Men's Ice Hockey | 11/11/2026 4:01:03 PM

Here’s how all 16 USHL clubs stack up heading into mid-November.

1. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (12-4-0-0) | Previous Rank: 1
Cedar Rapids remains in the top spot, riding four straight wins, including a weekend sweep of Green Bay. The RoughRiders lead the East by seven points and are 6-1-0-0 (W-L-OTL-SOL) on the road. They’re tied for third in scoring (4.13), rank fourth in goals against (2.81), power play (23.9%) and penalty kill (84.5%), and they’re 8-1-0-0 when scoring first.

Henry Lechner leads the League with 25 points (11-14-25) and has assists in seven straight games. Carter Ernst (5-16-21) is tied for the League lead in assists. David Bosco (20 points) leads the USHL with four game-winning goals and has points in six straight road games. Joseph Skidmore was named USHL Goalie of the Week after stopping 36 of 38 shots against Green Bay, and his eight wins rank second in the League.

2. Fargo Force (12-5-0-0) | Previous Rank: 2

Fargo stays in the No. 2 spot, tied with Cedar Rapids and Waterloo with 24 points. The Force split a pair at Sioux Falls, winning 5-1 Saturday before a 5-1 loss Tuesday that snapped their seven-game road winning streak. They’re 8-2-0-0 in their last 10, still lead the USHL in goal differential (+28), and rank second in goals against (2.47 per game).

Sam Hrenak leads the League in wins (10), GAA (2.10), save percentage (.934), saves, and minutes. Lauri Kouhia leads the USHL with 14 goals, though his seven-game goal streak (10 goals) came to an end Tuesday. Bryce Mattern (13-7-20) leads the League with 63 shots. Defenseman AJ Francisco (5-16-21) leads all blueliners in scoring, is tied for the League lead in assists, and leads the USHL with 11 power-play points.

3. Waterloo Black Hawks (11-2-2-0) | Previous Rank: 3

Waterloo holds steady after sweeping Lincoln this past weekend. The Black Hawks own the League’s best points percentage (.800) and fewest regulation losses (two), and they’re a perfect 7-0 against Western Conference opponents. They’re 6-0-1-0 at home, their power play leads the League at 33.9%, and they now lead the USHL in goals against (2.33).

Cody Sokol (8-12-20) has goals in three straight games and points in seven straight home games. Rookie Miles Jinman and defenseman Caleb Deanovich are tied for the League lead with eight power-play assists. Deanovich (4-8-12) also has 10 power-play points and two game-winners. In net, Sebastian Charvat (2.15 GAA, .922 SV%) and Charlie Menard (2.24, .920 SV%) rank second and third in GAA.

4. Tri-City Storm (10-4-0-0) | Previous Rank: 4

Tri-City stays put at the four spot. The Storm still lead the USHL in scoring (4.57 goals per game), are 8-2-0-0 in their last 10, and have played just 14 games, at least one fewer than each of the three teams above them. Their lone game of the weekend was an 8-5 home loss to Omaha Friday. Tri-City is 6-2-0-0 against the West but allows 31.6 shots per game, 14th in the League.

Rookie Jackson Smith (3-14-17) leads all first-year players in scoring, and rookie Matthew Krayer (7-8-15) is second. Aleksandr Sokolov has 11 goals on just 27 shots, a League-best 40.7% shooting percentage. Dylan Krayer (7-11-18) has goals in five straight home games. Trevor Hill and Patrik Rusznyak share the League lead at plus-16, and rookie Quinn Beumer is 6-1 with a .922 save percentage and two shutouts.

