General | 9/4/2025 10:00:00 AM

The United States Hockey League (USHL) has implemented a revised Clark Cup playoff schedule, effective immediately through the 2027-2028 season.

To optimize athlete recovery and provide the best possible environment for players and fans, the first round of the Clark Cup playoffs will be played the first weekend following the conclusion of the regular season. In recent years, the postseason has begun on the Monday following the end of the regular season.

The Clark Cup Playoffs open with a three-game first-round series between the #3 and #6 seeds and the #4 and #5 seeds from each conference. All three games will be played at the higher seed's home location. The top two seeded teams in each conference will receive a first-round bye.

Following the first round, all teams will reseed, and the lowest remaining seed will automatically play the #1 seed; the higher remaining seed will automatically play the #2 seed. The semifinals are best-of-five series with a 2-2-1 format, with games 1, 2, and 5 played at the higher seed.

The earliest the Clark Cup playoffs can begin is Thursday, April 9. The latest the postseason can conclude is Tuesday, May 26.

About the USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading 16–to 20-year-old junior hockey league. During the 2024-25 season, USHL alumni held over 50% of NCAA Division I roster spots, and over 25% of NHL players had USHL experience. With 10 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.

Elevated through the recently announced Declaration of Excellence with the NHL and USA Hockey, 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), Matthew Knies (Tri-City Storm), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede). More.