Week 3: The Unbeaten Teams Separate Themselves as the GRHL Season Takes Shape

By GRHL Staff

Three weeks into the 2026-27 GRHL season, the list of unbeaten teams is getting shorter, the league's hottest offenses aren't slowing down, and several teams are beginning to face some difficult questions.

The Outlaws continued their remarkable start with 17 goals against the Barracudas, while the Moose found a way to win without several of their biggest offensive contributors. The Thundercats finally broke through after two frustrating one-goal losses, and the Sting responded to their Week 2 collapse with their biggest offensive performance of the season.

The night's most anticipated matchup, however, ended under unfortunate circumstances. The Yetis built a 5-1 lead over the Jets before the game was stopped in the second period following an injury to Jets goaltender Ryan Patrick. Fortunately, Patrick is expected to be ok, although the shortened game left plenty of unanswered questions.

Here's where all 10 teams stand after Week 3.

The Outlaws (3-0): This Offense Is Becoming the Story of the Season

At some point, the Outlaws' offensive production stops being a surprise and becomes something the rest of the league has to figure out how to stop.

That point may have arrived Saturday.

After scoring eight goals in Week 1 and 12 in Week 2, the Outlaws erupted for 17 in a 17-9 victory over the Barracudas. They've now scored 37 goals in three games, an extraordinary pace for a team that managed 77 over the entire 13-game regular season last year.

AJ Williams scored six goals and added an assist, bringing his season total to 14 goals. Codi Labeda was just as impressive, finishing with four goals and four assists. He now has nine goals and 18 points through three games.

The Outlaws also received an eight-point performance from waiver Alex Henricks, who recorded a goal and seven assists, while Logan Wendel added a hat trick.

What stands out is how quickly the Outlaws have developed into a team with multiple ways to generate offense. Williams has always been capable of scoring in bunches, but Labeda's arrival has changed the entire dynamic. The Outlaws aren't simply relying on one player to carry them through games.

They've also won in different ways. After erasing a four-goal deficit against the Sting in Week 2, the Outlaws took control early against the Barracudas, scoring seven unanswered goals to open the game.

Three weeks is still early, but the Outlaws are no longer just an interesting story. They're establishing themselves as one of the teams everyone else will be measured against.

The Moose (3-0): No Stradtman, No Payne, No Problem

The Moose entered Week 3 with Jordan Stradtman sitting on 13 goals and 16 points through two games. Naturally, much of the attention surrounding their offense had centered on what he might do next.

Instead, the Moose faced the Raptors without Stradtman, Brandon Payne and several other regulars.

They still scored 10 goals.

Craig McHatton stepped into a leading role with three goals and an assist, continuing an excellent start to his first season with the Moose. Stephen Pipas added two goals, while waivers Henry Hunsaker and Alex Henricks provided much of the offense.

Hunsaker finished with three goals and three assists, and Henricks contributed two goals and three assists. Their production was especially important for a Moose team missing so much of its regular lineup.

The Raptors made things interesting, cutting the deficit to 7-6 in the third period before the Moose scored three times to finish off a 10-6 victory.

For the Moose, the significance extends beyond another two points. Their first two wins featured extraordinary production from Stradtman, but Week 3 demonstrated that they can still put together a dangerous offense without him.

There is a distinction worth making: much of Saturday's production came from waiver players who won't necessarily be available every week. Still, finding a way to win with that many regulars missing is a valuable result.

The Moose are 3-0, have scored 30 goals, and have yet to put their full offensive lineup together for an extended stretch. They're tied with the Outlaws atop the Lincoln Division, setting up an interesting race between two of the league's most productive offenses.

The Yetis (3-0): A Statement Start, With an Unfortunate Ending

The Yetis entered Week 3 looking for their most significant victory yet, facing a Jets team that had also won its first two games.

For the portion of the game that was played, the Yetis delivered an impressive performance.

Dustin Sotnyk opened the scoring, and Nick Costillo added two goals late in the first period before completing his hat trick with 32 seconds remaining. Jared Jackson scored early in the second to extend the lead to 5-0.

Costillo's three goals brought him to nine through three games, continuing an outstanding start with his new team. Waiver Henry Hunsaker assisted on three of the five goals.

But the game took an unfortunate turn when Jets goalie Ryan Patrick was injured, bringing play to an end with more than 12 minutes remaining in the second period. The final recorded score was 5-1.

While the game ended much earlier than anyone anticipated, the Yetis had already put together an impressive opening stretch against another undefeated team.

What we can say is that the Yetis' offensive transformation has continued. Costillo has now scored in bunches in all three games, and the Yetis have generated 22 goals through an abbreviated three-game schedule.

