Men's Ice Hockey | 6/23/2026 10:00:00 AM

The United States Hockey League (USHL) has unveiled the schedule for the 2026-27 regular season, which will mark the USHL’s 25th season as USA Hockey’s only Tier-I junior league. All 16 USHL teams will play a 62-game, cross-conference schedule beginning with each team playing two games at the 11th annual USHL Fall Classic, which will run from Wednesday, Sept. 16 through Sunday, Sept. 20, in Chicago, Ill. The season will conclude with every team in action on Saturday, April 3, 2027.

The Chicago Steel’s first game in USG Arena will be played during the Fall Classic at a date and time to be announced. The Madison Capitols are scheduled to play their first game at the LEGACY20 Arena at DeForest Yards on Saturday, Oct. 17, against Chicago.

“We are looking ahead to a milestone season for the USHL,” said Glenn Hefferan, USHL President and Commissioner. “In addition to celebrating 25 years of history and success as USA Hockey’s only Tier-I sanctioned league, we are excited to open state-of-the-art facilities in Chicago and Madison, and continue to work toward goals to expand and create additional avenues for kids across the U.S.”

The Fall Classic game schedule will be released at a later date. Following the season-opening event, four games are scheduled for Friday, Sept. 25: the Waterloo Black Hawks vs. the Fargo Force, the Des Moines Buccaneers vs. the Omaha Lancers, the 2026 Clark Cup champion Sioux Falls Stampede vs. the Tri-City Storm, and the USA Hockey's National Team Development Program (NTDP) U-18 Team vs. the Muskegon Lumberjacks. The Sioux City Musketeers will host the Lincoln Stars on Saturday, Sept. 26, for their home opener, and the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders will host Dubuque on Sept. 26 for theirs.

In addition to the Fall Classic, the USHL will host two marquee showcases during the regular season. Muskegon and the 2026 Anderson Cup champion Youngstown Phantoms will meet for the American Cup powered by Wegmans at the Rochester Ice Center in Rochester, N.Y., on Dec. 3-4, 2026, and the Storm and Buccaneers will face off in the Frosty Cup at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, on Jan. 20-21, 2027. Both events will coincide with youth hockey tournaments showcasing some of the top youth teams in North America. Fall Classic dates, times, and matchups will be released at a later date.

The Clark Cup Playoffs are scheduled to begin the weekend after the regular season concludes and will follow the same format as the 2025-26 season.

Additional information regarding the Fall Classic, American Cup, and Frosty Cup will be announced closer to the events.

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 nine 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).