TORONTO – The ECHL announced its All-Rookie Team for the 2024-25 season Wednesday and a trio of Canadian Junior Hockey League alumni were among the six selected.
Those three with CJHL roots are goaltender Justen Close (Kindersley Klippers/SJHL) of the Jacksonville Icemen as well as forwards Spencer Kersten (Oakville Blades/OJHL) of the Orlando Solar Bears and Kyler Kupka (Camrose Kodiaks/AJHL) of the South Carolina Stingrays.
Close was a two-time Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Goaltender of the Year recipient with Kindersley in 2017-18 & 2018-19.
He also had a career record of 58-39-13 with the Klippers along with a goals-against average of 2.57; a .922 save percentage and 11 shutouts.
From there he attended the University of Minnesota on NCAA Division I scholarship.
As for Kersten, he starred for the Oakville Blades in the Ontario Junior Hockey League for two seasons, averaging just under a point-per-game from 2017 through 2019.
In total, Kersten collected 96 points in 97 outings on 35 goals and 61 assists.
Named the recipient of the Brent Ladds Trophy as OJHL Playoff MVP in 2019, he racked up 24 points in 19 match-ups leading the Blades to the Buckland Cup, emblematic of OJHL champions. He went on to power Oakville to a Dudley-Hewitt Cup crown with a team-best seven points and a berth in the 2019 Centennial Cup.
His accomplishments earned him a NCAA D-I scholarship to Princeton before wrapping up his collegiate career at Bowling Green.
Kupka meanwhile had a stellar Alberta Junior Hockey League run in Camrose, amassing 158 points in 154 games on 72 tallies and 86 helpers.
Seven of his goals were game-winners and he also supplied 19 power play markers and five shorthanded efforts.
Kupka went on to play NCAA Division I hockey at St. Cloud State University.
Those three were among the 156 CJHL alumni who competed in the ECHL this season.
The following is the list of accomplishments each of the three had in 2024-25, courtesy of the ECHL:
GOALTENDER
Justen Close (Jacksonville Icemen) – Sported a record of 16-10-2 in 29 appearances this season. He is tied for sixth among all goaltenders with a 2.32 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage while his three shutouts are tied for fourth among rookie netminders.
FORWARDS
Spencer Kersten (Orlando Solar Bears) – Sits third among rookies with 54 points, is tied for fourth with 24 goals and ranks eighth in plus-minus at +19. His three shorthanded goals are tied for first among first-year players and tied for fifth overall in the league.
Kyler Kupka (South Carolina Stingrays) – Tied for first among rookies with 27 goals and tied for fourth with 53 points in 51 games. He is tied for the lead among first-year players with 10 power-play goals while his 17 power-play points are fifth.
Photo credits:
Close: Doug Klassen
Kersten: Spencer Smye/OJHL Images
Kupka: Camrose Kodiaks/AJHL