Men's Ice Hockey | 4/11/2026 9:49:55 PM
The United States Hockey League (USHL) has announced dates, times, and matchups for the Conference Semifinals of the 2026 Clark Cup Playoffs.
The Clark Cup Playoffs opened with a three-game first-round series between the #3 and #6 seeds and the #4 and #5 seeds from each conference. The top two seeded teams in each conference received a first-round bye.
The Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals, and Clark Cup Final rounds are all best-of-five series with a 2-2-1 format, with games 1, 2, and 5 played at the higher seed. The higher seed for the Clark Cup Final is determined by which team had more points in the regular season. If the two teams have an equivalent number of regular-season points, the first tiebreaker is regulation or overtime wins.
Eastern Conference
Game 1: #6 Madison Capitols at #1 Youngstown Phantoms - Friday, April 17, 7:05 p.m. ET
Game 2: #6 Madison Capitols at #1 Youngstown Phantoms - Saturday, April 18, 6:05 p.m. ET
Game 3: #1 Youngstown Phantoms at #6 Madison Capitols - Friday, April 24, 7:05 p.m. CT
Game 4: #1 Youngstown Phantoms at #6 Madison Capitols - Saturday, April 25, 7:05 p.m. CT*
Game 5: #6 Madison Capitols at #1 Youngstown Phantoms - Tuesday, April 28, 7:05 ET*
Game 1: #5 Muskegon Lumberjacks at #2 Dubuque Fighting Saints - Friday, April 17, 7:05 p.m. CT
Game 2: #5 Muskegon Lumberjacks at #2 Dubuque Fighting Saints - Saturday, April 18, 7:05 p.m. CT
Game 3: #2 Dubuque Fighting Saints at #5 Muskegon Lumberjacks - Friday, April 24, 7:10 p.m. ET
Game 4: #2 Dubuque Fighting Saints at #5 Muskegon Lumberjacks - Saturday, April 25, 6:10 p.m. ET*
Game 5: #5 Muskegon Lumberjacks at #2 Dubuque Fighting Saints - Tuesday, April 28, 7:05 p.m. CT*
Western Conference
Game 1: #5 Lincoln Stars at #1 Sioux Falls Stampede - Friday, April 17, 7:05 p.m. CT
Game 2: #5 Lincoln Stars at #1 Sioux Falls Stampede - Sunday, April 19, 4:05 p.m. CT
Game 3: #1 Sioux Falls Stampede at #5 Lincoln Stars - Friday, April 24, 7:05 p.m. CT
Game 4: #1 Sioux Falls Stampede at #5 Lincoln Stars - Saturday, April 25, 6:05 p.m. CT*
Game 5: #5 Lincoln Stars at #1 Sioux Falls Stampede - Tuesday, April 28, 7:05 p.m. CT*
Game 1: #3 Sioux City Musketeers at #2 Fargo Force - Saturday, April 18, 6:05 p.m. CT
Game 2: #3 Sioux City Musketeers at #2 Fargo Force - Sunday, April 19, 5:05 p.m. CT
Game 3: #2 Fargo Force at #3 Sioux City Musketeers - Thursday, April 23, 7:05 p.m. CT
Game 4: #2 Fargo Force at #3 Sioux City Musketeers - Friday, April 24, 7:05 p.m. CT*
Game 5: #3 Sioux City Musketeers at #2 Fargo Force - Tuesday, April 28, 6:05 p.m. CT*
*If necessary
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).