Men's Ice Hockey | 4/28/2026 9:36:11 PM

The United States Hockey League (USHL) has announced dates, times, and matchups for the Eastern and Western Conference Finals 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 Final
Game 1: #6 Madison Capitols at #5 Muskegon Lumberjacks - Friday, May 1, 7:10 p.m. ET
Game 2: #6 Madison Capitols at #5 Muskegon Lumberjacks - Saturday, May 2, 6:10 p.m. ET
Game 3: #5 Muskegon Lumberjacks at #6 Madison Capitols - Friday, May 8, 7:05 p.m. CT
Game 4: #5 Muskegon Lumberjacks at #6 Madison Capitols - Saturday, May 9, 7:05 p.m. CT*
Game 5: #6 Madison Capitols at #5 Muskegon Lumberjacks - Monday, May 11, 7:10 p.m. ET*

Western Conference Final
Game 1: #2 Fargo Force at #1 Sioux Falls Stampede - Friday, May 1, 7:05 p.m. CT
Game 2: #2 Fargo Force at #1 Sioux Falls Stampede - Saturday, May 2, 6:05 p.m. CT
Game 3: #1 Sioux Falls Stampede at #2 Fargo Force - Friday, May 8, 7:05 p.m. CT
Game 4: #1 Sioux Falls Stampede at #2 Fargo Force - Saturday, May 9, 6:05 p.m. CT*
Game 5: #2 Fargo Force at #1 Sioux Falls Stampede - Tuesday, May 12, 7:05 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).