Joey Cullen becomes the second straight Cullen to win the Bantam Player of the Year Award, following older brother Wyatt. The youngest of Stanley Cup champion Matt Cullen’s three boys (don’t forget mom Bridget, who holds the whole crew together), Joey is the fourth Moorhead Spud to win the award, joining Wyatt, 2022 winner Sam Laurila, and 2016 winner Ethan Frisch. 

In Moorhead’s 54 games this season (50-3-1 record), Cullen provided fans and opponents alike with countless breathtaking moments, using his supernatural ice vision and stick-handling ability to put defenders in a spin cycle and opposing coaches in a world of confusion about how to slow him down, let alone stop him. 

Cullen was named Most Valuable Player of this fall’s Battle for the Blue Ox in his hometown of Moorhead, and recorded five points in three games as the Spuds took home the ultimate prize in New Ulm at the Bantam AA State Tournament. He finished the Bantam AA season with a ridiculous 67 goals and 151 points. 

Still need another cherry on the sundae? 

Cullen boarded a plane bound for Detroit last week, heading for the USA Hockey Tier I 14U National Tournament with his teammates from the Minnesota Blue Ox, a combo platter of standouts from District 15 and District 16.

Once in the Motor City, Cullen turned the USA Hockey Arena into a personal playground. The Blue Ox won five one-goal games en route to the national championship, with Cullen scoring the game-winning goal in overtime for the Blue Ox’s win over the Minuteman Flames in the tournament final. Cullen led the Blue Ox with eight goals and 11 points in the six games.