USHL Weekly Notes

General | 11/12/2024 11:16:47 AM

Tune into the U-Show on YouTube each Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT for a weekly recap, preview and insight into what’s happening around the USHL.
 
LAST WEEK REWIND
  • The Eastern Conference-leading Dubuque Fighting Saints had their six-game winning streak ended by a pair of one-goal home losses to the visiting Green Bay Gamblers. The Gamblers have a winning record (7-6-1-0) despite having played only five home games.
  • The Muskegon Lumberjacks, another team with only five home games played, are 9-3-2-1 after sweeping Omaha at home. They will take their 6-1-2-1 road ledger into Sioux City for a two-game series this weekend.
  • Sioux City plays its second straight midweek game with a matchup vs. Sioux Falls on Tuesday. The Musketeers defeated Lincoln at the Tyson Events Center in their School Day Game last Wednesday before getting swept by the Black Hawks in a pair of tightly contested games over the weekend.
  • The Omaha Lancers, Lincoln Stars, Sioux City Musketeers and Muskegon Lumberjacks celebrated Veteran’s Day early with special jerseys for Military Appreciation Night.
U17 WORLD CHALLENGE
  • Adam Valentini (CHI/Michigan), Tynan Lawrence (MUS/Boston University) and Callum Croskery (CHI/Boston College) won gold with Canada White at the U17 World Challenge from Nov. 3-9 in Sarnia, Ontario.
  • Valentini and Victor Plante (NTDP) led the tournament in scoring with nine points each. Valentini had four goals and five assists with a point in every game, including a goal and an assist in the gold-medal game.  
  • Canada White, Canada Red, Czechia, Finland, Sweden and the United States (NTDP) participated in the six-team tournament.
NHL DRAFT ELIGIBLE LEADERS
  • Ethan Wyttenbach (SF/Quinnipiac) leads 2025 NHL Draft eligible skaters with 15 points (5-10-15). Ryker Lee (MAD/Michigan State) ranks second with 14 points (5-9-14) and Gavin Cornforth (DBQ/Boston College) ranks third with 12 points (6-6-12).
  • Oliver Murnieks (SC) and Tynan Lawrence (MUS/Boston University) are tied for first in scoring among 2026 NHL Draft eligible rookies. Lawrence has played three fewer games than Murnieks.
NHL DRAFT PICK WATCH LIST
  • Colorado Avalanche prospect Will Zellers (GB/North Dakota) leads NHL prospects in goals (8) and points (11).
  • San Jose Sharks prospect David Klee (MUS/North Dakota), Buffalo Sabres prospect Vasily Zelenov (GB), Philadelphia Flyers prospect Heikki Ruohonen (DBQ/Harvard) and New York Islanders prospect Xavier Veilleux (MUS/Harvard) are tied for second in scoring among NHL prospects with ten points each.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Melvin Strahl (YNG/Michigan State) is 6-4-0-0 with a 2.66 GAA and .892 SV%, while New Jersey Devils prospect Mikhail Yegerov (OMA/Boston University) is 2-4-0-0 with a 2.97 GAA and .893 SV%.
NHL PRELIMINARY PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST
  • NHL Central Scouting published its preliminary players to watch list for the upcoming NHL Draft featuring 96 players with USHL ties. Of that group, 64 players are on active USHL rosters, 26 are on affiliate lists and six are former USHL players in the NCAA. The USHL averaged four players per team, more than any other junior league in North America. 
PLAYER STREAKS
  • Luke Schelter (FGO) is on a six-game point streak with 10 points (2-8-10) in his last six games. He has a point in seven of his eight games this season.
  • JJ Monteiro (WAT/Providence) is on a six-game point streak (2-5-7).
  • Sam Spehar (SF/Denver) is on a six-game point streak (3-4-7).
  • Landen Gunderson (SC/Western Michigan) had his 13-game point streak ended last Saturday vs. Waterloo. Prior to that, the USHL’s leading point scorer had a point in every game.
 TOP TEAMS
  • Madison ranks 2nd in goals for per game (3.73) and 3rd in goals against per game (2.60).
