Riverkings find success in Chicago

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings arrived at Summit Ice Center ready to take on some of the USPHL’s top teams at the 2025 Chicago Showcase. The team played four games in three days, facing the Metro Jets, Fort Wayne Spacemen, Battle Creek Kernels and the Cincinnati Cyclones.
Showcases bring together teams from across the league, giving teams the opportunity to play opponents they don’t ordinarily have a chance to play against. The showcase game formats are also different from regular season games in that they have two 25-minute periods instead of the traditional three 20-minute periods. The format is intended to allow more games to be played. The large concentration of games attracts recruiters from all over the country and provides an opportunity for players to showcase their skills and capabilities to the scouts and college coaches in attendance.
The Riverkings drew the Metro Jets for their showcase opener on Dec. 13. The Metro Jets are currently in fourth place (second place by win percentage) in the Great Lakes Division with a post-showcase record of 21-4-0-1. The home team Jets outshot the Riverkings 31 to 23 and made those shots count, scoring their first goal at 12:47 of the first period. The Jets would open up a two-goal lead (7:26) until Riverkings Forward Mikhail Ilyan put one in the back of the net just over a minute later. The second period kicked off with the Jets getting two early goals. Felix Ahlstrand added a goal for the Riverkings but with more than 18 minutes remaining, neither team would add to their tally and the Jets earned the 4-2 victory.
The Riverkings had two games scheduled on day two with the first game coming against the Midwest Division leading Fort Wayne Spacemen (21-5-0-0 post showcase record). The Riverkings got a wake-up call when the Spacemen jumped out to a two-goal lead with strikes from Russian players Mikhail Gorbunov (22:19) and Ivan Barnashov (13:08). But the Riverkings had a Russian of their own that would answer in force, getting a natural hat trick before the period would end. Mikhail Ilyin intercepted a pass in the offensive zone and buried the puck to pull within one (11:58). Ilyin scored again on an assist from Reilly Duke (6:21) and netted his final goal, scoring shorthanded, with 1:18 remaining in the period. That was enough to secure the win but with time winding down, Felix Ahlstrand would win a faceoff, clear the zone and simultaneously score the empty netter from deep in the defensive zone. The Riverkings went up 4-2 and secured their first win of the showcase. The goaltending effort by Jackson Gruttadauria was impressive with 68 saves on 70 shots; Fort Wayne goaltender Sumner Wood finished with 38 saves on 41 shots.
The turnaround for the next game was short and the Riverkings needed their energy to take on the Battle Creek Kernels (Great Lakes Division, post showcase record 10-18-1-0). Riverkings Forward Anderson Cornell scored his first USPHL goal late in the first period on a wrister from near the point. Cornwell’s goal would prove to be the winner, as Deaken Shaw recorded the 4-0 shutout with two second period goals added by Felix Ahlstrand and Zak Fletcher.

The final game for the Riverkings was another morning game against the Cincinnati Cyclones (post-showcase record 7-20-1-0). The Riverkings, playing in their third game in a bit more than 24 hours, were facing a hungry team from the Great Lakes Division. The Riverkings managed to squeak out a win with a lone goal late in the final period. Reilly Duke tossed in puck from the neutral zone that deflected off a Cyclones defenseman’s stick and into the net (8:25) for his first career USPHL goal. Both goalies had outstanding performances with Jackson Gruttadauria credited with the shutout facing 43 shots; Cincinnati goaltender Carson Balow would finish with 51 saves on 52 shots.
The Riverkings impressive 3-1 showcase put the team back in first place in the North Division, edging out the MN Squatch by a point. The Squatch went 2-2 in the same showcase losing to the Metro Jets (5-0) and the Fort Wayne Spacemen (2-0) and defeating the Red River Spartans (4-2) and the Cincinnati Cyclones (8-2).
The Riverkings will be off for the holidays and ready to return to action when they take on the Northwest Express Friday, Jan. 9 and Saturday, Jan. 10 in Spooner, Wis. The next home game for the Riverkings is Friday, Jan. 23 and Saturday, Jan. 24. All home games are at the South Wood County Recreation Center with puck drop at 7 p.m.