Watertown, SD — Watertown Shamrocks defenseman Justin Bartley has been named the Defenseman of the Month by the North American Hockey League (NAHL) for his efforts in September.
Bartley, who was named the fifth captain in team history to start the season, played a pivotal role in the Shamrocks’ 3-0-2-0 start and three wins at the 2026 NAHL Showcase in Blaine, MN last week. In the season’s opening month, the defenseman scored two goals and tallied eight assists across just five games. His 2.0 points per game rank first in the league amongst all defensemen and are tied for the second most across all skater’s league wide.
“Earning Defenseman of the Month is super exciting,” Bartley said. “The NAHL Showcase was a fun event, and it was cool to be able to go 3-0 and put up some points. My team is so fun to be around. I look forward to going to the rink every day. We are super driven and aligned with what we want to accomplish as a team. We’ve been clicking on the ice, and I was able to benefit from it this month.”
After being held off the scoresheet in the Shamrocks’ season opener against the Austin Bruins, Bartley recorded a career high four-point game the following night in Austin. He has extended that multi-point game stretch to four straight games to close out the month.
“It is great that Justin is getting recognized for his outstanding play during September,” Shamrocks Head Coach and General Manager Casey Kirley said. “He has grown immensely as a person, leader, and player over the past three seasons in Watertown. Justin is a fantastic captain who shows up and competes every day. He leads by example on and off the ice, and helps make his teammates better people and players as well. He plays a lot of minutes for us in all situations and is able to do so at a high level every night. We are proud of what he’s accomplished right away this season and look forward to watching him continue to grow his game throughout the year.”
The Illinois native and the Shamrocks will now continue their season as the calendar turns to October this weekend against the Bismarck Bobcats.