as playing with his dogs, Leo and Cooper, and gaming when time permits.

Dean is very excited to continue working with the NHL Power Players to grow the game.

Liam Caven

Age 16 | Hammonds Plains, NS

Liam is a 16-year-old returning Power Player in the 11th grade at Charles P. Allen High School. He’s been playing hockey for 12 years and playing baseball for eight. He watches many sports including baseball, football, basketball, MMA, and soccer, but hockey is his favourite. He is also a huge Montreal Canadiens fans and loves to cheer for them with his dad. He wants to be a sports journalist or broadcaster when he’s older and is always spending time learning about different sports. Hockey, and all sports in general, have taught Liam many life lessons he will use for the rest of his life. Liam is super excited for another great season with the Power Players.

Annabel Curry

Age 16 | Chestnut Hill, MA

Annabel is a junior in high school at Phillips Academy, Andover. On campus, she plays field hockey, ice hockey, and writes for the school sports newspaper. She also works with the gender studies board and the Advocates for Diverse Abilities board at school! She is a massive Bruins fan and is passionate about bringing more racial and economic diversity to the sport of hockey and the NHL fanbase!

Isaac Edelman

Age 17 | Boca Raton, FL

Isaac is a senior from Boca Raton, Florida. While he hasn’t totally gotten the hang of ice skating yet, Isaac truly enjoys watching the reigning Eastern Conference Champions, the Florida Panthers, his local team. Isaac doesn’t just watch hockey, but he loves tweeting and reporting about his favorite hockey players and teams on his Twitter and website.

In October of 2020 during Covid, Isaac created his own website FL Teams, the world’s only website that covers every single sports team in the state of Florida, both collegiately and professionally. Isaac created his website due to his love for sports media. Isaac hires and manages a team of over 20 podcasters and writers.

When Isaac is older, he would love to become a sports broadcaster or reporter. From PA Announcing to the morning announcements to writing for the school newspaper, Isaac is well known at his school for being the “Voice of West Boca”. Isaac loves attending his school sporting events to not just take in every moment, but to take photos, record videos, and to conduct his favorite part: postgame interviews. Isaac is the editor-in-chief for his high school newspaper and runs the school’s social media pages. Isaac is also the team reporter for the football team.

Isaac’s favorite moment was when he was sent to Houston to cover the Men’s Final Four (March Madness) back in March. Isaac was the youngest media member at the event, where he gained a ton of experience, made tons of connections, and got to enjoy a crazy buzzer-beater alongside 73,000 fans.

Isaac is ecstatic to bring his love for hockey in addition to his public speaking skills to the team for his first year on the NHL's Youth Advisory Board.

Taj Gervan

Age 15 | Ottawa, ON

Taj Gervan is a 15-year-old living in Ottawa, Ontario. In his free time, he’s playing CHEL with his friends, improving his hockey skills, and working on passion projects, such as his up-and-coming clothing brand. He is currently in tenth grade attending Lisgar Collegiate Institute. He has a newfound passion for photography and loves to take pictures from different angles offering a new perspective and viewpoint. That’s exactly what he plans to do being a second year Power Player!  

Being an NHL Power Player means a lot to Taj, more than words can describe. He has always had a passion for hockey ever since he watched his first game at the age of seven. Having the opportunity to contribute to the NHL, while offering different perspectives and advice is amazing! Topics like diversity, inclusion, and accessibility are important topics to Taj, and he plans to focus on them.  

Taj is a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, his favourite player is Mitch Marner. The way he makes highlight reel plays is so unique and in Taj’s opinion, no one else plays the way that he does. Taj hopes to meet up with him again during the 2023 All Star event in Toronto!

Brandon Grill

Age 15 | Toronto, ON

Brandon Grill is a Toronto Maple Leafs fan from Toronto, ON. When he first started watching hockey, he was a fan of the Boston Bruins. He has played competitive hockey since grade three and is currently a left winger on his (single A) Forest Hill Force team. Brandon has coached power skating to younger players and is a certified referee. Brandon loves being on the ice, watching and analyzing the game of hockey. The ice is his happy place for sure!

Aside from hockey, Brandon plays rep baseball and was selected for the varsity team at his high school. He is also a rep certified umpire and enjoy umpiring games. He has been on his school’s Athletic Council since grade nine and enjoys the leadership that comes with it. He has been going to overnight summer camp since grade three and is grateful to have shared these summers with wonderful friends and built lasting memories and relationships. In his downtime, Brandon likes to play video games with friends (NHL, FIFA, NFL) and watch soccer - Manchester United is his favorite team.

