Happy New Year, Storm fans! Welcome to a new "Alumni Spotlight" series we'll periodically publish on stormhockey.com. Each edition will feature various Storm alumni who are currently competing in the collegiate or professional hockey ranks. The spotlights will provide an update on each alum's hockey journey, including stats, career accomplishments, and more.
This edition highlights some well-known, familiar figures who've put on a Tri-City uniform.
Trevor Connelly, Providence College Friars (Storm years: 2022-2024)
Among a plethora of current and former USHL players at this year's World Junior Championship, Connelly has more career USHL points (129) than any of them. After a two-year career at Tri-City that saw the California native light up Storm all-time leaderboards, Connelly is now making an impressive impact in his first collegiate season at Providence.
Through 12 games this year with the Friars, Connelly has put up three goals and eight assists for 11 points. Those 11 points place second among freshmen on Providence's roster and fourth overall.
A key member of this year's United States squad at the WJC in Ottawa, at the time of publication, Connelly has put up one goal and one assist through three games at the tournament. Team USA has collected victories in two of its first three preliminary round games at the event.
A first round selection (19th overall) of the Vegas Golden Knights in last summer's NHL Draft, Connelly's 129 career Tri-City points place second in Storm franchise history. He is one of three former Tri-City players to be selected in the first round of the NHL Draft and became the first since 2010 (Jaden Schwartz, St. Louis Blues).
Matthew Knies, Toronto Maple Leafs (Storm years: 2018-2021)
The former Storm assistant captain is competing in his third NHL season with Toronto during 2024-2025. As of publication, the Phoenix-area native has produced 11 goals, eight assists, and 19 points with the Leafs across 34 games this season. In his first full NHL campaign last year with Toronto, Knies tallied 15 goals, 20 assists, and 35 points in exactly 80 games.
Following a two-game stint at the end of the 2018-2019 campaign with Tri-City, Knies became a permanent member of the Storm for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons. In his 90 game Tri-City career, Knies put up 31 goals and 56 assists for 87 points.
The 2021 second-round Toronto pick joined the University of Minnesota after his time in Kearney. Knies spent two years with the Golden Gophers. One day after Minnesota was eliminated from the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Knies inked a three-year entry level deal with the Leafs.
Mason Appleton, Winnipeg Jets (Storm years: 2014-2015)
An experienced NHLer, Appleton is now spending his seventh season with time in Winnipeg. Aside from competing in 49 contests with the Seattle Kraken during the franchise's inaugural 2021-2022 campaign, the remaining 316 NHL games of Appleton's career have been with the Jets. As of publication, the Green Bay, Wisconsin native has put up 6 goals, 9 assists, and 15 points through his first 36 games with Winnipeg this year. The forward has additionally registered a +8 rating.
Across his nearly 400-game NHL career, Appleton has amassed 53 goals and 78 assists for 131 points. He has played in 19 career Stanley Cup Playoff contests.
A sixth-round Winnipeg selection in 2015's NHL Draft, Appleton spent one year in Kearney (2014-15), where he produced 12 goals, 28 assists, and 40 points in 54 games with the Storm. Appleton then played two seasons at Michigan State and one with Manitoba (AHL) prior to beginning his NHL career during the 2018-2019 season.
Jaden Schwartz, Seattle Kraken (Storm years: 2009-2010)
An inaugural member of the expansion club, Schwartz is now skating in his fourth season with Seattle following time across ten years with the St. Louis Blues, where he won the Stanley Cup in 2019.
The Saskatchewan native has served as an assistant captain in each of his four campaigns with Seattle, just like he did during the 2009-2010 season at Tri-City. In 60 games during his lone year in Kearney, Schwartz recorded 33 goals and 50 assists for a whopping 83 points. Each of those totals substantially led the team that season. The 83 points topped all USHL players. Following his time with the Storm, Schwartz moved on to Colorado College for two years.
At the time of publication, Schwartz had compiled 11 goals and 11 assists with the Kraken for 22 points across 37 games this season. The forward is already on track for a decent campaign. Schwartz amassed 30 points in 62 games last season and 40 in 71 games during 2022-2023.
The first round St. Louis pick (14th overall) in 2010's NHL Draft has put together an NHL career to be envious of. In 14 total seasons and 767 career regular season games, Schwartz's 207 goals and 293 assists equal exactly 500 points. In an additional 102 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, Schwartz has put up an impressive 31 goals and 33 assists for 64 points. Following his NHL Draft selection in 2010, Schwartz became just the second former Storm player to be taken in the opening round.
Blake Coleman, Calgary Flames (Storm years: 2009-2010)
The 33-year-old has skated with three organizations throughout his nine-year, 643-game NHL career. Currently an assistant captain with Calgary, Coleman has put up eight goals, nine assists, and 17 points this season through his first 36 contests with the Flames.
The Plano, Texas, native inked a six-year free agent deal with Calgary prior to the 2021-2022 campaign after winning the Stanley Cup twice in two seasons (2020 and 2021) with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is under contract with the Flames through 2026-2027.
Prior to a four-year career at Miami University where he amassed 107 points in 143 career appearances, Coleman skated in part of the 2009-2010 season with Tri-City. He recorded 2 goals and 10 assists for 12 points in a Storm uniform, while also notching 32 penalty minutes. After 22 games with Tri-City, Coleman was traded to the now-defunct Indiana Ice, where he finished the rest of the 2009-2010 season and served as team captain during 2010-2011.
Coleman was taken by New Jersey in the third round of 2011's NHL Draft and spent parts of four seasons with the Devils. He was traded to Tampa Bay in a 2020 deadline deal. Across those 643 career NHL games, Coleman has totaled 155 goals, 134 assists, and 299 points. He has additionally collected 510 penalty minutes.
