Men's Ice Hockey | 4/8/2026 10:22:53 AM
Seventy-four United States Hockey League (alumni) will be participating in the 2026 Frozen Four in Las Vegas, Nev. Find stats, nuggets and a full list of participating alumni below.
- 74 USHL alumni are on Frozen Four rosters, with every team carrying between 16-20 players who have played 10 or more USHL games.
- 21 players in the Frozen Four played in the USHL last season, including Wisconsin’s Grady Deering (Waterloo) and North Dakota’s David Klee (Muskegon Lumberjacks).
- 36 USHL alumni in the Frozen Four are drafted by an NHL team.
- 13 players in the Frozen Four have won a Clark Cup.
The following players in the Frozen Four have won a Clark Cup together.
- Chicago Steel - '21: Nick Mondelhauer (Michigan), Luca Fantilli (Michigan), Jake Livanavage (North Dakota)
- Sioux City Musketeers - '22: Garrett Brown (Denver), Dylan James (North Dakota)
- Youngstown Phantoms - '23: Tory Pitner (Denver), Andrew Strathmann (North Dakota)
- Fargo Force - '24: Jake Fisher (Denver), Anton Castro (Wisconsin), Mac Swanson (North Dakota)
- Muskegon Lumberjacks - '25: Stephen Peck (Michigan), David Klee (North Dakota)
- North Dakota General Manager Bryn Chyzk spent five seasons with the Waterloo Black Hawks, one as Director of Scouting and four as General Manager, before joining North Dakota as the first General Manager in college hockey midway through last season. North Dakota’s associate head coach, Matt Smaby, coached in Waterloo the last four seasons – reaching the Clark Cup Final last season with Denver’s Brendan McMorrow’s and Wisconsin’s Grady Deering.
- Denver Head Coach David Carle was an assistant coach for the Green Bay Gamblers for a season and a half from 2012-14 before rejoining the Pioneers.
- Wisconsin head coach Mike Hastings is a four-time Clark Cup champion, winning with the Omaha Lancers in 1993, 1998, 2001, and 2008. Michigan Head Coach Brandon Naurato played for Hastings from 2003 to 2005 in the USHL. Muskegon Lumberjacks General Manager Jimmy McGroarty, father of NHLer Rutger McGroarty (NTDP), was an assistant on Hastings’ staff during the year Naurato played.
- Kason Muscott joined the Michigan Wolverines midway through the 2015-26 season from the Sioux City Musketeers. After a season with the Shreveport Mudbugs in the North American Hockey League (NAHL), Muscott played a full season in Cedar Rapids, a full season in Sioux City and 29 games this year before making the jump.
- USHL alumni Max Plante (NTDP) and Denver’s Eric Pohlkamp (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders) are among the top three finalists for the Hobey Baker (MORE).
- USHL alumni Trey Augustine (NTDP) and Michael Hrabel (Omaha Lancers) are among the top three finalists for the Mike Richter Award. (MORE)
- 20 of 24 Division I All-Americans during the 2024-25 season were USHL alumni.
- Eight of the last 10 Hobey Baker winners played in the USHL, including the last six: Isaac Howard (‘25 - Michigan State, NTDP - ‘20-22), Macklin Celebrini (‘24, Boston University, Chicago Steel - ‘22-23), Adam Fantilli (‘23, Michigan, Chicago Steel - ‘20-22), Dryden McKay (‘22, Minnesota State, Madison Capitols -’16-18), Cole Caufield (‘21, Wisconsin, NTDP - ‘17-19), and Scott Perunovich (‘20, Minnesota Duluth, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders - ‘16-17).
- Since the Mike Richter Award was established in 2014, USHL alumni have won more than half the awards, including, most recently, Montreal Canadiens prospect Jacob Fowler (‘25 - Boston College, Youngstown Phantoms - ‘22-23).