5. Des Moines Buccaneers (9-6-0-1) | Previous Rank: 5

Des Moines holds its spot after a road sweep at Chicago. The Buccaneers have won three straight on the road and are 6-2-0-1 away from home overall. They rank third in both goals against (2.75) and penalty kill (85.9%), though the power play remains a work in progress at 15.3%.
Riley Zupfer (9-13-22) is second in USHL scoring and leads the League with three shorthanded assists. Joey Argentina (8-10-18) leads the League with four shorthanded goals. Defenseman Becker Wenkus has 10 points and two game-winners. Rookie Jon Kavcic is 5-4 with a 2.38 GAA and .920 save percentage.

6. Madison Capitols (7-4-1-0) | Previous Rank: 10

Madison makes the second-biggest jump of the week, climbing four spots after sweeping Youngstown on the road. The Caps are 7-2-1-0 in their last 10, carry a five-game road point streak, and rank second in scoring (4.42 goals per game) despite playing only 12 games. The penalty kill (72.1%, 15th) is the area to watch. Madison opens Wings Arena on Friday against Green Bay.

Harper Frey earned USHL Defenseman of the Week honors after a five-point weekend. He’s tied for the lead among defensemen with six goals and ranks second among blueliners with 14 points. Fellow defenseman Nolen Geerdes (4-9-13) is right behind him and has assists in five straight home games, and Logan Lutner has five goals. Elliot Lennon is 5-2-0-0 in net.

7. Dubuque Fighting Saints (8-7-1-0) | Previous Rank: 9

Dubuque climbs two spots after splitting with Muskegon this past weekend. The Saints sit second in the East with 17 points, are 6-3 at home, and are tied for third in scoring (4.13). They allow a League-low 25.9 shots per game, and their road power play leads the USHL at 37.5%.
Caden Dabrowski has 18 points (7-11-18) in just 11 games. Olle Darth (9-8-17) and Max Lind (4-12-16) are close behind, and Lind recently saw an eight-game point streak come to an end. Defenseman Joe Wahlund has 10 assists, and Luke Carrithers is 6-4-0-0 in between the pipes.

8. Sioux Falls Stampede (10-8-1-0) | Previous Rank: 6

Sioux Falls dropped two spots, but it closed the stretch with a 5-1 home win over Fargo on Tuesday. The Herd have played a League-high 19 games and sit third in the West with 21 points. They lead the USHL in shots per game (37.4), and they’re 9-1-0-0 when scoring first.

Joey Macrina (4-16-20) is tied for the League lead in assists and ranks second with 59 shots. Cooper Soller ranks fifth in the League with 10 goals. Rookie Ethan Sung and Max Davis have each scored in four straight road games. Defenseman Wade Weil leads the League with 97 penalty minutes. Ryan Cameron stopped 17 of 18 shots Tuesday to even his record at 5-5.

9. Muskegon Lumberjacks (7-6-0-2) | Previous Rank: 8

Muskegon slips one spot after splitting at Dubuque. The Lumberjacks sit third in the East with 16 points, have points in five straight home games, and are even in goal differential. Their penalty kill leads the USHL at 88.4%, and they’ve taken the fewest penalty minutes in the League.
Rookie Zaac Charbonneau (9-5-14) leads all first-year players in goals, has three game-winners, and owns a six-game home point streak. Defenseman Felix Färhammar has 10 points, as does rookie Maxim Simko. Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz is 4-2-0-0 with a 2.32 GAA and .914 save percentage, fourth in GAA. Muskegon hosts top-ranked Cedar Rapids this weekend.

10. Omaha Lancers (6-7-1-0) | Previous Rank: 15

Omaha climbs five spots after splitting the weekend, highlighted by an 8-5 win at Tri-City. The Lancers are 5-4-1-0 in their last 10 and 5-3 on the road. Their penalty kill ranks second in the League at 86.0%.

Yegor Kim (7-9-16) had a five-point night Friday, including four assists. Adam Israilov has points in six straight road games, and Ryan Aaronson is second in the League with three shorthanded goals. Anthony Sciere is 6-4-1 with a .912 save percentage, and his 311 saves rank second.