Volunteering is a big part of what the Grill family supports and encourages. For the last two years, Brandon coordinated a used hockey equipment drive for Indigenous Youth with an organization that delivers the items to Northern Ontario Indigenous communities. Brandon is passionate about helping everyone to have the opportunity to love and play the game as much as he does. His hockey team was able to engage our community and fill a large truck full of sticks, bags, skates, and equipment that were well received and much needed. Brandon is really looking forward to taking his passion for the game and sharing it with Power Players.

Chloe Guagliano

Age 17 | Hamilton, ON

Chloe Guagliano is a first-year Sport Management major and Division 2 hockey player at Niagara University. Growing up in a tight-knit Canadian hockey family, Chloe practically lived at the hockey arena. With every drop of the puck, hockey became a larger and larger part of Chloe’s identity. She has always been proud to be the hockey girl at her school and the “hockey stats nerd” of her friend group. When Chloe is not on the ice, she loves making graphics, creating hockey content for her Instagram page and cheering on her favourite NHL team, the Vegas Golden Knights. Chloe has worked with the Brantford 99ers, Hamilton Huskies and Mississauga Steelheads. Her goal is to become an NHL General Manager and have her name on the Stanley Cup.

Khaleela Hodge

Age 16 | Ann Arbor, MI

Khaleela Hodge is a senior in high school from Ann Arbor, Michigan. She has played hockey for most of her life and is in love with the sport. She loves the action, the speed, but most of all, the way it brings people together. When she's not playing, you can find her watching hockey games with her family/friends. She especially loves watching the New Jersey Devils and the University of Michigan hockey teams.

When she's not obsessing over the sport, you can find her reading, making digital art, or cooking.

Khaleela is super excited to be with the Power Players this season and hopes to pass her passion for hockey on to others!

Seth Hyde

Age 15 | St. John's, NL

Seth is thrilled to be returning for his second year as an NHL Power Player! This active 15-year-old is extremely passionate about hockey, and while he plays hockey with his local association, the Avalon Celtics, his love of the sport extends well beyond the rink.

During COVID, Seth started broadcasting hockey games at his local arena (DF Barnes) and doing the play-by-play for the Avalon Celtics so parents, grandparents and friends could see the games during the pandemic restrictions. His broadcasting has exploded since that first year and he is now the voice of several teams from U11A and U11AAA, to U18AAA and U21. He’s covered regular season games, playoffs, tournaments, provincials, Atlantics, gold medal games, the Danny Cleary Hockey School Showcase and is known as Seth Hyde Sport Side on social media. He also made his professional debut with the ECHL when he provided the Colour Commentary for a Newfoundland Growlers game this season alongside play-by-play announcer Chris Ballard.

Seth was the recipient of the Junior Youth of the Year Award for the City of St. John’s, as well as receiving the Jeff Babstock Community Award and Student Leadership Award at MacDonald Drive Junior High for 2022-23. During a trip to Toronto to broadcast for a St. John’s team participating in the Bauer Spring Shoot Out in May, he got to tour the SportsNet and Blue Jays studios at Rogers, meet Chris Cuthbert and Craig Simpson in the Broadcast Boost, and fist pump his precious Maple Leafs as they took to the ice to face the Florida Panthers in game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Scotiabank Arena. Seth also enjoyed the opportunity to speak at the sold-out Energy NL Conference on behalf of the Newfoundland Growlers in St. John’s and met Keynote Speaker and ESPN Broadcaster Leah Hextall.

While Seth has his sights set on pursuing Broadcasting as a career when he finishes high school, he continues to push himself to experience new things at every opportunity. Until then, he is eager to get started on yet another exciting season as an NHL Power Player!

Micah Jenkins

Age 15 | Northfield, IL

Micah Jenkins is a 15-year-old freshman at New Trier High School. He plays hockey for the North Shore Central States club team. He is a defenseman and has been playing hockey for five years but has loved the game for many more. He is a Boy Scout and is a Life rank working towards Eagle rank. His favorite video games are Assassins Creed and Apex Legends and he loves dogs.

Eva Jurcevic

Age 16 | Hillsdale, NJ

Eva Jurcevic is from Hillsdale, New Jersey. She is a lifelong Rangers fan and has been attending games at the World’s Most Famous Arena since she was six. She loves watching all sports, including football, soccer, and basketball, but hockey is by far her favorite. Eva’s passion for the sport has encouraged her to pursue a career in sports management. She is excited to learn more about League operations and contribute her ideas to spark the younger generation’s interest in hockey with the Power Players board this season!

Eva is a very passionate student and has always been involved heavily in academics. In terms of extracurricular activities, she is a captain for her school’s robotics team, working specifically on strategy, marketing, and project management. She is a student ambassador representing her school, while also providing guidance and tours to prospective students and their families. She serves as Vice President of the Slavic Baltic Cultural Society and as an active member of other clubs. Eva is also a student-athlete, both, a varsity fencer, and a golfer. Her fencing team is proud to be both district and league champions for the past 2022-2023 season.

