Sherburn native Carsen Musser is a member of the Madison Capitols of the United States Hockey League this season and split time in goal in the team’s first exhibition game Friday.
Musser started and played the first 30 minutes and two seconds for Madison vs. the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders at Bob Suter Capitol Ice Arena in Middleton. He made seven saves on the eight shots he faced.
The Capitols won that game 3-2 in overtime. Musser did not play in Saturday’s 2-0 Madison win in Cedar Rapids.
Musser was selected by the Capitols 17th overall in the 2023 USHL Phase II Draft. He’s played his last two seasons with the US National Team Development Program based in Plymouth, Mich.
Musser played in 24 USHL games and a total of 72 games in his career with the NTDP.
“I’m excited about the new opportunity,” Musser said in a preseason interview released by the team. “It was a great two years at USA. I learned a lot and I’m ready to carry it on to Madison and take a bigger step in my game.”
In 28 games with the NTDP U18 team last season, Musser compiled a 14-6-1 record with a goals against average of 3.07 and save percentage of .890.
Musser was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the sixth round of the NHL Draft in June. He was the 166th player selected overall.
He split time in goal on the NTDP with Trey Augustine, who played in 33 games. Augustine was selected 41st overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round.
Musser was among 100 players invited to the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo, N.Y., where participants were put through the paces to measure their stamina, vertical jump, strength, and a handful of other tests.
“The combine was good,” Musser said. “The testing and the interviews went well for me. It was really cool seeing all those top guys that you see so much about on social media and to see them in person and to talk with them a bit was really cool.”
Musser won a gold medal last season with Team USA at the under-18 World Junior Championship. He played two games in the series and finished with an 0.75 goals-against average and .947 save percentage.
The Capitols have two more exhibition games next weekend, playing the Green Bay Gamblers Friday in Marinette and Saturday in Wausau.
Madison opens its regular-season schedule Sept. 22-23 at the USHL Fall Classic in Cranberry Township, Penn. with games vs. the Des Moines Buccaneers and Waterloo Black Hawks.
Musser has committed to attend Colorado College and play for the Tigers in the 2024-25 season.