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OCTOBER 2026 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 55 everybody before we had to make some decisions and get down to that 24-man roster," Robichaud said. New Hampshire went 3-0 during the event, as did the Lone Star Brahmas. Lone Star head coach Dan Wildfong said his players really benefit from the exposure, especially being geographically far from any Division I programs in Texas. "It 's unbelievably important for these kids to get noticed, to get on a Division I list, to get on a Division III list," Wildfong said. "It doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to get a com- mitment right away, but you get on that list, and they continue to follow you." Lone Star has a Division I commit in forward Vincenzo Capano, who committed to Army in February. Though his recruitment happened before the showcase, he gets what his teammates were going through mentally with hundreds of scouts watching. "Everyone just has to play their game," Capano said. "You can't really worry about recruiting while you're playing. You just have to do your best for the team." Fellow Lone Star forward Jackson Vaites has played in the showcase twice now, and he said it has helped him gain the atten- tion of Division I schools. He also said facing teams from different regions allows for a change of pace. "Especially playing down South and then playing teams from the East. You get to see different styles and different things that you have to overcome," Vaites said. For the scouts, it's an ideal setup to see hun- dreds of hockey play- ers in a four-day span. The Super Rink features eight hockey rinks, so scouts can see mul- tiple games in a short amount of time, and Frankfeld said the event is designed to give the scouts an easy-access opportunity to get a broad look at young talent across the country. "They like the organization; they like the service; they like the information, they like the food; they like the amount of players," Frankenfeld said. This past weekend also won't be the last trip to Blaine for a couple of teams. The NAHL will host the Robertson Cup Championship this upcoming May at Fogarty Arena, just south of the Super Rink. "The only goal we have for the sea- son is to get back to Minnesota," Erikson said. P It's the Super Bowl of showcases in the beginning of the season. — M A R K F R A N K E N F E L D er Photos Courtesy NAHL