Outside of school, Eva loves working with her community and has been an avid volunteer for a few years. When she’s not watching hockey, she enjoys spending time with my family and friends, reading, and playing tennis. She is very excited about her first season as a Power Player and am looking forward to sharing her ideas and passion for the sport with the rest of the board!

Olive Koerner

Age 17 | Gardner, KS

Olive has been a hockey fan if she can remember. She was born in Chicago, Illinois during Chicago Blackhawks championship seasons. She remembers watching them win two of their Stanley Cups. Even after she moved to Kansas City, hockey made her new home feel a little more familiar. During the height of the pandemic, she began watching NHL again and fell in love. This sparked a love for the sport that has led her to many new adventures and opportunities, including attending her first NHL game last year.

Kavan Mistry

Age 14 | Redondo Beach, CA

Kavan learned to skate at age six and hasn't looked back since. He is a huge fan of his hometown team, the Los Angeles Kings, and will recite any random fact about them (or any other teams for that matter). He plays forward for his Bantam A team, the Bay Harbor Red Wings, as well as for his JV team, the South Bay Stingrays.  Playing for both teams takes up a lot of his time, but he loves his time on the ice. Ever since he started following the NHL, his obsession has grown and grown. Through playing hockey, watching pro teams, playing NHL video games, reading, and commenting on hockey websites, participating in fantasy hockey, and teaching stats to anyone who will listen, this passion keeps him busy. It's obvious that there is motivation for him to get more fans in the stands, and he is excited for this new opportunity with the NHL Power Players. Kavan loves to analyze games as he watches them, though that commentary is much to the chagrin of most watching beside him. 

Off the ice, Kavan enjoys playing competitive chess, both online and over the board. Kavan also plays the guitar, bass guitar, and sings.  Kavan has been an honors student throughout middle school and into high school.  

Kavan loves the hockey culture, as well as the entertainment of the NHL, and can't wait to give back. He appreciates this opportunity to be a part of the Power Players to share his passion!

Jaxon Pang

Age 16 | Kapolei, HI

Jaxon Pang is a roller hockey player from Kapolei, Hawaii that has been skating for almost nine years. As a junior in high school, he absolutely loves everything about the sport of hockey, from the fast pace to the team play. Unfortunately, there are no professional sports in Hawaii, so he roots for the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks. Coming from a place that doesn’t have much hockey at all as well as being involved in a more abstract part of hockey, Jaxon brings a new perspective to the table. In his free time, he likes to play chess, piano, tennis, and basketball, alongside school, reading, making beats, and even creating/editing montage videos.

Adryana Piccolo

Age 16 | Rochester, MI

Adryana Piccolo from Rochester, Michigan, was born into a hockey loving family. She is a lifelong Reg Wings fan and enjoys going to as many games as possible with friends and family.  She loves the speed and excitement of the game!   

Adryana is currently a junior at Stoney Creek High School where she is member of the figure skating and lacrosse teams.  She is involved in Key Club and DECA. She hopes to attend the University of Michigan where she plans to major in Sports Management. Her dream is to someday work as an amateur scout for an NHL team.  Adryana is very excited to be an NHL Power Player and can’t wait to contribute her ideas and insight to the program.

Oliver Reid

Age 14 | Palo Alto, CA

Oliver is a Freshman at Palo Alto High School in California. His love of hockey took hold when he was a toddler first learning to skate. Now fourteen years old, he is captain of his bantam hockey team and spends most of his time playing hockey and cheering on the San Jose Sharks. Whenever Oliver’s not playing or watching hockey, he’s thinking about it. The local hockey community in the Bay Area is small but passionate and Oliver likes to get involved as much as possible, whether it’s refereeing games or making highlight videos for some of the teams and players in the area. Oliver’s passion for hockey grows by the day and he hopes to one day pursue a career in the sport. He is looking forward to his second season as a part of the NHL Power Players and working with this amazing group of talented kids.

Wyatt Ross

Age 14 | Land O’Lakes, FL

Wyatt is a high school freshman and has been playing ice hockey since the age of four.  He currently plays U16 travel hockey for the Tampa Bay Jr Lightning and Junior Varsity for the Cypress Creek Coyotes of the Lightning High School Hockey League (LHSHL), and he has been named captain of his travel team each of the past three seasons.  When he’s not playing hockey, he enjoys working as a sports broadcaster – an unexpected opportunity he’s been pursuing since age seven.  Wyatt has been very fortunate to have covered three NHL All Star games, the NCAA Frozen Four, and a full season each with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Rays.  He has also written several articles published in Florida Hockey Life magazine, and he was featured in local productions promoting the Art of the Brick and Infinity Room art installations.  He has also been a live in-game host for both the Lightning and Rays, and his interviews have been featured on the NHL Network and Hockey Night in Canada.  Hockey has already given Wyatt a lifetime of memories and amazing experiences, and he is thankful for this opportunity to give back to the game and share his passion with others.

