Wow, how crazy to think February is right around the corner. Welcome to another Storm Alumni Spotlight.
This edition, we'll focus on eight Tri-City alums nominated for the 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award. The prestigious honor is annually given to the best player in NCAA Division I Men's College Hockey.
A total of 62 former USHL players were nominated in 2025. USHL alumni have won eight of the last ten awards and make up the previous three recipients: Macklin Celebrini (2024), Adam Fantilli (2023), and Dryden McKay (2022).
All nominees meet numerous criteria to be eligible for the Hobey Baker Award. These include strength of character on and off the ice, contribution to integrity of the team, outstanding skills in all phases of the game, scholastic achievement, and sportsmanship. In addition, nominees must be in compliance with all NCAA rules, be a full-time student, and complete more than 50 percent of their season.
On March 19, the group of current nominees will be narrowed to ten individuals. From there, the list goes down to three "Hobey Hat Trick Finalists" who are unveiled on April 3. One winner is selected among the Hat Trick Finalists and announced April 11 at the 2025 Men's Frozen Four in St. Louis, Missouri.
Fan votes account for a percentage of the overall ballot in selecting the award's recipient. Fan voting is underway now at hobeybaker.com/vote and will run until Sunday, March 9.
Now, in alphabetical order, the eight Storm alumni on the coveted list:
Tanner Adams, Providence (Storm years: 2021-2023)
The 2005-born player registered a total of 65 points across his two-season, 111 game Storm career. That included a 33-point campaign among 49 contests in 2022-2023. During the 2023 USHL postseason, Adams put up five points in four matchups. The product of Northport, New York, also made two appearances with the U.S. National Team Development Program (18U) during 2022-2023.
Now in his sophomore season at Providence, Adams has notched 10 goals and 6 assists in 24 games. His 16 points place second on the team behind Logan Will, a former Omaha Lancer.
Last season, Adams appeared in all 35 of the Friar's contests, putting up 21 points. He plans to major in management.
At the time of publication, the Friar's record sits at 15-6-3. Providence is ranked seventh nationally in the January 27 USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll.
Colby Ambrosio, Miami (Storm years: 2018-2020)
The 2002-born forward skates in his fifth year of collegiate action during 2024-2025. Ambrosio spent the previous four campaigns at Boston College before transferring to Miami prior to this season.
The Welland, Ontario native registered 74 points in 105 career appearances with the Storm. Ambrosio impressed during his final season in Kearney (2019-2020), where he put up 26 goals, 24 assists, and 50 points across 48 games. The right-shot player was then selected by Colorado in the fourth round at number 118 overall during 2020's NHL Draft.
Ambrosio produced over 20 points in two of his four seasons at Boston College. His sophomore year was the most potent statistically, where he notched 9 goals and 13 assists for 22 points across 38 games during 2021-2022.
The graduate student's first season at Miami is on pace to go well. Ambrosio has picked up 4 goals and 11 assists totaling a team-high 15 points in 24 games with the RedHawks this year.
Vincent (Vinny) Borgesi, Northeastern (Storm years: 2020-2022)
The defenseman spent two seasons with Tri-City, appearing in 106 career games. After a 12-point campaign during 2020-2021, Borgesi broke out for an impressive 38-point season the following year, where he put up five goals and 33 assists. That assist total was top-ten among USHL defenseman. The Philadelphia native also recorded four points across eight playoff games during his Storm career.
Now in his third season at Northeastern, Borgesi has produced 5 goals and 15 assists for 20 points through 23 games this year. Those 20 points rank second among Hockey East defenseman and fourth on the Huskies' roster. Borgesi has earned two conference awards this season. He was named Hockey East Defender of the Week on December 9 and December's Hockey East Defender of the Month.
This will be Borgesi's second year at Northeastern putting up 20 or more points. Last year, the 2004-born player recorded 28 points with five goals and 23 assists across 34 games.
An institution located in Boston, Massachusetts, Northeastern's record was 17-8-1 at the time of publication.
Alex Bump, Western Michigan (Storm year: 2023)
Bump was acquired from the Omaha Lancers in a massive deal at the February 2023 trade deadline. The agreement involved two players, seven draft picks, and future considerations.
The Prior Lake, Minnesota native skated in 16 regular season games toward the latter part of 2022-2023 with Tri-City, where he produced an impressive five goals, eight assists, and 13 points. Bump also put up four points in four playoff games with the Storm that year. He advanced to the collegiate ranks and Western Michigan the following season.
The 2003-born forward performed strongly in his freshman campaign with the Broncos, producing 14 goals, 22 assists, and 36 points in 38 games last season. He's been even more impactful this year, notching 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points through 22 contests.
Bump is serving as an assistant captain with Western Michigan during 2024-2025. It's been a memorable season for the Broncos, whose record is 17-4-1 at the time of publication. The January 27 USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll has Western Michigan ranked at number three in the country.
A Philadelphia Flyers draft pick in 2022, Bump was selected in the fifth round at 133rd overall.
Cole O'Hara, Massachusetts (Storm years: 2020-2022)
Following a pair of strong seasons at Tri-City, O'Hara was selected by Nashville in the fourth round (114th overall) of 2022's NHL Draft. The forward produced a notable final year with the Storm, putting up 25 goals, 48 assists, and 73 points in 58 games across 2021-2022. He also registered a +27 rating. Those 25 goals were second-best on the team. O'Hara's 73 points ranked third on the Storm roster that year.