11. Sioux City Musketeers (6-9-1-0) | Previous Rank: 12

Sioux City moves up one spot after taking both home games, a 4-3 overtime win over Sioux Falls and a 6-3 win over Omaha. The Musketeers are still just 3-7-0-0 at home, and their 24.6 shots per game rank 15th.

Jake Merens has points in eight straight games (12 points), the longest active point streak in the USHL. Daniil Butin (9-11-20) leads the team in scoring, and Max Anderson has goals in four straight games. Defenseman Evan Jones (3-10-13) has nine power-play points, and rookie Dominik Bednar has three game-winners.

12. Chicago Steel (5-5-2-1) | Previous Rank: 7

Chicago tumbles five spots after being swept at home by Des Moines. The Steel are winless in their last five (0-3-1-1) and minus-8 in goal differential. They visit Green Bay Wednesday before a weekend set at the NTDP.

Cole Bumgarner leads the Steel with 12 points (5-7-12). Rookie MJ Campbell (5-6-11) is second in team scoring and has five power-play points. Fellow rookie Leland Dulac has eight points. Easton Pace has four goals on 11 shots, and defenseman Cole Peters ranks second among USHL defensemen with 61 penalty minutes. Rookie Alex Wang is 1-2-2-0 in net.

13. Youngstown Phantoms (5-9-1-0) | Previous Rank: 13

Youngstown holds after being swept at home by Madison, 7-5 and 8-4. The Phantoms are 1-5-0-0 at home and have allowed 4.47 goals per game (15th), along with a League-high four shorthanded goals. The power play has been a bright spot at 21.7%.

Lukas Zajic was named USHL Forward of the Week after scoring four goals in two games, three of them on the power play. Malachi McKinnon (6-10-16) leads the team in scoring, and Jesse Orlowsky leads the League with two shootout goals. Owen Lepak has logged 600 minutes, fifth-most in the League, and his two shootout wins lead the USHL.

14. USA Hockey NTDP (4-7-0-0) | Previous Rank: 14

The NTDP was idle in USHL play and stays at No. 14. The power play ranks second in the League at 29.4%, but the penalty kill (61.9%) and goals against (5.27 per game) rank last, and Team USA allows a League-high 36.9 shots per game.

Rookie Jack Trupiano is tied for the lead among all first-year players with three power-play goals, and Cannon Thibodeau has four goals on 11 shots. Finn Sears has assists in five straight games, and Nolan Fitzhenry has goals in three straight road games. The NTDP hosts Chicago this weekend.

15. Lincoln Stars (4-10-1-0) | Previous Rank: 11

Lincoln drops four spots after being swept by Waterloo.  The Stars have lost five straight, are 2-7-1-0 in their last 10, and their 2.00 goals per game rank 15th. The defense has kept games close at times, as Lincoln ranks eighth in goals against at 3.40.

William Prowse leads the League with three shutouts. Rookie defenseman Henry Steele leads all blueliners with 38 shots and has four power-play assists.

16. Green Bay Gamblers (3-11-0-0) | Previous Rank: 16

Green Bay stays at the bottom after being swept at Cedar Rapids. The Gamblers have lost five straight, are 2-8-0-0 in their last 10, and rank last in scoring (1.93 goals per game) and power play (9.1%). They’re 0-11-0-0 when trailing after two periods.

Joey Slavick has been busy in net, ranking fourth in the League with 259 saves. Defenseman Quentin Bourne has 49 penalty minutes. Green Bay hosts Chicago Wednesday before a home-and-home with Madison this weekend.

About the USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world’s leading junior hockey league. This season, 45% of NCAA Division I men’s hockey players and 25% of NHL players have USHL experience. The USHL has developed more than 315 direct NHL Draft picks since 2020, and nine of the last 10 Hobey Baker Award winners, including Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel).

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 90% 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 Jack Hughes (NTDP), Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede), and Johnny Gaudreau (Dubuque Fighting Saints).