Aidan Sachs

Age 17 | Bel Air, MD

Aidan is a junior at Loyola Blakefield in Towson, Maryland. He’s been a hockey fan since he first started playing hockey at the age of eight. He played mites for the Harford North Stars all the way through bantam. Aidan is a passionate Washington Capitals fan, and a fan of the Saint Louis Blues after visiting family in Saint Louis during their playoff run in 2019. Outside of hockey, Aidan plays squash for his school and is actively involved in clubs such as Cyber Security, It’s Academic, Student Government, Service and Justice Committee, and is the president of his senior class. Striving for academic success, Aidan earned the honor of the Ben Carson Scholarship this past year. Hockey has taught Aidan very important lessons about teamwork, leadership, hard work, and commitment. Aidan is very excited to be on the NHL Power Players and cannot wait to talk to others who share his love of hockey.

Dilshaan Sandhu

Age 16 | Edmonton, AB

Dilshaan Sandhu, a 16-year-old high school student residing in Edmonton, Alberta, developed a passion for hockey at an early age, cementing his allegiance as a devoted Edmonton Oilers fan over the years. Currently enrolled at Dr. Anne Anderson High School, he actively assumes leadership roles within his school community, striving to maximize his educational experience. Dilshaan's future ambitions are rooted in the realm of computer science and data analytics, where he envisions leveraging his skills to address a broad spectrum of challenges, from societal issues to the advancement of sports technologies.

Milan Shah

Age 14 | Ellicott City, MD

Milan is a 14-year-old ice hockey enthusiast from Maryland. With seven years of experience on the ice, he is a dedicated youth travel hockey player who practices hockey every day for an hour. He also enjoys playing other sports like basketball as well as golf. Milan’s passion for this sport led him to join the NHL Power Players Youth Advisory Board, where he is excited to share his opinions on different things the NHL should improve on to make the NHL’s fanbase through kids expand.

Ilan Shterenberg

Age 14 | Clarksburg, MD

Ilan is 14 years old, and he is currently a freshman in high school. He wanted to play hockey, and goalie specifically, ever since he watched his first Washington Capitals game on TV at the age of 4. He’s been playing hockey for the last 6 years, and he just started his 4th season of tier 2 travel hockey. This upcoming season Ilan will also be playing goalie for his high school hockey team. For Ilan, it is a huge honor to be a Power Player. He loves helping in the community, and referee-in-training, as well as a Young Ambassador Alumni and Mentor for the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation. As a Young Ambassador, he conceived of and executed an Independent Service Project to help raise funds for an adaptive physical therapy “Dream Bike” for a boy in need. His fundraiser raised $7,985 and received 90 donations from 87 different donors, united his community for a great cause and raised awareness of the benefits of adaptive biking for children with special needs. Ilan collaborated on this project with the Washington Capitals, as the “Dream Bike” was customized with a Capitals-themed design, and Caps’ forward Tom Wilson even helped Ilan to present the bike to its young recipient! Ilan is currently collaborating with Henrik Lundqvist, the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation, the NY Rangers, Madison Square Garden Network, and the Garden of Dreams on another adaptive physical therapy “Dream Bike” handcycle for a young NY Rangers fan because he believes that when it comes to helping others, the hockey community knows no rivalries.

Ilan’s goal as a Power Player is to help make the game more accessible for everyone, even if it’s just to be involved with the sport by watching hockey, playing video games, or playing street hockey. Ilan is also bilingual in English and Russian, and is learning French at school, so he is hoping to be able to use his skills of multilingualism to expand the NHL’s fanbase across the world. He is looking forward to the upcoming NHL season and to use his skills and talents to make hockey more accessible for everyone! One day he hopes to have an opportunity to continue being a part of the NHL, whether on or off the ice.

Doris Yuan

Age 15 | Vancouver, BC

Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, Doris has been wearing her Canucks jersey with pride since childhood, with one of her first memories being the 2011 Canucks Riot unfolding on TV. She aspires to carve her path in the world of sports media, where she can channel her love for hockey into engaging with like-minded fans and creating more hockey content for the rest of the world. Outside of hockey, Doris is in Grade 11 and attempting to complete the IB program. You can find her running her school’s athletics media pages and competing on the volleyball team. She loves giving back to the community, doing both charity fundraisers for Canuck Place Hospice as well as often volunteering for the Canucks Autism Network. Doris is looking forward to her second year in the Power Players initiative where she aims to be more involved in her local hockey community.