General | 3/19/2025 11:00:00 AM

The United States Hockey League (USHL) has announced the 2024-25 Clark Cup Playoffs featuring 12 teams, six from each of the Eastern and Western Conferences, will begin Monday, April 14.
 
The Clark Cup Playoffs open with a three-game first round series between the #3 and #6 seeds and #4 and #5 seeds from each conference. All three games will be played at the higher seed’s home location on three consecutive nights.
 
Following the first round, the winner of the #3 vs. #6 series will automatically play the #2 seed from their conference while the winner of the #4 vs. #5 series will automatically play the #1 seeds in the conference semifinals. The semifinals are best-of-five game series with a 2-2-1 format with games 1, 2 and 5 played at the higher seed.
 
The winners of the conference semifinals matchups will face off in a best-of-five conference final. The format of the Conference Final will be 2-2-1 with games 1, 2 and 5 at the higher seed.
 
The Eastern and Western Conference Champions will meet for the Clark Cup Final, a best-of-five series played in the 2-2-1 format with the higher seed hosting games 1, 2 and 5.
 
2024-25 Clark Cup Playoffs Dates
*Exact game dates dependent on building availability*
 
First Round (Best of 3 Series): April 14-17
Conference Semifinals (Best of 5 Series): April 18-25
Conference Finals (Best of 5 Series): April 26-May 8
Clark Cup Final (Best of 5 Series): May 9-21
 
Playoff seedings are determined by regular season points with the following tiebreakers in play (if needed)
 
a) ROW (regulation + overtime wins)
b) Head-to-head record
c) Most wins in league competition (including shootout wins)
d) Least losses in league competition
e) Greater overall goal differential
f) Greater head-to-head goal differential
g) Game played at neutral site OR coin flip
 
About the USHL

The United States Hockey League and its 16 member clubs are committed to being the leading 16–20-year-old junior hockey league in the world. More than half of Division I men’s hockey roster spots are held by USHL alumni and more than 195 alumni were listed on NHL rosters at the start of the 2024-25 season.

The league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 92% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel), Cole Caufield (NTDP), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede). More.