FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Head coach Erik Largen and the Alaska Nanook hockey team has announced their first four signings of the 2021-22 season. The first four members of the class of 2025 are Payton Matsui, Matt McKim, Connor Mylymok and Nátán Vertes.
 
Payton Matsui
F | 5'10" 170 lbs | L | Lakeville, Minn. | Aberdeen Wings (NAHL)
Payton Masui, a forward hailing from Lakeville, Minn. will join the Nanooks in the upcoming season following an impressive one year with the Aberdeen Wings. After spending two seasons in the BCHL with the Merritt Centennials, the 21-year-old forward moved on to the NAHL with the Wings where he scored 65 total points on 27 goals and 38 assists through 56 games. Following his lone-NAHL season, Matsui was named NAHL Central Division Forward of the Year, NAHL Forward of the Year, was named to the NAHL All-Central Division Team, All-NAHL Team and was the NAHL Points Champion. 
 
Matt McKim
LW | 5'10" 174 lbs | L | St. Johns, NL, Can | Valley Wildcats (MJAHL)
Matt McKim hails from St. Johns, NL in Canada and will don the blue and gold in the upcoming 2021-22 season. The 21-year-old forward joins the Nanooks after spending the past two years with both the Bonnyville Pontiacs and the Valley Wildcats. He spent all of 2019-20 with the Pontiacs in the AJHL and in 57 games he scored 85 points, lighting the lamp 24 times and assisting 61 times. Following the 19-20 season, McKim began 20-21 with the Pontiacs again, wearing the captain's 'C', but after only four games he moved to the Valley Wildcats of the MJAHL where he'd finish the season. In 17 games he tallied 21 points on six goals and 15 assists. McKim was an OHL Cup Champion in 2015-16, a CISAA Champion in 16-17 and 17-18 and in 2017-18 he led the CISAA in assists (19), goals (13) and points (32). 
 
Connor Mylymok
LW | 6'2" 207 lbs | L | Jackson, Miss. | Austin Bruins (NAHL)
Connor Mylymok, a Jackson, Miss. native, will join the Alaska Nanooks this upcoming season, 21-22, after spending the previous three years in the NAHL with the Austin Bruins. After joining the Bruins in 2018-19 for 54 games, Mylymok then spent some time with the Youngstown Phantoms in 19-20 for five games before rejoining the Bruins for 25 games. He scored 17 points on eight goals and nine assists. In 2020-21, again with Austin, Mylymok donned the captain's 'C' for his 43 games. In that time, he produced eight goals and 19 assists for a total of 27 points. In his three seasons with Austin, he totaled 382 penalty minutes. 
 
Nátán Vertes
RW | 5'11" 172 lbs | L | Budapest, Hungary | Aberdeen Wings (NAHL)
Nátán Vertes comes from Budapest, Hungary and has spent the past two seasons playing for the Aberdeen Wings in the NAHL. In his first season, 2019-20, he saw time in 44 games where he scored 18 goals and tallied 12 assists for 30 total points. After playing for the Hungary U20 team for 18 games in which he tallied 38 total points on 19 goals and 19 assists. In his second season with the Wings, he scored 47 points in 56 games. He lit the lamp 28 times and assisted on 19 other goals. Vertes was an EBJL Champion in 2015-16 and 16-17. He won the U20 WJC (D1B) Gold Medal in 16-17 and 19-20, and won the Bronze Medal in 18-19. He was voted the Best Hungarian Junior Player in 17-18 alongside winning the EBYSL Championship and scoring the most points (68) and scoring the most goals (32). 
 
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