Weekend Notebook: Lechner Brothers Faceoff and Madison Opens New Rink

Men's Ice Hockey | 11/13/2026 3:51:49 PM

USHL Notes...
  • The Madison Capitols will host the Gamblers for their inaugural game in Wings Arena at DeForest Yards on Nov. 13.
  • Colorado Avalanche prospect Teddy Lechner (Augustana) of the Muskegon Lumberjacks will face off against his brother, Henry Lechner, when the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders visit Muskegon on Nov. 13 and 14.
  • Teams across the League will continue to honor veterans this weekend with military-themed nights in Des Moines, Omaha, Madison, Fargo, Youngstown, Muskegon and Cedar Rapids. Muskegon and Cedar Rapids will both wear military-inspired jerseys on Nov. 14.
  • Gamblers forward Siwan Gong became the first player born and raised in South Korea, and developed in its hockey system, to play in a USHL game when he debuted Nov. 11. He recorded the primary assist on Green Bay's first goal in its 4-3 win. Gong joins James Hong, who played two seasons with the Waterloo Black Hawks and one season with the Madison Capitols from 2021-24. Hong currently plays at Ohio State.  
  • Three teams share the USHL lead with 24 points: the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (12-4-0-0), the Fargo Force (12-5-0-0) and the Black Hawks (11-2-2-0), who have the League's best points percentage (.800). Cedar Rapids has won four straight, and the Force is 8-2-0-0 in its last 10 games. Madison scored 15 goals last weekend on the road against the Youngstown Phantoms and is 7-2-1-0 in its last 10.
  • Fargo and Cedar Rapids are the only teams in the top five for goals for and against this season. The RoughRiders average 4.13 goals per game, tied for third-best, and allow 2.81 goals against, fourth-best. The Force averages 4.12 goals per game, fifth-best, and allows 2.47 goals against, second-best.
  • The Black Hawks (6-0-1-0) are the only team without a regulation home loss and have won six straight games at Young Arena.
  • Waterloo is 7-0-0-0 against Western Conference opponents and 4-2-2-0 against the East. The Black Hawks are also 6-0-2-0 in one-goal games and have scored first in 12 of 15 games, going 9-1-2-0 in those games.
  • Fargo dominates third periods, outscoring opponents 33-13 after the second intermission. The Force is 8-0-0-0 when leading after two periods.
  • Cedar Rapids is 11-1-0-0 when leading after two periods and 8-1-0-0 when scoring first. The RoughRiders, Fargo, and the NTDP are the only teams that haven't played overtime.
  • Shooters are 0-for-8 on penalty shots this season.
  • Waterloo is clicking at 33.9% on the power play (19/56). The Muskegon Lumberjacks lead the USHL in penalty killing at 88.4% (38/43). Cedar Rapids is the only team with a top-five power play (23.9%) and penalty kill (84.5%). The Des Moines Buccaneers lead the League with four shorthanded goals, all scored by Joey Argentina.
  • Dubuque Fighting Saints forward Caden Dabrowski (Merrimack) has 18 points (7-11–18) in only 11 games, the best points-per-game rate among the League's top 20 scorers (1.64).
  • Cedar Rapids' David Bosco (Harvard) leads the USHL with four game-winning goals and has points in seven straight games (11 points), including six straight road games (3-6–9).
  • Waterloo rookie Miles Jinman is tied for the League lead in power-play assists (8), and Cody Sokol (Wisconsin) has points in all seven of his home games (4-9–13).
  • Tri-City Storm forward Aleksandr Sokolov (Brown) has 11 goals on 27 shots (40.7%), the League's best shooting percentage, and is tied for third in goals. His teammates Trevor Hill and Patrik Rusznyak share the League lead in plus-minus (+16).
  • Fargo's Sam Hrenak (St. Cloud State), a Winnipeg Jets prospect, leads the League in goals-against average (2.10), save percentage (.934) and wins (10-2-0-0), and has played more minutes than any other goalie in the USHL. Waterloo's Sebastian Charvat is second in goals-against average (2.15) and save percentage (.922). Will Prowse (Boston University) of the Lincoln Stars leads the League with three shutouts.
  • Henry Lechner (11-14–25) leads USHL skaters in points, followed by Des Moines' Riley Zupfer (Notre Dame) (9-13–22). Lechner has eight assists during a seven-game assist streak, the longest active assist streak in the League. Lechner's teammate Carter Ernst (St. Thomas) (5-16–21) and Fargo defenseman AJ Francisco (Notre Dame) (5-16–21) are tied for third in League scoring. They share the League lead in assists with Sioux Falls Stampede forward Joey Macrina (Brown) (16). Lechner and Ernst are Minnesota natives who played in the Minnesota State High School League for the Academy of Holy Angels and Lakeville South, respectively.
