Clark Cup Playoffs First Round Previews

Ryan Sikes

Men's Ice Hockey | 4/9/2026 8:30:00 AM

The 2026 Clark Cup Playoffs are scheduled to start on Thursday with the Des Moines Buccaneers hosting the Lincoln Stars. The opening round features four best-of-three series that will determine which teams advance to face the top two seeded teams from each conference in a pair of conference semifinals.
 
Per league rules, the Eastern Conference will reseed following the winner of the Madison Capitols at Green Bay Gamblers and Muskegon Lumberjacks at Cedar Rapids RoughRiders series. The lowest-advancing seed will travel to face the top-seeded and Anderson Cup-winning Youngstown Phantoms, and the higher-advancing seed will travel to face the No. 2 seed Dubuque Fighting Saints for a pair of best-of-five series.
 
The Western Conference follows the same format. After the Tri-City Storm at Sioux City Musketeers and Stars at Buccaneers’ series, the No. 1 seed Sioux Falls Stampede will play the lowest remaining seed, and the No. 2 seed Fargo Force will host the higher remaining seed.
 
Eastern Conference Matchups
 
#6 Madison Capitols at #3 Green Bay Gamblers
The Green Bay Gamblers enter the postseason having earned points in six of their last 10 games over a 5-4-1-0 (W-L-OTL-SOL) record. They held a strong advantage in the regular-season series, winning seven of eight meetings against Madison. Zach Wooten led the charge for Green Bay with a team-high 62 points and 35 goals, while Gavin Katz proved to be a power-play specialist with 14 tallies on the man advantage. The blue line is anchored by Andrew O'Sullivan, whose 39 assists helped drive one of the East's most potent offenses, and goaltender Leo Henriquez provided stability with 21 wins and a .921 save percentage.
 
The Madison Capitols secured their playoff berth by playing competitive hockey throughout the spring, finishing their final 10 games with a 4-6-0-0 record and playing seven of those 10 games on the road. In head-to-head play, the Capitols will look to flip the regular-season script in the postseason. Sam Kappell and Gustavs Griva shared the team scoring lead with 36 points each, while Max Rider emerged as a clutch performer with a team-high five game-winning goals. The Caps also saw significant contributions from the blue line, with Nolen Geerdes and Jet Kwajah combining for 56 points. In net, Caleb Heil had the league’s third-best goals against average with a 2.34, going 24-13-0-3 in his games.
 
Schedule (Best-of-3 Series at Green Bay)
  • Game 1: Friday, April 10 @ 7:05 PM CT
  • Game 2: Saturday, April 11 @ 6:05 PM CT
  • Game 3: Sunday, April 12 @ 5:05 PM CT (if necessary)
Players to Watch
  • Zach Wooten, Green Bay Gamblers (F)
  • Gavin Katz, Green Bay Gamblers (F)
  • Leo Henriquez, Green Bay Gamblers (G)
  • Landon Hafele, Green Bay Gamblers (F)
  • Sam Kappell, Madison Capitols (F)
  • Max Rider, Madison Capitols (F)
  • Caleb Heil, Madison Capitols (G)
#5 Muskegon Lumberjacks at #4 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Cedar Rapids is the hottest team in the conference, storming into the playoffs with a dominant 9-1-0-0 record over their last 10 games and a 17-game point streak heading into the last weekend of the regular season. They also claimed the regular-season series against Muskegon, winning three of the four meetings between the two clubs. The RoughRiders feature a balanced attack led by Nick Romeo and Jason Musa, who tied for the team lead with 56 points, while Connor Davis and Justin Graf also reached the 55-point mark. On defense, Hawke Huff was a primary facilitator with 36 assists, supporting a goaltending tandem of Ryan Cameron and Joseph Skidmore that combined for 36 wins.
 
The Muskegon Lumberjacks arrive in the postseason with a 4-5-1-0 record in their final 10 games, but will look to defend their title. The defending Clark Cup champions feature an offense where Drew Stewart put up 30 goals and 61 points. Buffalo Sabres pick Melvin Novotny (57 pts), and Nashville Predators prospect Viktor Norringer (49 pts) provided consistent scoring depth, with Norringer leading the team with seven game-winning goals. On the back end, Carl Axelsson was a workhorse in the crease, posting 28 wins and a .916 save percentage.
 
