Five northern Minnesota hockey players are packing their skates for Amherst, New York this July — and they’re not going for sightseeing. They’ve been handpicked to compete with the nation’s best at the USA Hockey Boys National 15 Player Development Camp, a major stage for rising youth talent in the sport.
Another three players, including a standout goaltender from Hermantown, will join separate USA Hockey national camps for 16- and 17-year-olds later this summer — solidifying northern Minnesota’s grip on elite youth hockey.
Minnesota’s Grip on the Roster
The state that prides itself on being the “State of Hockey” sent 21 players to the U15 development camp this year. Five of them hail from programs like Hermantown, Duluth East, Proctor, and others scattered across northeastern Minnesota.
Paxson Madill and Nikolai Zhukov of Hermantown Bantam AA, Duluth East’s Zane Medlin and Liam Brooks, and Jax Hardy from Proctor Bantam A will represent the region starting July 13. The camp, held at the Northtown Center in Amherst, isn’t just about drills — it’s a proving ground. Coaches and scouts will be watching every stride, shot, and backcheck.
One-sentence paragraph? Here it is.
Each of these boys earned their selection based on strong showings at the Minnesota Hockey 15 Development Camp at St. Cloud State University earlier this June.
This isn’t a summer getaway. It’s a serious audition.
Who’s Headed Where: Players and Stats
Let’s break down where each selected player came from and where they’re headed — and yes, what they’ve done to get there.
| Player Name | Position | Team | Destination Camp | Notable Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paxson Madill | Forward | Hermantown Bantam AA | USA Hockey Boys National 15 | Skating dynamo with strong offensive touch |
| Zane Medlin | Forward | Duluth East Bantam AA | USA Hockey Boys National 15 | Known for shift-to-shift consistency |
| Jax Hardy | Forward | Proctor Bantam A | USA Hockey Boys National 15 | Small but aggressive with fast hands |
| Liam Brooks | Defenseman | Duluth East Bantam AA | USA Hockey Boys National 15 | Two-way blue liner with high hockey IQ |
| Nikolai Zhukov | Defenseman | Hermantown Bantam AA | USA Hockey Boys National 15 | Physical presence, makes smart reads |
Pretty loaded roster for one corner of Minnesota.
Francisco, Rewertz, and Swanson Step Into the Spotlight
The talent pipeline doesn’t stop at age 15.
Three older players from the area will suit up for even more competitive USA Hockey development camps this summer — including a name you might hear a lot more in coming years: Bryce Francisco.
Francisco, a junior goalie from Hermantown, is the only Minnesota netminder selected for the Select 17 National Development Camp. That’s kind of a big deal. The camp, which runs from July 7–13, is the closest many of these players will come to a pre-college combine.
His numbers? A stunning .940 save percentage over the past season. For a goalie, that’s lights-out stuff.
Two more forwards — Cole Swanson and Whitaker Rewertz — are heading to the Boys Select 16 National Camp starting June 25, also in Amherst. Both made waves in the past high school season playing for Hibbing/Chisholm.
• Swanson tallied 20 goals and 34 assists for a 54-point season
• Rewertz notched 10 goals and 13 assists — including the OT game-winner in the Section 7A championship
Rewertz’s late-season heroics sent his Bluejackets team to state — a moment he said was “the most surreal goal of my life.”
The Bigger Picture for Youth Hockey in the North
Northern Minnesota’s high school and youth hockey programs have long punched above their weight. From tiny towns like Warroad and Hermantown to storied high school rivalries in Duluth, the region regularly churns out top-tier players who make waves nationally.
These selections just reinforce what folks up north already knew: the hockey’s good, and the kids are better.
There’s also a strong culture of community-based hockey in these towns. Rinks are community hubs. Parents flood concession stands. Local businesses sponsor jerseys. And kids? They skate before they walk, or close to it.
The USA Hockey selection process isn’t kind — especially in a state where competition is as thick as the ice in January. So for eight players from northeast Minnesota to crack these elite camps in one summer? That says something about the depth and grind coming out of programs that don’t always get big media love.
Looking Ahead — and Holding Onto the Joy
What happens next for these players could be the start of something much bigger.
USA Hockey development camps are where many Division I and even NHL players first begin to rise on scouts’ radars. They’re about competition, yes. But also about education — learning to balance expectations, improve consistency, and absorb more sophisticated systems.
But don’t let the intensity fool you. These camps are also just a really good time.
There’s bonding in hotel hallways, late-night shootout bragging rights, and the nervous laughter of kids realizing they’re skating alongside the best from Michigan, Massachusetts, Colorado — all over.
One parent of a former camp attendee summed it up best: “He went in as a talented local kid, and came back believing he belonged with the best.”
