Buccaneers acquire Mason Jenson from Tri-City in offseason trade

USHL Junior Hockey · By Marcus Chen · June 30, 2026

Des Moines added Mason Jenson from Tri-City in a trade that sent the Storm a 2027 Phase I seventh-round pick, defenseman Nick Koering, forward Nathan Garski and affiliate player Elias Ehrhardt. It was a clean asset swap: the Buccaneers paid for a winger who has already handled a full USHL workload, while Tri-City turned one roster player into four pieces that fit farther down the timeline.

Jenson, a 2007-born forward from Rogers, Minnesota, is listed at 5-foot-9 and 163 pounds and shoots left. He first joined the Storm as an affiliate player in 2024-25, then moved onto the roster full-time in 2025-26 and appeared in 58 games. He finished that season with 30 points, scoring 12 goals and adding 18 assists, production that stands out for a young forward in a league where every shift is a test. He also showed up in the biggest moments Tri-City had to offer, scoring in a 5-3 win over Lincoln on Jan. 8, 2026, and again when he tied Fargo in the third period on April 5, 2026.

That is why Des Moines went after him. The Buccaneers were not buying a projection or a low-minute depth piece. They were buying a forward who has already proven he can stay in a lineup, produce against older competition and translate his game into meaningful goals. Jenson’s commitment to Ohio State, which he made on Aug. 31, 2023, adds another layer to the move: Des Moines gets a player with a defined college destination, not a rental-type roster fix.

The trade fits the way USHL teams work in late June, when the league’s draft calendar and player-development cycle are in full motion. The USHL’s 2025-26 season ran a 62-game schedule from Sept. 17, 2025 through April 4, 2026, and the offseason is where clubs decide whether to chase immediate scoring or keep stacking future assets. Des Moines chose the first path with Jenson, a winger who can step into an offensive role quickly. Tri-City chose the second, taking the pick, two skaters and an affiliate player in exchange for one proven junior scorer.