Andrew Strathmann knew he had more to offer than his first season in the USHL suggested.

After a weekend full of outdoor games in the NCAA and NHL, the USHL is getting in on the act later this week as the Youngstown Phantoms and Cedar Rapids RoughRiders are set to do battle at FirstEnergy Stadium for the 2023 USHL Cleveland Classic Presented by Winmark. Puck drop is set for 6:05 p.m. ET on Thursday and you’ll be able to watch the game right here on FloHockey.

The Youngstown Phantoms look poised to make a run for first place in the USHL’s Eastern Conference, and as exciting as their recent play on the ice has been, there is plenty of excitement off it.

The USHL's Youngstown Phantoms and Cedar Rapids RoughRiders will be taking it back to hockey's roots when they play under the open sky at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the NFL's Cleveland Browns. The league announced Thursday that the two USHL Eastern Conference foes will meet in a regular-season contest outdoors on Feb. 23.

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.

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.

Several USHL rosters will be impacted this weekend as 22 of the league’s top players will represent Team USA at the World Junior A Challenge.

With a busy Thanksgiving weekend in the rearview mirror, the calendar has flipped to December.

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 last few years of NCAA men's hockey recruiting have seemingly been dominated by Michigan and Minnesota, but there could be a slight balance of power shift for the 2023-24 incoming class. For the first time in a while, Boston College looks to have the best incoming class on paper for next season based on the players that signed their national letters of intent earlier this week.

A dozen teams will get very familiar with their opponent as this weekend’s slate features six back-to-backs. Fifteen of the 16 USHL teams will be in action and as we’ve hit the quarter mark of the season, teams are looking to separate themselves. Let's take a look at some of the top series to watch this weekend.

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.

It’s an action-packed weekend in the USHL as 16 games will be crammed into three days. Friday and Saturday’s slates both feature seven games, while a pair of games will close out the action on Sunday.

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.

It’s another busy slate of games as all 16 USHL teams will hit the ice, division leaders will collide and three sets of back-to-backs will make for intense and entertaining hockey. Without further ado, here’s a look at the week ahead.