Men's Ice Hockey | 3/23/2026 6:00:00 PM

At the end of March, Ryan Sikes provides his latest United States Hockey League (USHL) power rankings.

1. Youngstown Phantoms (41-13-3-2) | Previous Rank: 1
Youngstown sits atop the Eastern Conference with a 41-13-3-2 record and has won seven of its last 10 games. Top scorers include Cooper Simpson, who has recorded 33 goals, 39 assists, and 72 points, along with Ryan Rucinski with 26 goals, 34 assists, and 60 points, and Evan Jardine with 25 goals, 33 assists, and 58 points. Meanwhile, Tobias Trejbal has been the backbone in net, posting a 2.15 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage, and three shutouts.

2. Sioux Falls Stampede (41-15-2-0) | Previous Rank: 2
Sioux Falls holds the top spot in the Western Conference and the No. 2 slot in our power rankings with a 41-15-2-0 record, going 9-1-0-0 in its last 10 games. Leading scorers include Logan Renkowski, who has tallied 40 goals, 20 assists, and 60 points; Thomas Zocco with 21 goals, 43 assists, and 64 points; and rookie Cooper Soller with 26 goals, 20 assists, and 46 points. Linards Feldbergs has anchored the net with a 2.48 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage, and two shutouts. Renkowski ranks second in the league with 14 power-play goals.

3. Dubuque Fighting Saints (36-17-4-0) | Previous Rank: 5
Dubuque has risen to second in the Eastern Conference with a 36-17-4-0 record, winning six of its last 10 games. Michael Barron has led the team offensively with 17 goals, 46 assists, and 63 points, alongside Teddy Merrill, who has recorded 28 goals, 26 assists, and 54 points. Goaltender Vojtech Hambalek owns a 2.80 goals-against average, a .898 save percentage, and two shutouts.

4. Fargo Force (35-17-3-2) | Previous Rank: 4
Fargo remains comfortably in second place in the Western Conference with a 35-17-3-2 record and has gone 7-3-0-0 in its last 10 games. Luke McNamara leads the team with eight game-winning goals, while defenseman Axel Löfgren has contributed nine goals and 21 assists for 30 points from the back end. In net, Ajay White has posted a 2.48 goals-against average, a .905 save percentage, and two shutouts.

5. Green Bay Gamblers (34-18-4-2) | Previous Rank: 3
Green Bay holds third place in the Eastern Conference with a 34-18-4-2 record, but has gone 3-5-1-1 in its last 10 games. Andrew O’Sullivan leads all defensemen on the team with seven goals, 32 assists, and 39 points, while Zach Wooten has paced all forwards with 34 goals, 24 assists, and 58 points. Goaltender Leo Henriquez ranks second in the league with a 2.28 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage, along with two shutouts.

6. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (32-16-3-6) | Previous Rank: 7
Cedar Rapids sits fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 32-16-3-6 record and has been one of the hottest teams in the league, going 9-0-0-1 in its last 10 games. Justin Graf has led all skaters with 23 goals, 32 assists, and 55 points. Defenseman Hawke Huff has added three goals and 35 assists for 38 points. Ryan Cameron owns a 3.02 goals-against average and a .880 save percentage in 37 games between the pipes.

7. Muskegon Lumberjacks (35-21-0-1) | Previous Rank: 6
Muskegon moves to fifth in the Eastern Conference and down one spot in the power rankings with a 35-21-0-1 record, going 5-5-0-0 in its last 10 games. Drew Stewart leads the team with 27 goals, 30 assists, and 57 points. In net, Carl Axelsson has recorded a 2.32 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage, and two shutouts.

8. Madison Capitols (31-24-0-3) | Previous Rank: 8
Madison sits in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a 31-24-0-3 record and has gone 5-5-0-0 in its last 10 games. Sam Kappell has recorded 21 goals and 13 assists for 34 points, while Gustavs Griva has added 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points. Defenseman Jet Kwajah leads all blueliners on the team with 26 points. Caleb Heil has earned 23 wins in net to accompany a 2.33 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage, and three shutouts.

