The North American Hockey League Houston Bulls — who are coached by former NHLer Nathan Oystrick with several ties to the Detroit Red Wings — have unveiled their inaugural season roster ahead of their home opener.
Houston saw hockey return to the major Texas city after the NAHL originally announced that the North Iowa Bulls would be relocating to see play as the Houston Bulls.
Oystrick was named the inaugural head coach in the summer. Since then, Houston posted their first win on Sept. 18 against the Lone Star Brahmas, with a final score of 5-3. The Bulls have also quickly taken to a fast-paced, aggressive and vocal game.
Oystrick gives the credit to his players for the fast-paced style of play they implement, stating it's their buy-in that makes the aggressive and physical game plan possible.
"[Our players are] the ones who have to go out and perform. As coaches we implement systems and what we want our team to look like, but the players are the ones who have to buy-in and go out and do what’s being asked. And our players have done a fantastic job of taking the information and understanding what’s being asked of them, while performing and playing the right way," Oystrick said.
"We have we have the talent to play the way we want to play, and if we want to have the success that we plan on having, we just need to continue getting better and better at that every single day," the HC added. "The kids brought in have just allowed us to play that high energy in your face style that I like to play."
NAHL Houston Bulls 2026-27 Roster Unveiled Ahead of Home Opener
The Bulls will next see action by hosting the Ogden Mustangs over the weekend of Oct. 16. Friday's game is set for 7:05 p.m. Central, and Saturday's game is slated for 6:05 p.m. Central.
In an exclusive ahead of the home opener, the Houston Bulls roster is as follows:
Brayden Hughes, defenseman — returner from North Iowa
Parker Zumdahl, defenseman — returner from North Iowa
Filip Rysz, defenseman — returner from North Iowa
Marat Mikhin, defenseman — returner from North Iowa
Isaiah Castro, defenseman — returner from North Iowa
Gabe Swenson, defenseman — rookie
Ethan McKay, defenseman — returner from North Iowa
Zach Howard, defenseman — returner from North Iowa
Jace Appelhans, defenseman — rookie
Andrew (Drew) Rivera, forward — rookie
Nicholas Russ, forward — returner from North Iowa
Lukas Yeck, forward — returner from North Iowa
Ivan Bercik, forward — returner from North Iowa
Jake Voris, forward — hybrid, spent 2025-26 season split between Chicago Mission 18U AAA and North Iowa
Vinnie Wrzos, forward — rookie, 2026 NAHL Draft first round, No. 10 overall
Maddox Boyle, forward — rookie, 2026 NAHL Draft second round, No. 47
Joseph Coghlin, forward — returner from North Iowa
James Proctor, forward — rookie
Andreas Churchill, forward — returner from North Iowa
Luke Gustafson, forward — returner from North Iowa
Bobby Thorton, forward — returner from North Iowa
Ronain Lellouche, forward — rookie
Ryder Sorensen, forward — rookie
Andrej Tomasec, forward — returner from North Iowa
Eddie Gatch, goaltender — rookie
Aaron Sachs, goaltender — returner from North Iowa
A.J. Ruskowski, Bulls Assistant Coach and Goaltending Coach, said his personal belief has been centered around having Sachs and Gatch be a calming presence for the Bulls on the ice.
"I don't think you need a loud goaltender; you need someone who is that calming presence in the nets and is able to calm the team down and save the team in certain situations and be that rock throughout a 60-minute game, throughout a two-game weekend, throughout a three-game weekend, throughout a 59-game season plus playoffs," Ruskowski said. "It's super important to find that calmness within the crease."
Howard and Coglin are both 20, representing the more tenured members of the roster and in their last year of NAHL eligibility.
Both home opening games will take place at the city's newest rink and the Bulls home venue of Deep South Ice Sports Plex — a 150,000-square-foot facility with 1,500-seat arena. The 1,500-seat arena comes as Bulls season tickets are sold out, and additional single-game tickets were added for home opening weekend due to high demand.
The games between Houston and the Mustangs are expected to be high-stakes.
"It's going to be a tough game. Obviously, we've been watching film on then," Oystrick said on play against Odgen. "They play fast. They're in your face. They do some things that are really well ... but, the goal every weekend is the same thing, and that's to try to get four points."
HC Nathan Oystrick's Red Wings Ties
Oystrick is behind the Houston bench after having played in the NHL from 2008-11 as a defenseman, putting up four PIM against the Red Wings.
When his career transitioned to coaching, he was greatly mentored and influenced by former Red Wings' AHL affiliate (Grand Rapids Griffins) coach Todd Nelson.
As such, Oystrick's coaching philosophy greatly revolves around establishing a positive culture.
"I'm a big believer in culture. Every hockey coach in the world wants really good hockey players. For me, I want good hockey players, but more importantly, I want good human beings because that's what builds your culture," Oystrick said. "If you have a good culture, guys are going to go to war for each other."
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