After compiling 35 points in 69 games across his first two seasons at UMass, O'Hara has produced a breakout campaign in 2024-2025. The junior tops Minutemen skaters in scoring with 14 goals, 20 assists, and 34 points in 25 games. O'Hara has additionally put up four multi-goal games this season, including a recent hat trick on January 18 against Merrimack.
The Ontario native is majoring in management and sports management. At the time of publication, UMass' record is 13-10-2 this season.
Ryan Ouellette, Northern Michigan (Storm year: 2020)
Ouellette experienced a brief tenure at Tri-City during the second half of the 2019-2020 campaign. The goaltender appeared in seven games, recording just one win. Across those contests with the Storm, Ouellette registered a 3.28 goals against average and .839 save percentage. The 2000-born player also spent time during 2019-2020 with Yorkton (SIJHL), where he appeared 20 times, and Minnesota (NAHL), where he saw action in six games.
The following season, in 2020-2021, Ouellette was a mainstay in the Lincoln Stars' crease, where he made 44 appearances, logged a 3.55 goals against average, and put up an .880 save percentage alongside a 16-23-2 record. The Colorado Springs, Colorado product began his college career after that lone campaign with the Stars.
Now in his fourth collegiate season, Ouellette has appeared with three different schools.
He started at Division III University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2021-2022, and dazzled with a 1.66 goals against average, 17-6-1 record, and .923 save percentage across 24 games.
Ouellette then transferred to Division I Niagara University in Western New York for the next two campaigns, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. His strongest year with the Purple Eagles was last season, when he recorded a 2.75 goals against average and .904 save percentage across eight starts.
This year, Ouellette has jumped to Northern Michigan, another Division I school. He's already appeared in 24 contests with the Wildcats, producing a respectable 2.77 goals against average and .921 save percentage alongside a 4-19-1 record.
Rhett Pitlick, Minnesota State (Storm year: 2021)
Another player with a brief tenure at Tri-City, Pitlick joined the Storm during mid-January of 2021 for 26 games toward the end of the 2020-2021 season. The forward collected 6 goals and 14 assists for 20 points in a Tri-City uniform. Pitlick began that campaign with Muskegon, where he put up 14 points across 17 games. The forward started his USHL career with a 24-game stint at Omaha split between 2018-2019 and 2019-2020.
Following his time in Kearney, Pitlick advanced to Minnesota for the 2021-2022 campaign and spent three seasons with the Golden Gophers. Last year was his best statistically. Pitlick tied for the team lead in scoring with 19 goals, 17 assists, and 36 points across 39 games. Those 36 points also tied for seventh-best among Big Ten skaters.
Pitlick transferred to Minnesota State prior to this season. He's averaging a point per game with 10 goals, 16 assists, and 26 points through 26 contests with the Mavericks. That point total leads Minnesota State's roster and ranks third-best in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). The left-shot player has also registered a +18 rating.
The Mavericks currently sit atop this year's CCHA standings with a 12-4-2 mark in conference play. Minnesota State also placed fifteenth nationally in the January 27 USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll.
Guillaume Richard, Providence (Storm years: 2019-2021)
The defenseman has put up eight points, all of which come from assists, through 24 contests this year. Richard was named an assistant captain this season, his fourth at Providence. Previously, the left-shot player recorded his highest offensive numbers during last year's campaign with 3 goals, 15 assists, and 18 points across 35 games. Richard additionally blocked 40 shots and logged 27 penalty minutes in 2023-2024.
At the time of publication, the Cap-Sante, Quebec native had appeared in 126 contests across his career with the Friars, notching 7 goals, 33 assists, and 40 points.
After a five-game stint with Tri-City during the 2019-2020 season, Richard appeared in 46 Storm games during the 2020-2021 campaign. He put up two goals and 14 assists for 16 points that year while registering a +10 rating, which tied for fourth-best on the team. Following his last season in Kearney, Richard was selected in the fourth round (101st overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft by Columbus.
Richard and Adams were two of Providence's three players to be nominated. Philip Svedebäck, formerly a goaltender with the Dubuque Fighting Saints during the 2021-2022 season, was the third.
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Come watch the Storm take on Chicago in a two-game series this weekend at Viaero Center. Friday's puckdrop is scheduled for 7:05 pm CT. Saturday's game will begin at 6:05 pm CT.
Pizza Ranch is the presenting sponsor of FunZone Friday. Kid's tickets are $5.00 with the purchase of a full-price adult ticket at all remaining Friday home games this season. The first 50 kid's tickets purchased at the box office for a Friday Storm home game will receive a FunZone Arcade bounce back card, good for $5.00 worth of gameplay. The FunZone Arcade is located inside of Pizza Ranch in Kearney.
On Saturday, the Storm will host "Scouting with the Storm" presented by the Overland Trails Council Boy Scouts. Tri-City will wear special scouting-themed jerseys on the ice. Each jersey worn by a Storm player and Stormy will be auctioned off live on the ice after the game. The council will also set up various activities on the concourse, including a BB gun range, soapbox derby car racing track, and more.
To purchase tickets, visit stormhockey.com, call the Storm at 308-338-8144, or stop by the Viaero Center box office in-person. FunZone Friday tickets are only available in-person at the box office.
