Connor Bedard is the top-ranked North American skater for the 2023 NHL Draft according to the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau in their mid-term rankings, released Friday. The WHL's leading scorer and reigning World Junior Championship MVP has built up a large consensus of his status as the top prospect for 2023.

MONCTON, N.B. – As USHL teams got to enjoy a bit of an extended holiday break thanks to Christmas falling on what otherwise would have been a game weekend, 12 current USHLers didn’t get to rest up. Instead, they traveled to the 2023 World Junior Championship where they put on their nation’s colors to compete at one of the biggest hockey events on the calendar.

For the first time since 2018, the U.S. Junior Select Team finished the World Junior A Challenge on top as they defeated Canada East 5-2 to claim the tournament title. Team USA, which was comprised entirely of USHL players, finished the tournament with a 5-1 record, which includes wins over Sweden and Canada East in the playoff round to secure top honors. This is the ninth World Junior A Challenge title for the U.S. in the event's 15-year history.

Besides a Wednesday morning tilt between Muskegon and the USNTDP, this week’s slate is compacted into two days.

The 2022 World Junior A Challenge is back after a two-year absence thanks to the pandemic. The mid-season event has often been a fruitful scouting ground for NHL teams as it allows them to see USHL and Canadian Junior A players in a different environment from their regular teams, and also gets some extra views of top European players.

With Thanksgiving just days away, it’s shaping up to be a busy week ahead for millions around the country. The same could be said for those in the USHL.

The World Junior A Challenge is a winter showcase event hosted by Hockey Canada, featuring two Canadian regional teams representing the East and West, a U.S. team and teams from Sweden and Latvia. The U.S. roster is often made up primarily of USHL players and this year will be no different.

The 2023 NHL Draft is shaping up to be a very good one. The talent at the very top is special, while a good chunk of the first round looks like it will be comprised of difference-making prospects. It’s still too early yet to make a total determination on the quality of the class as a whole, but early indications suggest teams with first round picks are going to get exceptional value.

All 16 teams have at least eight games under their belt and from Wednesday to Sunday, 15 more games are on the USHL schedule. Although there’s still a long, long way to go in the 62-game regular-season, the calendar has already flipped to November.

The 2023 NHL Draft season is well underway and one of the annual rites of fall in the draft campaign is NHL Central Scouting Services releasing its preliminary players to watch list. With a group of independent regional scouts, the league’s Central Scouting helps provide one of the baseline rankings to paint a picture of the draft class as it stands currently. CSS somewhat mimics the scout room of an NHL team, and as such can vary wildly from the perspective of other teams and evaluators.

Week 3 in the USHL did not disappoint as conference leaders clashed and rivalries filled the schedule. All 16 teams hit the ice last weekend and although that number is down to 15 this time around, there are, once again, important early-season points on the line.

Coast To Coast is FloHockey’s monthly, cohesive news on North American hockey and livestreaming partnerships.

Week two of the USHL schedule features 10 games and a slate full of rivalries. Without further ado, here’s a look at the week ahead.

Ever since Anthony Noreen arrived in Kearney in 2017, all Tri-City Storm fans have known is success. The Storm have been amongst the USHL’s most consistent teams under Noreen, producing five straight playoff appearances, a pair of Anderson Cups and 175 regular-season wins.

After a successful weekend in Pennsylvania at the Fall Classic, 14 of the 16 USHL teams are back in action this weekend. Nine games are on the docket and there are several early-season storylines around the league. Without further ado, here’s a look at the week ahead.