Schedule (Best-of-3 Series at Cedar Rapids)
  • Game 1: Friday, April 10 @ 7:05 PM CT
  • Game 2: Saturday, April 11 @ 7:05 PM CT
  • Game 3: Sunday, April 12 @ 4:05 PM CT (if necessary)
Players to Watch
  • Nick Romeo, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (F)
  • Jason Musa, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (F)
  • David Bosco, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (F)
  • Viktor Nörringer, Muskegon Lumberjacks (F)
  • Drew Stewart, Muskegon Lumberjacks (F)
  • Carl Axelsson, Muskegon Lumberjacks (G)
Western Conference Matchups
 
#6 Tri-City Storm at #3 Sioux City Musketeers
The Sioux City Musketeers enter the postseason looking to recapture their mid-season form after finishing the regular season with a 4-6-0-0 record over their final 10 games. While they secured the higher seed, they faced headwinds against the Storm during the regular season, winning only two of the six head-to-head matchups. Luke Garry anchored Sioux City’s offense with a team-high 61 points, while William Tomko provided essential secondary scoring with 24 goals. The blue line was led by Shayne Gould, who led USHL defenseman in goals (12), assists (39), and points (51), and whose helper assists were second on the team, while the tandem of Jack Fichthorn and Ryder Shea provided steady goaltending.
 
The Tri-City Storm posted a 1-7-1-1 record over their final 10 games in the regular season. Despite the recent slump, the Storm controlled the regular-season series by winning four of the six meetings against Sioux City. Carson Pilgrim led the team in scoring with 41 points, while Bode Laylin emerged as a premier offensive defenseman with 11 goals and 38 points. Detroit Red Wings pick and goaltender Michal Pradel is a key factor for Tri-City, having maintained a solid .911 save percentage and a 2.75 GAA during the regular season.
 
Schedule (Best-of-3 Series at Sioux City)
  • Game 1: Friday, April 10 @ 7:05 PM CT
  • Game 2: Saturday, April 11 @ 6:05 PM CT
  • Game 3: Sunday, April 12 @ 5:05 PM CT (if necessary)
Players to Watch
  • Luke Garry, Sioux City Musketeers (F)
  • Shayne Gould, Sioux City Musketeers (D)
  • William Tomko, Sioux City Musketeers (F)
  • Carson Pilgrim, Tri City Storm (F)
  • Bode Laylin, Tri City Storm (D)
  • Michal Pradel, Tri City Storm (G)
#5 Lincoln Stars at #4 Des Moines Buccaneers
The Buccaneers enter the postseason with a 5-4-1-0 record over their last 10 games. They were very successful against Lincoln during the regular season, winning four of the five head-to-head matchups. Ryan Seelinger paced the offense with 68 points and a 31-goal campaign, while Owen Tylec posted 20 goals and 45 points. Goaltender Alan Lendak has been one of the league's most consistent performers, finishing the year with a .906 save percentage after coming over in a trade.
 
The Lincoln Stars bring a 4-6-0-0 record from their final 10 games into a highly anticipated road series. They will look to reverse the regular-season script against Des Moines in the postseason. Alex Pelletier put together a historic season, leading the entire USHL with 48 goals and 85 points. Layne Loomer and Kade Kohanski also had breakout seasons, posting 72 points and 54 points, respectively.
 
Schedule (Best-of-3 Series at Des Moines)
  • Game 1: Thursday, April 9 @ 6:35 PM CT
  • Game 2: Friday, April 10 @ 7:05 PM CT
  • Game 3: Saturday, April 11 @ 7:05 PM CT (if necessary)
Players to Watch
  • Ryan Seelinger, Des Moines Buccaneers (F)
  • Blake Zielinski, Des Moines Buccaneers (F)
  • Owen Tylec, Des Moines Buccaneers (F)
  • Alan Lendak, Des Moines Buccaneers (G)
  • Alex Pelletier, Lincoln Stars (F)
  • Layne Loomer, Lincoln Stars (F)
  • Kade Kohanski, Lincoln Stars (F)
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).