Former Red Wings' Rival, Mentee Gets First Win in Team History

Nathan Oystrick — who previously played against the Detroit Red Wings and was mentored by a former franchise coach — and the NAHL Houston Bulls recorded their first win in team history in a 5-3 fashion, featuring an incredibly impressive third period.

NAHL Houston Bulls at Lone Star Brahmas, Nathan Oystrick / COURTESY: Michael Tollestrup, Houston Bulls

Nathan Oystrick, who previously played against the Detroit Red Wings in his NHL days, and the NAHL Houston Bulls earned their first win in team history with a late-game win over the Lone Star Brahmas.

The historic win came on Sept. 18, in only the third game of Houston's inaugural season. With a final score of 5-3, all five goals for the Bulls were potted in the third period. Two were scored by forward Luke Gustafson — who was eventually awarded the Player of the Game (POG) belt buckle by Oystrick. Goals also came from Zach Howard, Nicholas Russ and Lukas Yeck.

NAHL Houston Bulls Player of the Game Luke Gustafson, Sept. 18 / COURTESY: Michael Tollestrup, Houston Bulls

The NAHL originally announced in March that the North Iowa Bulls would relocate to Houston to compete as the Houston Bulls, with Oystrick being named the inaugural head coach in the summer.

Oystrick played in the NHL from 2008-11 as a defenseman and tallied four PIM against the Red Wings. Once his career transitioned to coaching — with him eventually being named the NA3HL Coach of the Year in 2023-24 after leading the Wausau Cyclones to a 36-10-0-1 record that season — he received a great deal of mentorship from former Red Wings' AHL affiliate (Grand Rapids Griffins) coach Todd Nelson.

Houston Bulls Post First Win in Inaugural Season

Lone Star scored two goals in the middle frame. Houston recorded their first of the game at the 11:45 mark in the third period, then went on to score four more in the same frame to secure the win.

Gustafson, whose father Jon is the Senior Vice President at the San Jose Sharks, scored the second and final goals of the night for the Bulls.

In an exclusive, Oystrick said that despite the first win for the Houston Bulls being in the books — he's focused on continuing to build momentum.

"It was an exciting game and the guys stuck with it until the end. I am extremely proud of how they stuck together and it’s a good feeling to get the first win of the season and the first win in Houston Bulls history, but the celebration needs to be short lived," said Oystrick. "We know Coach [Dan] Wildfong is going to have the Brahmas ready to go and we need to be focused and prepared for Game 2 tonight.”

NAHL Houston Bulls vs Lone Star Brahmas / COURTESY: Michael Tollestrup, Houston Bulls

The Bulls play their final game of the weekend at Lone Star on the evening of Sept. 19; puck drop is slated for 7:30 p.m. CST. Houston will then shift its focus to the NAHL Showcase — to take place from Sept. 23 to Sept. 26.

Houston's home opener at the newly-constructed Deep South Ice & Sports Center is set for Oct. 2.

Oystrick and the Bulls are known for having an intense and physical playstyle. AJ Ruskowski serves as both the team's Assistant and Goaltending Coach.