  • Sioux City Musketeers forward Jake Merens has the League's longest active point streak at eight games (12 points).
  • Fargo's Lauri Kouhia leads the USHL with 14 goals in 16 games and has scored 10 in his last eight. His teammate Bryce Mattern (Arizona State) is second with 13 goals. Francisco, Mattern (13-7–20), Kouhia (14-5–19) and AJ Garcia (Notre Dame) (4-15–19) give the Force four of the League's top 12 scorers.
  • Tri-City's Jackson Smith (Miami) (3-14–17) leads rookie scorers, followed by Storm teammate Matthew Krayer (7-8–15) and Muskegon's Zaac Charbonneau (9-5–14), who leads rookies in goals. Samuel Courtemanche (Yale) (7-4–11) of the Storm leads rookies at +10 and shares the rookie lead in game-winning goals (3) with Charbonneau and Sioux City's Dominik Bednar.
  • Francisco leads USHL defensemen in scoring, and Madison's Harper Frey (Wisconsin) (6-8–14) is second. Francisco (1.24) and Frey (1.17) lead defensemen in points per game. The Capitols have three defensemen among the top eight in scoring: Frey (2nd), Nolen Geerdes (4-9–13, tied for 3rd), and Logan Lutner (5-6–11, 8th). Madison has played only 12 games, the fewest in the League.
  • NCAA Commitment: Sam Hrenak (Fargo/St. Cloud State)
NCAA Notes…
  • Nine of the top 10 NCAA scorers played in the USHL.  One freshman, Adam Benák (Western Michigan/Youngstown), and two sophomores, Tynan Lawrence (Boston University/Muskegon) and Ethan Wyttenbach (Quinnipiac/Sioux Falls), are on the list. The trio's NHL rights are held by the Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues, and Calgary Flames, respectively.
  • Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael Hage (Michigan/Chicago) leads the NCAA in scoring (4-16–20), followed by Carolina Hurricanes prospect Jayden Perron (Michigan/Chicago) (10-9–19). Ty Hanson (Minnesota Duluth/Sioux City) (10-7–17) is third and shares the national goals lead with Perron and Nick Pierre (Merrimack/Sioux City/Cedar Rapids/Omaha). Benák (5-10–15) is tied for fourth and leads NCAA freshmen in scoring. Columbus Blue Jackets prospect William Whitelaw (Western Michigan/Youngstown), Wyttenbach, and Nick Ring (New Hampshire/Sioux Falls) are tied for sixth (14 points).
  • After leaving Muskegon for Boston University midway through the 2025-26 season, Lawrence had two goals and five assists in 18 NCAA games. Through 11 games this year, the Blues' 2026 first-round pick has 13 points (9-4–13).
  • Philadelphia Flyers prospect Carter Amico played 18 games at Boston University to start last season before returning to the USHL with the Lumberjacks. After going scoreless in his first college stint, the Flyers' 2025 second-round pick has three goals and two assists in 11 games on the blue line for the Terriers this season.
  • Tobias Ohman (Colgate/Chicago) (5-6–11) is tied for third in freshman scoring. Blue Jackets prospect Evan Jardine (Ohio State/Youngstown) (4-6–10) is tied for sixth among freshmen in scoring with Buffalo Sabres prospect Matous Kucharcik (Miami/Youngstown) (2-8–10).
  • Hanson leads NCAA defensemen in scoring, followed by Joona Väisänen (Western Michigan/Dubuque) (5-8–13), who is tied for second, and Drew Schock (Michigan/NTDP) (3-8–11), who ranks fifth.
  • Utah Mammoth prospect Carl Axelsson (Minnesota Duluth/Muskegon) is 6-2-2 with a 1.29 goals-against average, a .939 save percentage, and three shutouts. Owen Bartoszkiewicz (Michigan Tech/Youngstown) is 6-2-2 with a 1.78 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage. New Jersey Devils prospect Mikhail Yegorov (Boston University/Omaha) is 7-4-0 with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. Jets prospect Jack Parsons (Providence/Chicago/NTDP) is 5-2-0 with a 1.85 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage.
  • 18 of the 20 players announced to represent the U.S. Collegiate Selects at the Spengler Cup played in the USHL.