9. Lincoln Stars (27-25-4-1) | Previous Rank: 10
Up one spot in our rankings, Lincoln occupies fourth place in the Western Conference with a 27-25-4-1 record and has gone 7-3-0-0 in its last 10 games. Alex Pelletier leads the league in scoring with 46 goals, 32 assists, and 78 points, while Layne Loomer has followed with 29 goals, 40 assists, and 69 points. Defenseman Nik Young has contributed nine goals and 31 assists for 40 points. William Prowse has posted a 2.72 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage, and three shutouts in goal.

10. Sioux City Musketeers (27-24-3-2) | Previous Rank: 11
Sioux City sits in third in the Western Conference with a 27-24-3-2 record and has gone 4-6-0-0 in its last 10 games. Luke Garry leads the team with 21 goals, 37 assists, and 58 points, while defenseman Shayne Gould has added 12 goals, 35 assists, and 47 points. Jack Fichthorn has recorded 11 wins with a 3.65 goals-against average and a .885 save percentage in 32 games.

11. Chicago Steel (25-24-6-2) | Previous Rank: 9
Chicago is seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 25-24-6-2 record and has gone 4-6-0-0 in its last 10 games. Timo Kazda has recorded 18 goals and 16 assists for 34 points, while rookie James Scantlebury has added 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points. Goaltender Veeti Louhivaara has posted a 2.65 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.

12. Des Moines Buccaneers (24-25-4-4) | Previous Rank: 13
Des Moines holds sixth place in the Western Conference with a 24-25-4-4 record and has gone 4-5-1-0 in its last 10 games. Ryan Seelinger leads all forwards with 31 goals, 34 assists, and 65 points, while defenseman Ryland Randle has added 10 goals, 20 assists, and 30 points from the blue line. Alan Lendak has recorded a 2.29 goals-against average, a .913 save percentage, and three shutouts in 30 games, while rookie Riley Zupfer has contributed 15 goals, 25 assists, and 40 points.

13. Tri-City Storm (25-26-4-2) | Previous Rank: 12
Tri-City is fifth in the Western Conference with a 25-26-4-2 record and has gone 2-7-1-0 in its last 10 games. Bode Laylin paces all defensemen on the team with 10 goals, 25 assists, and 35 points. Goaltender Michal Pradel owns a 2.58 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.

14. Omaha Lancers (16-36-3-2) | Previous Rank: 16
Omaha is up two spots in our rankings and sits seventh in the Western Conference with a 16-36-3-2 record, going 5-4-1-0 in its last 10 games. Yegor Kim leads all rookies on the team with 13 goals, 12 assists, and 25 points, while defenseman Reese Lantz has added two goals and 23 assists for 25 points. Nils Roberts Maurins has recorded a 3.57 goals-against average and a .887 save percentage.

15. Waterloo Black Hawks (15-38-2-2) | Previous Rank: 14
Waterloo sits eighth in the Western Conference with a 15-38-2-2 record and has gone 3-7-0-0 in its last 10 games. Ty Mason leads the team with 24 goals and 20 assists for 44 points, while Salvatore Viviano has added 15 goals and 39 points.

16. USA Hockey NTDP (14-37-3-2) | Previous Rank: 15
The NTDP is last in the Eastern Conference with a 14-37-3-2 record, but has gone 4-6-0-0 in its last 10 games. Carter Meyer has recorded 14 goals, 17 assists, and 31 points in 37 USHL games, while Nolan Fitzhenry has added 13 goals, 15 assists, and 28 points. Brady Knowling owns a 3.27 goals-against average across 12 USHL games this season.

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, more than 50% of NCAA Division I men's hockey players and nearly 25% of NHL players have USHL experience. The USHL has developed more than 285 direct NHL Draft picks since 2020, and eight 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 Auston Matthews (NTDP), Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede), and Johnny Gaudreau (Dubuque Fighting Saints).