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2023-24 USHL Power Rankings

USHL Power Rankings: Fargo Force, Madison Capitols Start Sea...

Writer Ryan Sikes provides his view on the league every other week with our USHL Power Rankings.

Welcome to FloHockey's bi-monthly power rankings for the USHL. Find out which of the league's 16 teams rise and fall over the course of the long regular season.

1. Fargo Force

Record: 3-0-0-0

Fargo appears where we last found them: atop our power rankings. Perhaps no one needed to get off to a good start more than Zam Plante (PIT), and he’s done just that, recording a team-high four points (three points, one assist). The reigning Anderson Cup winners as last year's regular-season champs have allowed just four goals through their first three games, as netminder Anton Castro has picked up wins in his first two starts, including a 24-save shutout.

2. Madison Capitols

Record: 3-0-0-0

Madison has won its first three games for the first time in team history, underscoring the mentality shift under new head coach and general manager Andy Brandt. It’s been a complete buy-in from everyone, and the Capitols are having fun right now. Will Felicio (2024), named USHL Defenseman of the Week, is off to a great start, with three points (one goal, two assists) through three games. The Caps have an early-season test at the Ice Box this weekend against a Lincoln squad that was idle last week.

3. Green Bay Gamblers

Record: 3-1-0-0

Green Bay did a great job of compensating for their offseason losses, namely acquiring Libor Nemec in a late preseason trade from Omaha. The Slovakian forward is already two shy of his goal total (6) from all of last year, and he’s done it in just four games. There’s a lot to be excited about with the Gamblers in the early stages of the season: Lev Katzin (2025) leads all rookies with seven points, Green Bay is getting a full season out of Jayson Shaugabay (TBL) and Adam Gajan (CHI), and Julian Lutz (ARI) is expected to make his team debut this weekend. 

4. Tri-City Storm

Record: 3-1-0-0

After a relatively quiet USHL Fall Classic, Storm forward Trevor Connelly (2024) exploded this past weekend, recording five points in two games. With Patriks Berzins moved to Madison, netminder Cameron Korpi will have the opportunity to showcase himself as a No. 1 goaltender. The Western Michigan commit owns a 1.32 goals-against average and a .949 save percentage in three games. Both marks have Korpi within the top five for USHL goaltenders.

5. Muskegon Lumberjacks

Record: 3-1-0-0

Muskegon is going to be a fun team to watch this year. After a challenging year last season, the Jacks have no shortage of offense and have scored the second-most goals (22) in the league thus far. Sacha Boisvert and Matvei Gridin are a pair of 2024 NHL Draft-eligible players to keep close tabs on, with the former recording five points (four goals, one assist) in five games.

6. USNTDP

Record: 3-3-0-0

Cole Eiserman (2024) looks like a man on a mission for the United States National Team Development Program U-18 team this season. The Boston University commit already has 10 goals for the NTDP and will consistently be in the No. 1 overall pick conversation, especially after his four-goal, five-point night last weekend in a lopsided 10-3 win over Green Bay.

7. Dubuque Fighting Saints

Record: 2-0-1-1

Dubuque figures to be a key player in the Eastern Conference this season, and they could have easily started 4-0-0-0 if not for an overtime and shootout loss. Erik Pahlsson has been excellent for the Fighting Saints, collecting eight points (four goals, four assists), and he’s one of seven skaters with at least four points on the team. Kevin Reidler (OTT) picked up his first win last weekend, stopping 27-of-28 against Cedar Rapids, and earned USHL Goaltender of the Week honors.

8. Sioux Falls Stampede

Record: 2-0-1-0

The jury is still out on Sioux Falls, but I think Eric Rud has a solid group this year, highlighted by 2023 USHL Phase II pick Beckett Hendrickson (BOS), who has a goal and an assist in his first three games. Egor Barabanov (2024) has been a really nice surprise early on for the Herd, leading the team with five points (one goal, four assists). The Stampede have an excellent 1-2 punch in net, including Caleb Heil (2024), who currently leads all rookie goaltenders with a .900 save percentage.

9. Sioux City Musketeers

Record: 1-1-2-0

The Musketeers have allowed a couple of late leads to be wiped away, contributing to their -5 goal differential in the third period through the team’s first four games. Hagen Burrows (2025) is third among all rookies with four points, but Sioux City will need their returning players to step it up going forward. Samuel Urban is a name to watch as an over-age goalie prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft. The Slovakian netminder has a 2.99 goals-against average in two games thus far.

10. Lincoln Stars

Record: 1-1-0-0

Having played just two games, it’s hard to gauge what kind of team Lincoln is right now. Defenseman Adam Kleber (2024) has looked really good in the early stages of the season, recording a goal on a bomb of a shot at the Fall Classic. Goaltender Yan Shostak also dazzled in his USHL debut, stopping 24-of-25 shots on net against the Chicago Steel.

11. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

Record: 1-2-0-0

Cedar Rapids and Cade Littler (CGY) had a good showing at the Fall Classic against Youngstown, but they haven’t done much since then. The RoughRiders will need some time to develop their younger players. Sam Scopa and Rudy Guimond (DET) will keep the Riders in games with their stellar play in net.

12. Youngstown Phantoms

Record: 1-2-0-0

The defending Clark Cup Champions could not have drawn up a better night after their banner-raising ceremony. Youngstown throttled the NTDP U-17 squad 12-0 behind Zach Morin’s (2025) first career USHL goal. Fellow tender signing Sascha Boumedienne (2025) leads all rookie defensemen with five points (one goal, four assists).

13. Waterloo Black Hawks

Record: 1-2-0-0

Like Cedar Rapids, Waterloo is a team that will require some time before we can understand what team they are. The Black Hawks lost a lot from last year’s squad, but the early return on forward Adam Zlnka (ARI) has been positive. The Arizona Coyotes draft pick already has three goals and four points in three games. Netminder Jack Spicer figures to see the bulk of time between the pipes after a solid year of splitting time last season.

14. Chicago Steel

Record: 1-3-0-0

We aren’t used to seeing the Chicago Steel this low in the power rankings, but their only win on the season was a frantic third-period and overtime comeback victory against Sioux City. Tender signing Lukas Sawchyn (2025) is tied for third among USHL rookies with four points (one goal, three assists) in four games. 

15. Des Moines Buccaneers

Record: 0-1-2-0

Des Moines is still looking for its first win of the season. The Bucs have had difficulty finding the back of the net, sitting with the second-fewest goals (7) in the USHL, with Lubomir Kupco accounting for two of those. The schedule offers no reprieve with a weekend visit to the NTDP U-18 team and Youngstown Phantoms.

16. Omaha Lancers

Record: 0-3-0-0

Omaha has scored just four goals on the year after finishing with the fewest goals in the league a year ago. Defenseman Chase Cheslock (NJD) leads the team with two points (one goal, one assist), but the Lancers appear to be headed for another long season. Additionally, the team has already accumulated 119 penalty minutes, over 20 more than the next closest team.