2022-23 USHL Power Rankings

Fargo Force Remains Class of USHL

Find out which of the league's 16 teams rise and fall over the course of the long regular season.

1. Fargo Force / Last Ranking: 1

Record: 33-8-2-3

The Force stay atop this installment of the USHL Power Rankings after taking both games against Omaha last weekend.

Fargo has points in their last 13 games and has gone 8-0-2-0 over its last ten contests.

Bret Link snapped a six-game goal-less streak with the game-winner on Saturday. The addition of Zam Plante gives the team yet another weapon on offense.

2. Chicago Steel / Last Ranking: 2

Record: 31-14-3-1

Five points back of Fargo, Chicago remains second in these rankings.

Macklin Celebrini continues to impress, breaking the USHL’s U17 scoring record with a four-point effort in Sunday’s comeback victory over Madison.

The Steel have points in their last three games and have gone 7-2-1-0 over its last ten. 

Just one game on the docket this weekend at home against Cedar Rapids before getting eight days off. 

3. Waterloo Black Hawks / Last Ranking: 3

Record: 30-15-1-0

The Black Hawks saw their three-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday in Sioux City.

However, Waterloo has gone 6-3-1-0 over its last ten games and scored the fourth-most goals (184) in the league.

Garrett Schifsky is riding a five-game points streak, collecting six goals and two assists over that span. 

4. USNTDP / Last Ranking: 7

Record: 27-14-1-2

Team USA used this past weekend to catch up in the standings, taking three-of-four games split between the U17 and U18 squads.

The NTDP has gone 7-3-0-0 over its last ten games and has the third-best powerplay conversion (25.9 percent) in the USHL.

Kristian Epperson has taken advantage of an expanded role for the U17s, collecting points in five of his last six games. 

James Hagens collected his first goal since being elevated to the U18 squad in last Friday’s 6-3 win over Green Bay.

5. Youngstown Phantoms / Last Ranking: 6

Record: 26-15-4-1

Tied with Team USA in the standings, the Phantoms will look to pull ahead with three games on the schedule this week.

Youngstown went 7-2-1-0 over its last ten games, including a 7-1 win over the NTDP U17 squad last Friday.

Jacob Fowler owns the league's second-best goals-against average (2.31) and save percentage (.921). He earned his 20th win earlier this week.

6. Green Bay Gamblers / Last Ranking: 4

Record: 26-17-2-1

Just two points behind Youngstown, the Gamblers’ three-game set against the Phantoms feels like a big one at this time of the year.

Green Bay stumbled against the NTDP U18 last weekend and is 5-4-1-0 over their last ten games.

Eli Sebastian has four points (two goals, two assists) in his last four games and recorded five points between the two games the last time these two teams got together.

7. Lincoln Stars / Last Ranking: 5

Record: 26-18-3-0

The Stars will look to get back on track this weekend with a home-and-home series against Omaha.

Just 3-5-2-0 over its last ten games, Lincoln sits only two points ahead of Tri-City in the standings.

Tanner Ludtke saw his five-game points streak come to an end on Saturday, a stretch in which he potted nine points (four goals, five assists) over that span.

8. Tri-City Storm / Last Ranking: 8

Record: 24-16-2-3

One of the hottest teams in the league right now, the Storm are 8-1-1-0 over its last ten contests.

Tri-City has done well finding goaltending help in Patriks Berzins and Cameron Korpi, who have a 1.89 and 2.37 goals-against average, respectively.

They’ve picked it up offensively, scoring 14 goals between the two games last weekend, with Jake Richard riding a seven-game points streak. 

9. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders / Last Ranking: 9

Record: 22-17-4-3

Led by Ryan Walsh, who has eight points in his last six games, the RoughRiders have points in their previous four contests.

Cedar Rapids has two huge road games this weekend in Chicago on Friday before a Saturday night showdown in Waterloo.

The Riders have the fifth-best powerplay conversion (23.2 percent) and the fourth-best penalty kill (80.8 percent) on the road this season. Look for them to take advantage on special teams.

10. Dubuque Fighting Saints / Last Ranking: 10

Record: 24-17-4-1

The Fighting Saints have points in their last five games and will look to move up in the standings this weekend with a two-game series in Muskegon.

Ryan St. Louis is riding a four-game points streak, collecting six points over that stretch.

Dubuque sits in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, but they have the third-fewest goals (151). They’ll look to find a more consistent offense.

11. Sioux City Musketeers / Last Ranking: 10

Record: 20-21-2-3

The Musketeers are coming off a big win against Waterloo, with Ryan Conmy recording his first career four-point game last Sunday.

However, Sioux City is just 2-8-0-0 over its last ten games.

A two-game homestand against Fargo and Sioux Falls awaits this weekend.

12. Des Moines Buccaneers / Last Ranking: 13

Record: 18-20-5-3

The Buccaneers won yet another overtime game on Friday, but they are just 5-4-1-0 over their last ten games.

Jak Vaarwerk has points in six of his last eight games, but he’s the only Des Moines skater to get over 30 points this year.

Lubomir Kupco has been providing more on offense lately, with seven points in his last seven games. They host Tri-City for two this weekend. 

13. Sioux Falls Stampede / Last Ranking: 12

Record: 18-23-4-3

The Herd have fallen off in the last month or so, going 2-6-2-0 over its last ten games.

Sioux Falls has the best powerplay conversion (26.3 percent) in the USHL, but they’ve scored the fourth-fewest goals (137) overall.

Sam Harris will look to stay red-hot, collecting eight points over his previous eight games.

14. Muskegon Lumberjacks / Last Ranking: 14

Record: 20-24-2-0

The Jacks are feeling the effects of their selloff, dropping their last three games and going 4-6-0-0 over their last ten.

Muskegon had just one goal in each game last weekend, and they’ll look for someone not named “Ethan” to score for them.

15. Omaha Lancers / Last Ranking: 15

Record: 13-25-5-2

The Lancers have the second-fewest points (33) in the league after selling off their remaining pieces to contenders.

Omaha has gone 2-7-1-0 over its last ten games and dropped its last five.

16. Madison Capitols / Last Ranking: 16

Record: 11-32-2-1

The Capitols looked poised to steal a game in Chicago on Sunday, but then Macklin Celebrini happened.

Madison has dropped its last four games and is 2-7-1-0 over its last ten games.

Their schedule doesn’t offer any reprieve either, hosting the NTDP U18 squad for two games this weekend.