GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Though the season ended on Tuesday with a first-round Clark Cup Playoff loss, the Green Bay Gamblers expressed gratitude for fan support while shouting out numerous alumni who experienced success this past season.
The Gamblers finished with a 27-31-4 record, good enough for their third-straight postseason appearance, and in their 31st season in northeast Wisconsin, they experienced some historical milestones.
- Gamblers Forward Will Zellers broke the team record for goals in a season with 44 (previous record held by Kevin Granato in 1997 with 41)
- Zellers’ 44 goals led the USHL, had the third-most points with 71
- Forward Aidan Park led the USHL in power-play goals with 16
- Lukas Peterson was second in points by a defenseman throughout the USHL
- Ranked No. 3 in attendance with about 3,618 fans per game, over 100,000 fans attended home games
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The post continued, with special shoutouts to numerous individuals who used to play or coach for the Gamblers.
The following 13 former Gamblers players played NHL minutes this season:
- Boston Bruins
- Defenseman Andrew Peeke
- Forward Casey Mittelstadt
- Defenseman Mason Lohrei
- Buffalo Sabres
- Forward Josh Dunne
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Defenseman Artyom Levshunov
- Forward Ryan Greene
- New York Islanders
- Forward and Captain Anders Lee
- New York Rangers
- Defenseman Connor Mackey
- Ottawa Senators
- Defenseman Nick Jensen
- Utah Hockey Club
- Defenseman Nick Schmaltz
- San Jose Sharks
- Defenseman Cameron Lund
- Vancouver Canucks
- Defenseman Victor Mancini
- Started with Rangers, traded to Vancouver (didn’t play with Canucks in season)
- Defenseman Victor Mancini
- Vegas Golden Knights
- Forward Brendan Brisson
Another 22 former Gamblers players played in the American Hockey League, 19 played in the ECHL and 25 played overseas.
In addition, former head coach and general manager Jon Cooper, the Tampa Bay Lightning head coach, continued his run as the longest-tenured NHL coach while leading Team Canada to a Four Nations Tournament win in February. He’s also set to coach Team Canada in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Former Gamblers assistant coach David Carle coached Team USA to the gold medal at the 2025 World Junior Championships, also coaching Denver University to the 2025 Frozen Four.
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Another former Gamblers coach, Mike Leone, led the Rochester Americans to a 42-21-7 record in his first season with the Buffalo Sabres AHL affiliate. Lastly, the post shouted out former coach Pat Mikesch, who led the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye (Detroit Red Wings affiliate) to a 44-17-11 record.
The post concluded with team president Jeff Mitchell emphasizing his commitment to winning while giving coach Pat McCadden a nod of confidence.
