Blades looking sharp in 10th season

The Steele County Blades are off to a strong 5-2-1 start in the team’s 10th season in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL).
Competing in Tier 3 of the USPHL, the Blades are a pay-to-play junior’s team. In Tier1 and Tier 2 of the junior league, the teams cover the costs for athletes.
Athletes on the Blades range from 16 to 20 years old, and all have one goal: progressing their hockey careers.
According to Blades head coach Nick Adamek, the goal for his athletes is to impress college coaches and even teams from higher tiers.
The Blades feature a myriad of athletes from many different parts of the world.
The Blade’s captain and center Conner Lee is from Sydney, Australia. Other countries represented on the team Canada and Japan. Most players hail from the U.S.
“My experience with Steele County has been unbelievable. It’s a lot different than a big city like Sydney which is a good thing,” said Lee. “The community is small and very caring which is something that is hard to get in Sydney because it is so big. I love it here a lot, there is a reason I have been here so long. It’s a very hard place to leave.”
Lee, 20, is in his fourth season with the Blades and has the chance to beat the Blades’ all-time game record as well as the USPHL all-time game record.
Also wearing a letter for the Blades is 19-year-old defenseman Evan Axell.
Axell is in his second season with the Blades and originally hails from Plymouth, Minn.
According to Axell, his goal is to win a championship with the team before ultimately signing with a Division III college to continue his hockey career.
Also in his second year with the team is 19-year-old winger Joey Bunton, who came to the team from Danville, Ill.
“I was looking for something different after my first year of juniors in Illinois and it was in the middle of the pandemic lockdowns when our assistant coach, Darren Banks, from last year called me out of the blue. I’m still not sure how he found my number, but I’m glad he did. After that call I came to visit and just a few days later I signed my contract,” said Bunton.
Just like Lee and Axell, Bunton said he hopes to continue his hockey career after he leaves the Blades.
The Blades currently carry 31 on their roster and are scheduled to play 44 games this season,  21 at home.