Tampa Bay Juniors - USPHL

The Tampa Bay Juniors hockey club has established itself as a unique stepping stone for players to move up in the hockey world.   The organization’s development-first approach has proven to be successful, not only with sending players to the collegiate level but with players continuing their careers at the professional level. 

The 20-21 season will see 8 former Tampa Bay Juniors players playing professional hockey throughout the world:

Roope Hintz, whose season is still going with the Dallas Stars has recorded 55 points in his first 118 regular season games, while adding 9 points in 17 career playoff games thus far. Hintz has credited his year spent with the Tampa  Bay Juniors in helping develop his speed.

Eric Drapluk played for the predecessor to TBJ, the Jacksonville Ice Dogs. Drapluk, a 6’1 defenseman, has over 300 games played in the ECHL and currently is with the Orlando Solar Bears.

Jack Stang enjoyed a successful stint in Tampa before moving on to Saint Mary’s University. Stang finished his senior season with 27 points in 25 games and has recently signed a professional contract in Sweden.

Daniel Seniov, a Prague native, played for a heavily front loaded TBJ team in 2017-2018. Seniov’s 58 points in 39 games, coupled with his excellent defensive zone play garnered him a professional contract in Sweden immediately following the conclusion of the season. After two years in Sweden, Seniov has recently signed in his native Czech Republic.


Oleg Sirenko, a 2001 born defenseman from St. Petersburg, Russia, leaves TBJ after a second season to turn pro. Sirenko signs in the Belarus Extraliga, a league that has players with over 3,000 combined KHL games of experience. Top teams in this league have beaten some of SHL, DEL, and other top European teams in Champions Hockey League competition.

Nikita Baikov, like Seniov, was part of the 2017-2018 offensive powerhouse TBJ team. Baikov has most recently played for PSK Sakhalin in the Asia League, winning a championship with a team containing former khl players with over 1,000 games combined in the league.

Milton Rosen came to TBJ last year and immediately turned heads. His huge frame and skill set earned him an invitation to skate with the Tampa Bay Lightning’s rookie camp within a week of being in town. Milton will return home to Sweden to begin his first pro season with HA74.

Ben Winter played two seasons with TBJ before heading to Aurora University. Ben is now heading into his fourth season with Lions HC in Sweden, where he has found a comfortable home way home.

The Tampa bay Juniors want to wish all eight of these players the best of luck this season as they continue to pursue their Love of the Game!!