They've also opened 3-0 despite continuing to deal with scratches. In fact, the Yetis have had 12 scratches through three weeks, more than any other team in the league.

The Yetis now sit alone atop the Show-Me Division, two points ahead of the Jets. Their next challenge will be continuing that momentum after a game that ended in a way nobody wanted.

The Jets (2-1): An Unfortunate End to Their First Major Test

The Jets entered Saturday unbeaten, having scored 17 goals across their first two games.

Their first meeting with another undefeated team didn't go as planned.

The Jets trailed the Yetis 4-0 after the opening period and 5-0 early in the second. Brady Griffin scored their only goal, with Quinn Hellmann picking up the assist.

Then came the injury to Ryan Patrick, which brought the game to a premature end.

The encouraging news is that Patrick is expected to be alright. On the hockey side, the Jets were unable to establish their usual offensive rhythm during the portion of the game that was played.

After receiving production throughout the lineup in Weeks 1 and 2, the Jets were held to one goal before play stopped. They were also without Greg Piper and Mason Kelly.

The shortened game makes it difficult to draw sweeping conclusions about how the Jets match up with the Yetis over a full contest. What happened before the stoppage, however, was clearly the Jets' most difficult stretch of the young season.

At 2-1, the Jets remain in a strong position, but Week 3 leaves them with questions they didn't have after their first two victories. They now trail the Yetis by two points in the Show-Me Division and will look to get back on track in Week 4.

The Sting (2-1): A Big Response After Week 2's Collapse

The Sting had plenty to think about after allowing a 6-2 lead to disappear against the Outlaws in Week 2.

Their response was emphatic.

The Sting scored 13 goals in a 13-5 victory over the Venom, producing their highest offensive total of the season.

Cory Johnson continued his remarkable start with another hat trick, giving him nine goals in three games. Tyler Krapf had two goals and three assists, while Taylor Williams scored three times. Justin Windmiller added two goals, Drew Estes contributed three assists, and waiver Dominic Warren finished with a goal and four assists.

The scoring came from throughout the lineup, which may be the most encouraging development for the Sting.

Johnson has been the most noticeable addition to the offense, but Saturday showed how dangerous the Sting can be when several players contribute at once. They scored 13 without VJ Bommarito, who had recorded a hat trick in his Week 2 debut but missed Saturday's game.

Just as importantly, the Sting allowed only five goals after surrendering 12 against the Outlaws.

The Sting have now scored 26 goals in three games. Their offensive potential is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore, and Saturday was an important reminder that the Week 2 loss doesn't have to define their season.

The Thundercats (1-2): Finally, a Win to Show for the Effort

Few teams had experienced a more frustrating start than the Thundercats.

They lost their opener to the Moose on a goal with 28 seconds remaining, then fell to the Yetis on another late goal in Week 2. Two competitive performances had produced zero standings points.

Saturday finally brought the result they'd been looking for.

The Thundercats defeated the Wolves 8-5, with Jeff Mullins leading the way once again. Mullins scored five goals, bringing him to eleven goals and 15 points through three games.

Michael Cheatham contributed one goal, Jason Quigley had four assists, and waiver Nicholas Santos added a goal and two assists.

The Thundercats built a 4-0 lead in the first period, but the Wolves eventually narrowed the gap to 6-5 in the third. This time, the Thundercats responded rather than watching another close game slip away. Mullins scored twice late to secure the victory.

That finish may be as important as the win itself.

The Thundercats have been competitive in all three games, and their first victory provides something tangible to build on. With Mullins producing at an elite level and additional offense developing around him, their 1-2 record doesn't tell the entire story.

They've now shown they can finish the kind of game that escaped them in the opening two weeks.

The Wolves (0-2-1): Competitive Stretches Aren't Enough Anymore

The Wolves entered Week 3 still looking for their first win, but there were reasons for optimism after competitive games against the Sting and Moose.

Saturday brought another loss, and this one may be more concerning.

The Wolves fell behind the Thundercats 4-0 in the first period before gradually working their way back into the game. Brett Lucas scored three times and added an assist, while Scott Robben and Jason Deak also scored.

The Wolves eventually pulled within one goal at 6-5 in the third period, but the Thundercats scored twice late to put the game away.

Lucas has been a consistent offensive presence since joining the Wolves, and his hat trick was another encouraging performance. But the Wolves were missing Demetrius Daniels, who had scored four goals in Week 2, while Tom Amato has still not appeared this season.

The larger concern is that the Wolves keep finding themselves needing to recover from significant deficits.

