Corridor Cross Checks: Jason Musa of C.R. RoughRiders takes a huge step in 2nd USHL season

CEDAR RAPIDS - Amazing what a second season in the United States Hockey League can do for a guy.

A year ago at this time, Jason Musa was admittedly overwhelmed. The results weren’t there, his confidence was lagging.

“I didn’t really completely realize before my first season how much of a grind it was going to be,” the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders forward said. “It takes a huge toll on your body. I feel like last year, I just didn’t have a very good start. I feel after Christmas, that’s when I really started to make some strides. I took a little time over Christmas and did some thinking, decided to relax a little bit. Just play my game.”

Five of Musa’s six goals last season came after the USHL’s annual two-week holiday break. So did 12 of his 19 assists.

That play has carried over. The 18-year-old Florida resident is a point-per-game guy through the first month and a half of the season.

That’d be five goals and eight assists in 13 games. The RoughRiders have a pair of home games this weekend at ImOn Ice: Friday night against Dubuque and Saturday night against Madison (7:05 p.m. opening faceoffs for both).

“I definitely came into this year with a completely different mindset,” Musa said. “I feel like I’ve grown a lot since last year, matured. It’s actually quite easier coming into this year having all of the experience from last year. The second year really helps. We’ve got a pretty good team this year, too, and that helps, playing with good players, obviously.”

Cedar Rapids is 8-4-0-1 for 17 standings points. Dubuque leads a tight (and good) Eastern Conference with 22 points.

The Riders have three fellow second-year players out injured right now, too, in defensemen Guerin Slezak and Joseph Fenton, and forward Noel Ohgren.

“When all these guys get back, look out,” Musa said.

Musa is one of the smallest kids in the USHL at 5-foot-6 and 150 pounds, but he can skate and plays with jam despite his size. He also has skill.

He credits Matt Culot with the development there. The skills trainer actually lives in the Musa family home in Estero, Fla., and works with Jason and his older brother, Jack, who has been tearing it up early in the college hockey season for UMass.

Jason is a UMass commit.

“We’ll get home and do skill work in the garage. We’ll shoot in the garage,” Jason Musa said. “He’s also my on-ice trainer, too, so we’ll skate with him two or three times a week. He’s definitely the biggest guy in my development the last five years. I’ve been training with him since COVID, and he’s been tremendous for me and my family.”

Iowa Heartlanders

The Heartlanders have a grueling three-in-three road weekend upcoming. They are at Cincinnati for games Friday night (6:35) and Saturday afternoon (3:05 p.m.) and Sunday afternoon at Toledo (4:15 p.m.)

Iowa (3-4-1-0, 7 standings points) lost three times last week at home to Fort Wayne and are on a four-game losing streak overall. On a good note, forward Jaxon Nelson was named ECHL Player of the Month for October, the league announced Wednesday.

Nelson had six goals and six assists in seven games last month. The goal total is tied for the league lead.

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