    • Martins Lavinš, F, New Hampshire, Cedar Rapids (2021-23)
    • Chris Pelosi, F, Quinnipiac, Sioux Falls (2022-24)
    • Jayson Shaugabay, F, Minnesota Duluth, Green Bay (2022-24)
    • Joona Väisänen, D, Western Michigan, Dubuque (2023-24)
    • Tyler Dunbar, D, Union, Muskegon/Lincoln (2020-23)
    • Elliott Groenewold, D, Quinnipiac, Cedar Rapids (2023-24)
    • Michael Hage, F, Michigan, Chicago (2022-24)
    • Ty Hanson, D, Minnesota Duluth, Sioux City (2022-24)
    • Logan Hensler, D, Wisconsin, NTDP (2022-24)
    • Dean Letourneau, F, Boston College, Sioux Falls (2023-24)
    • Evan Murr, D, Minnesota, Sioux Falls (2022-23)
    • Jayden Perron, F, Michigan, Chicago (2021-23)
    • Max Plante, F, Minnesota Duluth, NTDP (2022-24)
    • Zam Plante, F, Minnesota Duluth, Chicago/Fargo (2021-24)
    • Teddy Stiga, F, Boston College, NTDP (2022-24)
    • Xavier Veilleux, D, Cornell, Muskegon (2023-25)
    • Ryan Walsh, F, Cornell, Cedar Rapids (2022-23)
    • Brodie Ziemer, F, Minnesota, NTDP (2022-24)
NHL Notes…
  • Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier (NTDP) has scored in each of his last seven games with 14 goals and three hat tricks in that stretch. His best scoring stretch in the USHL came from Jan. 8-March 11, when he had 10 goals in seven games.
  • Tage Thompson (NTDP) of the Buffalo Sabres is one shy of his 200th career assist. Thompson (546 GP) can become the ninth-fastest active U.S.-born skater to have both 200 goals and 200 assists – Auston Matthews (NTDP) (412 GP) was fastest.
  • NTDP alum James Hagens (6-6–12) of the Boston Bruins, Tri-City alum Trevor Connelly (7-5–12) of the Vegas Golden Knights and Cole Hutson (NTDP) of the Washington Capitals (5-7–12) are tied for second in the NHL rookie scoring race. Connelly is second in rookie goals, and Hagens is tied for fourth. NTDP alum Judd Caulfield of the Ducks (4-5–9) is also in the top 10 for rookie scoring.
  • Matthews, Quinn Hughes, and Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers rank among the top 10 NHL skaters in points.
  • USHL alumni account for five of the NHL's top 10 goal scorers: Gauthier, Kyle Connor (Youngstown) of the Jets, Matthews, Thompson, and Cole Caufield (NTDP) of the Canadiens. Five of the top 10 assist leaders played in the USHL: Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, Jackson LaCombe (Chicago) of the Ducks, Adam Fox (NTDP) of the New York Rangers, and Clayton Keller (NTDP) of the Mammoth.
  • Four of the top 10 point-producing defensemen played in the USHL: Quinn Hughes, Fox, LaCombe, and Seth Jones (NTDP) of the Panthers. Five of the top 10 defensemen in goals scored played in the USHL: Quinn Hughes and his brother Luke Hughes (NTDP) of the Devils, John Carlson (Indiana Ice) of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Hutson, and Neal Pionk (Sioux City) of the Jets.
  • Jake Oettinger (NTDP) of the Dallas Stars and Jacob Fowler (Youngstown) of the Canadiens are among the top 10 NHL goalies in goals-against average. Fowler has the second-best save percentage in the NHL (.926). Oettinger leads all goalies with three shutouts.
  • Sharks defenseman Eric Pohlkamp (Cedar Rapids) became the eighth USHL alum to make his NHL debut this season on Nov. 4. He played two seasons in the USHL, one at Bemidji State and two at Denver, where he was a Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalist and won the 2026 national championship.
  • Gauthier was named the NHL's First Star of the Week after leading the League with 10 points (8-2–10) in four games. He is the seventh player in the NHL's modern era to record three hat tricks in a five-game span, and he tied the NHL record for hat tricks in a calendar month. New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (NTDP) was the Second Star.
  • San Jose Sharks captain Macklin Celebrini (Chicago) became the fifth-youngest player in NHL history to reach 200 career points (78-123–201). He did it in 171 games on Nov. 11.
  • Carlson had five points on Nov. 11, becoming the fifth American defenseman in NHL history to reach the 800-point milestone. He is the fourth defenseman in Lightning history with a five-point game.
  • Joe Pavelski (Waterloo), who finished his NHL career with 1,068 points in 1,332 regular-season games and 143 points in 201 Stanley Cup Playoff games, will be a first-year eligible candidate for the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2027. He played in Waterloo from 2002-04, where he was named Rookie of the Year, First Team All-Rookie, First Team All-USHL, and USA Hockey Junior Player of the Year, and was crowned a Clark Cup champion with the Black Hawks in 2004.
  • With an assist on Nov. 10, Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild became the second-fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach 80 points with a franchise (11-69–80) in 68 games. 
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).