Men's Ice Hockey | 3/31/2026 6:21:49 PM

As a result of the Sioux Falls Stampede’s regulation loss on Tuesday, the Youngstown Phantoms have clinched a share of the Anderson Cup, awarded to the United States Hockey League (USHL) regular season champion(s).

If Sioux Falls gains four points in the standings this weekend and Youngstown fails to earn a point, the Stampede will also clinch a share of the Anderson Cup. The last time teams tied the Anderson Cup was the 2004-05 season, when the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Omaha Lancers each held a share.

Youngstown is 42-13-3-2 (W-L-OTL-SOL) with 89 points and two games remaining in the 62-game regular season. Boston Bruins pick Cooper Simpson and Buffalo Sabres prospect Ryan Rucinski, as well as top NHL Draft eligibles Evan Jardine and Jack Hextall, are among the USHL’s top 15 point producers. Jack Willson is second in scoring among USHL defensemen. In net, the Phantoms have relied heavily upon one of the top goalies available in the upcoming NHL Draft, Tobias Trejbal, who has a 29-9-3-0 record with a league-leading 2.15 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.

This marks the organization’s second regular-season championship. Youngstown previously won in the 2014-15 season, when Miami University Head Coach Anthony Noreen led a Phantoms team filled with future NHL talent, including Kyle Connor, Keifer Sherwood, and Ryan Lomberg, to a 40-14-2-4 record.

Ryan Ward is in his fourth season behind Youngstown’s bench after guiding the Phantoms to their first Clark Cup in 2023. He has a 155-69-13-9 career USHL record. General Managers Ryan Kosecki and Jason Deskins are both in their fifth seasons with Youngstown.

The Anderson Cup has been awarded to the USHL’s regular-season champion since 1973. The annual award is named after Harold Anderson, a key figure in the formation of the Midwest Junior Hockey League, the predecessor to the USHL. This marks the first time an Eastern Conference team has held a share of the Anderson Cup since 2021, when the Chicago Steel won.

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).