  • Dubuque ranks 5th in goals for per game (3.44) and goals against per game (2.63).
  • Top Power Plays: Green Bay Gamblers (33.3%), Sioux City Musketeers (27.3%) and Lincoln Stars (25.5%)
  • Top Penalty Kills: Fargo Force (88.2%), Lincoln Stars (86.0%) and Muskegon Lumberjacks (84.0%).
NHL PICKS
  • There are 27 NHL picks on USHL rosters with 11 of 16 USHL teams claiming at least one selection
  • Six teams in the league have multiple NHL draft picks rostered: the Dubuque Fighting Saints (5), Green Bay Gamblers (5), Sioux Falls Stampede (4), Muskegon Lumberjacks (3), Lincoln Stars (2) and Youngstown Phantoms (2).
  • 15 different NHL teams have a USHL pick in the league this season.
PATH TO PRO
  • 195+ Alumni on 32 NHL Opening Night Rosters
  • 910+ Alumni on NCAA 2024-25 DI Rosters
  • With ten first-round selections and 49 total picks in the 2024 NHL Draft, the USHL has developed the most draft choices of any junior hockey league since 2012. 
  • The USHL has produced more selections than the OHL, WHL and QMJHL for eight straight years.
  • The USHL's ten first-round selections in 2024 tied a league record previously set in 2016. It marked the 16th consecutive year the USHL has had multiple first-round picks and extended the run to 20 years with at least one selection.
  • Macklin Celebrini (CHI/San Jose - 2024) is one of four other first-overall picks with USHL lineage: Owen Power (CHI/Buffalo - 2021) Jack Hughes (NTDP/New Jersey - 2019), Auston Matthews (NTDP/Toronto Maple Leafs - 2016) and Rick DiPietro (NTDP/New York Islanders - 2000)
  • Multiple players who played last season in the USHL signed NHL entry-level contracts including: Matvei Gridin (MUS/Calgary Flames), Ilya Protas (DM/Washington Capitals), Julian Lutz (GB/Utah Hockey Club) and Juraj Pekarcik (DUB/St. Louis Blues).
USHL IN THE NCAA
  • More than 365 players in the USHL are committed to play NCAA Division I college hockey, accounting for 80% of all players in the league.
  • The conferences with the most committed players include:
    • NCHC: 85+
    • Big Ten: 80+
    • Hockey East: 75+
  • The teams with the most committed players include Michigan, Harvard and UMass
    • Michigan: 17
    • Miami: 16
    • Michigan State: 15
  • 270+ USHL alumni played in the NHL during the 2023-24 season and 12 USHL were named NCAA First-Team All-Americans.
  • Macklin Celebrini (CHI/Boston University) won the Hobey Baker Award, Greg Brown (DUB/Boston College) won the Spencer Penrose Award as national coach of the year and Kyle McClellan (OMA/Wisconsin) won the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA Goalie of the Year.
  • The USHL claims 8 of the last 10 Hobey Baker winners and has represented 88% of American Hockey Coaches Association (ACHA) First-Team All-Americans in the last five years.
ANNIVERSARY SEASONS
  • 40th Anniversary Season: Madison Capitols*
  • 30th Anniversary Season: Green Bay Gamblers
  • 25th Anniversary Season: Chicago Steel, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, Tri-City Storm
  • 15th Anniversary Season: Dubuque Fighting Saint
*Madison left the USHL in 1995 before rejoining in 2014.

CHL/USA PROSPECTS CHALLENGE
  • The inaugural CHL/USA Prospects Challenge will take place Nov. 26-27 in London and Oshawa, Ontario. The two-game series will feature first-year draft-eligible players for the 2025 NHL Draft from the CHL (Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League, Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League) and USA Hockey's National Team Development Program.
  • The host of the CHL/USA Prospects Challenge will rotate between the CHL’s three league markets each year. This is the first of a three-year agreement between the CHL and USA Hockey.
For up-to-date stats and streaks, review the USHL Daily Report.

The USHL sends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Johnny & Matthew Gaudreau, Chad Demers and former owner of the Tri-City Storm, Kirk Brooks.