| NAME |
COLLEGE TEAM |
COLLEGE CONFERENCE |
USHL TEAM(S) |
USHL YEARS |
NHL RIGHTS |
WON CLARK CUP |
| Garrett Brown (D) |
Denver |
NCHC |
SC, WAT |
2020-2023 |
WPG |
2022 (SC) |
| Tory Pitner (D) |
Denver |
NCHC |
YNG |
2022-2024 |
COL |
2023 (YNG) |
| Jake Fisher (F) |
Denver |
NCHC |
FGO |
2022-2024 |
COL |
2024 (FGO) |
| Brendan McMorrow (F) |
Denver |
NCHC |
NTDP, WAT |
2022-2025 |
LAK |
|
| Reid Varkonyi (F) |
Denver |
NCHC |
SF |
2024-2025 |
|
|
| James Reeder (F) |
Denver |
NCHC |
DBQ |
2022-2024 |
LAK |
|
| Kristian Epperson (F) |
Denver |
NCHC |
NTDP |
2022-2024 |
LAK |
|
| Sam Harris (F) |
Denver |
NCHC |
SF |
2021-2023 |
MTL |
|
| Eric Pohlkamp (D) |
Denver |
NCHC |
CR |
2021-2023 |
SJS |
|
| Hagen Burrows (C/W) |
Denver |
NCHC |
SC |
2023-2024 |
TBL |
|
| Kieran Cebrian (F) |
Denver |
NCHC |
TC |
2020-2023 |
|
|
| Boston Buckberger (D) |
Denver |
NCHC |
LIN |
2022-2023 |
|
|
| Cale Ashcroft (D) |
Denver |
NCHC |
TC |
2022-2023 |
|
|
| Kent Anderson (D) |
Denver |
NCHC |
GB |
2021-2022 |
|
|
| Payton Nelson (F) |
Denver |
NCHC |
DM, WAT |
2022-2024 |
|
|
| Paxton Geisel (G) |
Denver |
NCHC |
DBQ, MUS |
2021-2024 |
|
|
| Nicholas Moldenhauer (F) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
CHI |
2020-2023 |
TOR |
2021 (CHI) |
| Luca Fantilli (D) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
CHI |
2020-2022 |
|
2021 (CHI) |
| Stephen Peck (G) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
MUS |
2023-2025 |
|
2025 (MUS) |
| Drew Schock (D) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
NTDP |
2023-2025 |
ANA |
|
| Aidan Park (C/W) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
GB |
2022-2025 |
EDM |
|
| Asher Barnett (D)E |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
NTDP |
2023-2025 |
EDM |
|
| William Horcoff (F) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
NTDP |
2023-2025 |
PIT |
|
| Cole McKinney (F) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
NTDP |
2023-2025 |
SJS |
|
| Kason Muscutt (F) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
CR, SC |
2023-2026 |
|
|
| Adam Valentini (F) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
CHI |
2024-2025 |
|
|
| Jayden Perron (F) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
CHI |
2021-2023 |
CAR |
|
| Kienan Draper (F) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
OMA |
2018-2021 |
DET |
|
| Michael Hage (F) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
CHI |
2022-2024 |
MTL |
|
| Garrett Schifsky (F) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
WAT |
2020-2023 |
|
|
| Ben Robertson (D) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
OMA, WAT |
2020-2023 |
|
|
| Joshua Eernisse (F) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
TC |
2020-2022 |
|
|
| Hunter Hady (D) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
CHI |
2021-2024 |
|
|
| Tyler Duke (D) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
NTDP |
2020-2022 |
|
|
| Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen (D) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
NTDP |
2022-2024 |
|
|
| Miles Gust (D) |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
OMA |
2023-2024 |
|
|
| Jake Livanavage (D) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
NTDP, CHI |
2020-2023 |
|
2021 (CHI) |
| Andrew Strathmann (D) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
TC, YNG |
2021-2024 |
CBJ |
2023 (YNG) |
| Mac Swanson (F) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
FGO |
2022-2024 |
PIT |
2024 (FGO) |
| David Klee (F) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
WAT, MUS |
2021-2025 |
SJS |
2025 (MUS) |
| Dylan James (F) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
SC |
2021-2022 |
DET |
SC (2022) |
| Will Zellers (F) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
GB |
2022-2025 |
BOS |
|
| Sam Laurila (D) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
NTDP, FGO |
2022-2025 |
NYI |
|
| Jack Kernan (C) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
DM |
2023-2025 |
|
|
| Jan Spunar (G) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
DBQ |
2024-2025 |
|
|
| Cade Littler (F) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
NTDP, CR |
2020-2024 |
CGY |
|
| Ben Strinden (F) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
MUS |
2020-2022 |
NSH |
|
| EJ Emery (D) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
NTDP |
2022-2024 |
NYR |
|
| Cody Croal (LW) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
MUS |
2021-2024 |
|
|
| Jayden Jubenvill (D) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
DBQ |
2022-2024 |
|
|
| Anthony Menghini (F) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
DM, FGO |
2021-2023 |
|
|
| Bennett Zmolek (D) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
CR, YNG |
2018-2021 |
|
|
| Tyler Young (F) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
MUS |
2020-2022 |
|
|
| Gibson Homer (G) |
North Dakota |
NCHC |
NTDP, CHI |
2019-2022 |
|
|
| Anton Castro (G) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
FGO |
2022-2024 |
|
2024 (FGO) |
| Quinn Finley (F) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
CHI, MAD |
2020-2023 |
NYI |
CHI (2021) |
| Luke Osburn (D) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
YNG |
2023-2025 |
BUF |
|
| Blake Montgomery (F) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
LIN |
2023-2025 |
OTT |
|
| Bruno Idzan (F) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
LIN |
2024-2025 |
OTT |
|
| Finn Brink (F) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
MAD |
2021-2025 |
|
|
| Grady Deering (C) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
WAT |
2023-2025 |
|
|
| Kyle Kukkonen (F) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
MAD |
2018-2022 |
ANA |
|
| Vasily Zelenov (F) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
GB |
2024-2025 |
BUF |
|
| Jack Phelan (D) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
SF |
2022-2024 |
DET |
|
| Zach Schulz (D) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
NTDP |
2021-2023 |
NYI |
|
| Logan Hensler (D) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
NTDP |
2022-2024 |
OTT |
|
| Jack Horbach (F) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
MAD, LIN |
2018-2022 |
|
|
| Ryan Botterill (F) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
YNG |
2023-2024 |
|
|
| Joe Palodichuk (D) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
FGO |
2021-2023 |
|
|
| Adam Pietila (F) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
YNG |
2023-2024 |
|
|
| Ben Dexheimer (D) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
MAD |
2021-2022 |
|
|
| Aiden Dubinsky (D) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
OMA, TC |
2020-2022 |
|
|
| Gavin Morrissey (F) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
FGO |
2023-2024 |
|
|
| Christian Fitzgerald (F) |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
TC |
2021-2022 |
|
|
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).