They erased an early three-goal deficit against the Moose and nearly completed another comeback Saturday, but neither effort resulted in a victory.

The Wolves have enough offensive talent to make games interesting. At 0-2-1, they need to start putting themselves in better positions to win them.

The Barracudas (1-2): The Offense Is There, but the Goals Against Are Piling Up

The Barracudas have now scored six, nine and nine goals in their first three games.

They've won only once.

Saturday's 17-9 loss to the Outlaws was their most difficult defensive performance yet, and it began with the Barracudas allowing seven unanswered goals.

Andrew Burton returned to the lineup and contributed two goals and two assists. Trae Wargo also scored twice, while Cort Hellmann had a goal and two assists. Waiver Keith Duffin continued his productive stretch with two goals and two assists.

Nine goals would ordinarily give a team a good chance to win in the GRHL. Against the Outlaws, the Barracudas were chasing the game almost from the opening faceoff.

The Barracudas have now allowed 37 goals in three games, matching the Outlaws' league-leading offensive total in the opposite direction.

There are some encouraging signs. The offense has continued to produce despite significant lineup changes, and the Barracudas already demonstrated in Week 2 that they can overcome missing regulars.

But their two losses have followed a similar pattern: falling into a massive early hole and spending the remainder of the game trying to recover.

The Barracudas don't necessarily need a complete offensive overhaul. They need to find a way to keep games within reach long enough for that offense to matter.

The Raptors (0-3): Alberter Keeps Producing, but the Same Problems Remain

Three weeks into the season, Alexander Alberter has established himself as one of the Raptors' most important offensive players.

He scored another hat trick Saturday, bringing his season total to seven goals. Sean Hazlett added two goals, and Nathan Haselhorst contributed a goal and an assist.

The Raptors also came closer to completing a comeback than they had in either of their first two games.

After trailing the Moose 4-1 in the first period, the Raptors gradually reduced the deficit and eventually pulled within one goal at 7-6 late in the third.

But the Moose scored three times in the closing minutes to secure a 10-6 victory.

It's becoming a familiar story.

The Raptors have now spent significant portions of all three games chasing opponents. Their ability to respond is encouraging, and Alberter's scoring has been a legitimate bright spot, but the repeated early deficits are making every game unnecessarily difficult.

At 0-3, the Raptors need more than another promising comeback. They need to find a way to control a game before it gets away from them.

The Venom (0-3): Kleinschmidt Can't Do It Alone

Ben Kleinschmidt scored three more goals Saturday.

The Venom lost by eight.

Through three games, Kleinschmidt has 10 goals, yet the Venom remain winless after a 13-5 loss to the Sting.

Ryan Mearns added a goal and an assist, while waiver Dave Wallace contributed a goal and an assist. But the Venom couldn't keep pace with a Sting offense that received production from nearly every part of its lineup.

The Venom also played without regular goalie Frank Hart for the second consecutive week, with Robert Miller filling in.

That absence is worth considering, but the larger issue goes beyond one position. The Venom have allowed 33 goals through three games, and their offensive production has been heavily concentrated around Kleinschmidt.

The first two weeks at least featured stretches when the Venom were competitive. They were tied with the Jets midway through their opener and led the Barracudas in the third period of Week 2.

Saturday offered fewer positives.

The Venom have enough individual talent to turn things around, but at 0-3, they need the rest of the lineup to begin contributing more consistently before the season starts slipping away.

Where Things Stand After Three Weeks

Three teams remain unbeaten: the Outlaws, the Moose and the Yetis. All three have six points, with the Outlaws leading the overall standings on goal differential, followed by the Yetis and Moose.

Each has taken a different path.

The Outlaws have become the league's most explosive offense, scoring 37 goals through three games. The Moose have scored 30 and just demonstrated they can win without their biggest star. The Yetis have continued their strong start behind Costillo and now hold sole possession of first place in the Show-Me Division.

Elsewhere, the Sting and Thundercats picked up important wins for different reasons. The Sting showed they could rebound from a difficult loss, while the Thundercats finally turned strong play into two standings points.

The Wolves, Raptors and Venom are still searching for their first victories, and the Barracudas are trying to find some consistency after three very different performances.

Perhaps the biggest change from Week 1 is that the season's early surprises are beginning to look less temporary. The Outlaws keep scoring, Costillo keeps producing for the Yetis, and the Moose continue finding ways to win regardless of who's available.

There are still 10 games remaining for each team after Week 3, and plenty can change. But the first three weeks have already begun separating the teams building momentum from those trying to find it.

The question now is which of those early trends will continue—and which teams will be the first to change their direction.