Odessa, TX – The Jackalopes, proud North American Hockey League member, are pleased to announce that Ryan Mansfield and Tanyon Bajzer have been selected to represent the South Division in the 2023 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament. The annual Tournament will be held on Feb. 6-7, 2023, in Pittsburgh, PA. It will be the first appearance for both players at this Tournament. Both are in their final year of junior eligibility.
Head Coach Scott Deur had this to say regarding Mansfield and Bajzer being selected for Top Prospects, “Ryan and Tanyon have been leaders on and off the ice. It’s great to see the league recognizing them with a chance to play at Top Prospects. I am looking forward to watching them play and representing our organization.”
Ryan Mansfield started his NAHL career last season by playing 56 games for Odessa (12G, 20A). Finishing fourth on the team in points. This year, the Burlington, ON native was selected to be captain by his teammates. The 20-year-old currently leads the team in points (30) and plus/minus (8). He is second in goals (14) and assists (16). The 5’11”/195lb. left-handed forward also has the only short-handed goal on the season for Odessa. Mansfield has already recorded a career-high point streak this season which spanned nine games (6G, 9A). While he has only played two seasons for the Jacks, Mansfield ranks 11th in franchise history for points (62). Mansfield had this to say about being selected, “It’s an honor to be selected to Top Prospects. We have a lot of great players that all deserve to be going, so to be chosen feels very gratifying.” Mansfield went on to add, “I’m excited for the opportunity to represent the South Division, and more importantly represent the Odessa Jackalopes.”
Tanyon Bajzer also started his NAHL career last season with Odessa. The Cleveland, OH native tallied 29 points (18G, 11A) in 49 games. Which put him T-6th on the team in scoring. The 20-year-old was picked by his teammates to be an assistant captain for this season. He is currently second on the team in points with 28. He is third in goals (13) and assists (15). His shooting percentage of 18.1% is a team-high. The 6’1”/ 170lb. right-handed forward has been named South Division Star of the Week twice so far in his NAHL career. He has also recorded a career-high point streak this season at six games (4G, 5A). Bajzer stated this when asked about his selection to Top Prospects, “It’s an honor being selected for Top Prospects. The NAHL does a great job of putting on this event each year at a great venue. I’m excited that I now get to be a part of that experience.” Bajzer went on to add, “I am ready to go represent the South Division and make the most of this amazing opportunity.”
The NAHL Top Prospects Tournament is one of the most highly scouted events in junior hockey. Hundreds of scouts attend the event annually, which features almost every NHL team and NCAA Division I school. It continues to be an important part of the NAHL event model, which includes the NAHL Showcase in September and the NAHL Robertson Cup National Championship in May.
Only those NAHL players without an NCAA commitment are eligible to participate in the 2023 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament, except for those who have been identified by NHL Central Scouting as prospects for the 2023 NHL Draft. Each team is comprised of 22 players (13 forwards, 7 defensemen, and 2 goalies). The South will play their games at 1:00 p.m. EST on Feb. 6th and 11:00 a.m. EST on Feb. 7th. All games will be televised on HockeyTV.
