Men's Ice Hockey | 9/14/2026 11:37:55 AM

The 2026-27 USHL season begins the week of Sept. 16-20 at the 2026 USHL Fall Classic, held at the Blackhawks Ice Center, presented by Fifth Third Bank in Chicago.

All 16 teams will play their first two regular-season games in front of hundreds of NHL and NCAA scouts, general managers, and executives. The event officially kicks off scouting season for the 2027 NHL Draft and provides a good opportunity to get a look at many of the top prospects eligible for that draft.

Here are ten players to watch heading into the Fall Classic and the season ahead.

Nolan Fitzhenry, F, US NTDP U-18 Team
The 5-foot-11, 182-pound Andover, Minnesota native led the NTDP Under-17 Team in goals (21) and finished second in points (45) in 51 games last season. The year before, he posted 49 goals and 87 points in 54 games with Shattuck-St. Mary's 16U. He's committed to North Dakota, and he steps into the U-18 group as a proven, high-volume scorer up front, with an early first-round projection in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Diego Gutierrez, D, US NTDP U-18 Team
The 6-foot-2, 192-pound McAllen, Texas native had two goals and 17 assists for 19 points in 38 games with the NTDP U-17 Team last season, including 12 points in 39 USHL games. The year before, he posted eight goals and 35 assists in 48 games for Shattuck-St. Mary's 16U. As a smooth-skating, puck-moving blueliner, the Notre Dame commit is comfortable escaping pressure and pushing pace out of his own zone, with the mobility to defend rushes one-on-one rather than just absorb them. Gutierrez is projected to be taken in the first round.

Gunnar Conboy, F, Green Bay Gamblers
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound power forward from Lakeville, Minnesota, had 12 goals and 21 points in 37 games as a rookie with Green Bay, plus 83 penalty minutes, after captaining Lakeville North to 24 goals and 44 points in 27 games the year before. He also served as captain of Team USA at the Four Nations tournament and won gold at the 2025 World Jr. A Challenge. He's a Minnesota commit who plays a physical, north-south game and carries the frame to be a handful down low. Entering the year, Conboy is projected to be taken in the second round and could work his way into first-round conversations with a strong 2026-27 campaign.

Rocco Pelosi, F, US NTDP U-18 Team
The 5-foot-11, 183-pound New Jersey product will be looking for a big year after posting a modest 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points in 53 games with the NTDP U-17 Team, adding six goals and five assists in 35 USHL games. The year before, he put up 65 goals and 140 points in 60 games for Mount St. Charles 15U, a player who can put up huge offensive numbers. He's a Boston College commit, and his underage scoring marks him as a highly skilled, offense-first forward who should be one of the more dynamic pieces on this year's U-18 roster.

Riley Zupfer, F, Des Moines Buccaneers
The 6-foot, 170-pound Woodbury, Minnesota native had 16 goals, 25 assists and 41 points in 58 games as a rookie with Des Moines this past season. A Notre Dame commit, Zupfer plays as a smart, playmaking winger who sets teammates up as often as he shoots, and he should see an expanded role for Des Moines this season.

Jake Prunty, D, US NTDP U-18 Team
A puck-moving defenseman from Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey, Prunty burst onto the scene with four goals and 33 assists for 37 points in 44 games as a rookie with Sioux Falls this past season, leading all rookie defensemen and ranking eighth among all USHL blueliners, while earning USHL All-Rookie First Team honors. He's committed to UMass and plays an offense-first style, though he's on the smaller side for a defenseman and will need to keep adding strength. He has earned a well-deserved promotion to the NTDP's U18 squad, where he will look to continue elevating his draft stock.

Braiden Scuderi, F, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
The Haddon Heights, New Jersey product had 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points in 58 games as a rookie with Cedar Rapids, earning USHL All-Rookie Second Team honors. The year before, he posted 47 goals and 127 points in 61 games for Mount St. Charles 15U, a player who can be a major offensive threat. He's a Notre Dame commit, though not expected in South Bend until 2028-29, and he's a quick, competitive forward who processes the game fast and tends to be at his best in tight spaces.

Finn Sears, F, US NTDP U-18 Team
The 6-foot, 187-pound Medford, Massachusetts native had 18 goals and 17 assists for 35 points in 55 games with the NTDP U-17 Team this past season, including 12 goals and 18 points in 38 USHL games. The year before, he put up 22 goals and 53 points in 28 games with The Rivers School. He's a Boston College commit whose underage scoring rate points to a flashy, natural shooter who can finish from range, giving the U-18 group another scoring option up front.

Adam Israilov, F, Omaha Lancers
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Russian-born forward had 10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points in 56 games as a rookie with Omaha this past season. The year before, he led his Carolina Jr. Hurricanes 16U team in every offensive category with 48 goals and 99 points in 50 games. He carries a power-forward frame with a heavy, accurate shot — a true north-south scorer who should be one of Omaha's top offensive weapons this season.

David Bosco, F, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
An 18-year-old from the Boston suburbs, Bosco is the only re-entry candidate on this list. He scored 19 goals with 15 assists in 54 games as a rookie for Cedar Rapids, earning USHL All-Rookie Second Team honors alongside teammate Scuderi. He's a Harvard commit, and his near-20-goal rookie campaign points to a natural finisher who should anchor the RoughRiders' scoring depth up front. With a big year, Bosco will not be overlooked this time around.

Honorable Mentions: Reese Tracy (Chicago Steel), Lincoln Krizizke (Dubuque), Oliver McKinney (Green Bay Gamblers), Stephen Cover (Madison), Anthony Bongo (Sioux Falls), Freddie Schneider (US NTDP U-18 Team)

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 315 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).