The 2024-25 season is officially over for the Pennsylvania Huntsmen. This year was the first time that both teams Eastern Hockey League (EHL) and Eastern Hockey League Premier (EHLP) made the playoffs. The Huntsmen had great talent at both levels, and it led to a thrilling season.

EHL

This was the 2nd year for the Huntsmen at the EHL level. The team had a solid core of returners but a new coaching staff was in place. The Huntsmen were led by Head Coach Eric Progen and assistant coaches Ryan Bertelsen, John Musella, and Rick Walsh. Last year the team finished last in the South Division and missed the playoffs with a record of 16-27-3 and 35 points. It was a big turnaround this season. Under Progen’s leadership, the Huntsmen went 23-18-4 with 51 points finishing 3rd in the South Division and clinched a playoff spot.  

In the 1st round of the Playoffs the Huntsmen faced the New Jesey 87s. They were the two seed (33-12-1 with 67 points). The Huntsmen were swept in the best of three series which ended their season. They lost game 1 in overtime 4-3, and game 2, 7-3. It wasn’t the ending the Huntsmen wanted, but it was a season full of growth for the players and the program. Returning players such as Damon Warren and Ryan Arendes saw their production skyrocket compared to the 2023-24 season. Meanwhile, newcomers Enzo Giuliani, and David Cook were new additions that made a great impact. The leading scorers for the Huntsmen were: Ryan Arendes 28-32-60 / Damon Warren 22-23-45 / David Cook 18-24-42 / Enzo Giuliani 11-30-41, Xavier Tremblay 12-27-39, John Manzi 12-22-34 / Eddie Mirigliano 16-16-32. The Huntsmen had a great 2nd half of the season when they returned from the holiday break. At one point the Huntsmen were last in the South Division but turned the season around to earn the three seed in the South Division playoffs.

Zach Overholtzer shared his thoughts on year two and what it was like with a new coaching staff. “There’s always a ‘getting to know each other phase’. It was evident early on that Progen, Bertelsen, Musella and Walsh were true professionals. They were fully engaged with all the teams across our program. We felt the ripple of commitment to the organization from top to bottom.”

Overholtzer also spoke about the teams’ turnaround at the midway point of the season and what this teams needs to do moving forward. “Consistency in communication and accountability was key for the team. No little issues ever turned into major problems. The further we got into the season you could see the team mature on and off the ice. Player retention is key for an organization to take the next steps. We have many returners for 25-26, even some players with NCAA offers that want to spend another year growing their game to better prepare for college. We have a steady foundation and have our eyes set on the Frozen Finals next season.”

EHL Premier

This was year three for the Huntsmen at the EHLP level. The last two seasons the Huntsmen were one of the top teams. This year saw a lot of changes, but the season was still a success. The Huntsmen refocused on their Premier Team and had a young team that developed a pipeline within the organization. This year’s team saw a connection from the U18s, to Premier, to EHL. The goal was to give players a chance and help promote from within the organization. The Huntsmen U18, and Premier Team had a great relationship and players began to shine. James Mirigliano was the star for the U18s and Premier. He led both teams in scoring, at the Premier level he finished the regular season with 18 goals, 21 assists (39 points) in 33 games played. Mirigliano added to his totals in the playoffs with 8 goals and 5 assists in 7 games. Other leading scorers for the Huntsmen throughout the season were Cullen Heintz 8-14-22 / Raleigh Radkowski 9-11-20 / Evan Mostoller 6-14-20 / Braden Kozlowski 9-10-19. In the previous two seasons, the Huntsmen were a powerhouse and made it to the South Division Finals as the number two seed in the South Division. Despite the Huntsmen not having the same regular season success, they entered the playoffs as the number 5 seed but found another gear. They eliminated the New Jersey Renegades (#4), and New Jersey Bears (#2) to battle their way to the South Division Finals for the third straight year. Unfortunately, the magical run ended against the New Jersey 87s, they have had the Huntsmen’s number since the Huntsmen entered the league. This was the third year in a row they were eliminated by the 87s.

Overholtzer gave his thoughts on the younger team and the relationship between the Premier and U18 teams. “This season was unique compared to the first two. We found ourselves with a younger roster than in years past. That being said, I definitely saw the most development out of our EHLP players this season compared to the others. That’s what we have always set out to do. Having established the U18 program the year prior, it set us up well for in season call ups and permanent advancement across the three levels.”

After a year as the Assistant Coach, Ryan Bertelsen will take over as the Head Coach for the Premier Team. Overholtzer is excited to see him take over and help the Huntsmen on the path to success. “Eric (Progen) wanted to bring Ryan (Bertelsen) in to help and develop under him. I am very glad he did. It didn’t take long for me to see Ryan’s potential. To say that he greatly surpassed my expectations is still not saying enough. I don’t know many coaches his age that have the work ethic, personal accountability, and passion for the players he is responsible for developing. He is a full-time hockey guy and is going to be for a long time. I am excited to see what he can do this upcoming season and the many after that. If you ask him, I bet he already has his hotel booked for the Finals in 2025-26.”

Around the League

The EHL and EHLP Season are officially over and now the offseason begins. It was a thrilling playoff run that ended in Rhode Island at Schneider Arena on the campus of Providence College. The New Jersey 87s won at both levels. The Premier Team defeated and New England Wolves in overtime in Game 3 to take home the championship. The EHL matched them and in Game 3 they defeated the New Hampshire Avalanche in overtime for the championship. As the EHL shifts into the offseason, you can keep up with the latest news at easternhockeyleague.org and on Facebook, Instagram and X.

Commitments

 The main objective of the Huntsmen, and junior hockey overall, is to advance players to the next level. Ryan Arendes led the team in scoring and was a top scorer in the EHL. He will now be taking his talent to Stevenson University, NCAA Division III Hockey. Arendes was a leader for this team among a healthy mix of veterans and newcomers. The Huntsmen look forward to announcing more commits as the offseason rolls along.

On behalf of the Pennsylvania Huntsmen, we would like to thank all of the families, fans, and billets for your support all season long.

By: Joe Sindoni

Staff Writer

Play by Play Announcer