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2023-24 USHL Power Rankings

USHL Power Rankings: Despite Losses, Fargo Still On Top

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 / Last Ranking: 1

Record: 29-5-2-0

The Force uncharacteristically dropped two of their three games at home over the weekend, but it is just a small blip in the road as far as I am concerned.

Forward Lee Parks saw his incredible nine-game point streak end Saturday, racking up nine goals and 19 points during that stretch.

Hampton Slukynsky (LAK) will look to rebound next weekend after suffering his first loss of the season Saturday.

All that said, Fargo remains comfortably atop the Western Conference standings.

2. Dubuque Fighting Saints / Last Ranking: 4

Record: 23-9-1-3

Dubuque is holding onto first place in the Eastern Conference after splitting its two games over the weekend. 

The Saints dropped Friday’s game against Cedar Rapids but bounced back with a collective effort against Des Moines the following night.

With a goal and an assist, Jake Sondreal extended his point streak to seven games and has points in eight of his nine games since the holiday break.

Kevin Reidler (OTT) is tied for the league lead in wins (15) and has won three of the four games he’s started since returning from the World Juniors.

3. Green Bay Gamblers / Last Ranking: 4

Record: 21-8-3-1

It looked like Green Bay was going to take all three games against Youngstown at the Resch Center over the weekend, but the Phantoms managed to salvage a win in the finale.

With the overtime winner on Friday and another goal on Saturday, Ben Poitras has been on fire since the beginning of December. The Northeastern commit has accumulated nine goals and 16 points in 12 games during the run.

Adam Gajan (CHI) rightfully gets much of the attention in net. However, the Gamblers have a good one in Gavin Moffatt, who matched a season-high 31 saves in a win Saturday and has won his last three starts.

Something to keep an eye on: Green Bay looks poised to overtake Dubuque, trailing the Saints by four points in the standings with three games in hand.

4. Sioux City Musketeers / Last Ranking: 3

Record: 20-9-6-0

The Musketeers took both games against the Tri-City Storm over the weekend and have points in eight of their last 10 games.

Kaden Shahan is one of the most electric players in the USHL this season, potting the overtime winner Friday on a beautiful backhander. He added another Saturday to remain tied for the most goals (23) in the league with Madison’s Austin Burnevik.

Netminder Samuel Urban is hitting his stride, as well, collecting wins in six of his last eight starts, including four in a row going into next weekend’s showdown against Green Bay. Urban recently picked up his first USHL Goaltender of the Week honors as well.

5. Muskegon Lumberjacks / Last Ranking: 6

Record: 21-12-1-1

Despite nearly blowing their four-goal lead on Saturday, the Jacks handled their business against Omaha over the weekend and have won seven of their last 10 games.

Matvei Gridin scored three times and has seven points (3-4-7) in his last three games. For his efforts, he earned USHL Forward of the Week honors for the first time.

Meanwhile, Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev has brought some much-needed stability to the crease, picking up wins in three of his first five starts, including a 3-0 shutout against the Lancers on Friday.

6. Youngstown Phantoms / Last Ranking: 5

Record: 18-10-4-1

Youngstown has had some rotten luck lately, collecting points in six of their last 10 games, but the Phantoms have dropped three of those in overtime or a shootout.

Zach Morin (2025) provided the game winning goal Sunday to snap Youngstown’s seven-game skid, and it was his first goal since Dec. 9.

The Phantoms might be the latest USHL team looking to strike gold in goaltending help from the NAHL, adding Aiden Wright to the roster Monday. The 18-year-old posted a 2.88 goals-against average and a 0.923 save percentage with one shutout in 23 games this season.

7. Waterloo Black Hawks / Last Ranking: 8

Record: 20-12-0-0

Here come the Hawks! 

Waterloo has remained red-hot, extending its win streak to three games over the weekend. The Black Hawks have won eight of their last 10 games.

Gavyn Thoreson is quietly having a solid season, now with 33 points (8-25-33) in 32 games, and he has scored in two of his last three games.

A big reason for Waterloo’s resurgence from their slow start has been Jack Spicer’s turnaround to give the Hawks a dependable 1-2 punch in net. Spicer collected his fifth straight win on Saturday, stopping 25 of 26 in regulation and both rounds of the shootout.

8. Sioux Falls Stampede / Last Ranking: 9

Record: 19-15-2-1

The Herd split their weekend series against the Lincoln Stars at the Ice Box and have points in seven of their last 10 games.

Chris Pelosi (BOS) picked up his third multi-goal effort of the season Saturday and now has 36 points in 32 games.

Michael Chambre has been receiving the lion’s share of starts in net lately, picking up wins in four of his six starts out of the holiday break.

9. Madison Capitols / Last Ranking: 7

Record: 16-10-4-2

The Capitols saw their two-goal lead slip away Saturday against Fargo.

However, Austin Burnevik ensured Madison would leave Scheels Arena with a win, scoring the go-ahead tally with 46 seconds left in regulation, and he now has 23 goals on the season.

Carsen Musser (ARI) made a season-high 37 saves in a win Saturday night and has picked up wins in six of his last eight starts.

10. Tri-City Storm / Last Ranking: 10

Record: 16-11-2-4

After an unbelievable comeback win Thursday night against Fargo, Tri-City had a letdown two-game series in Sioux City, losing both games in extras.

That said, the Storm very much remain in the Western Conference playoff race, with points in eight of their last 10 games.

Trevor Connelly (2024) tallied a goal and three assists this weekend, extending his point streak to five games.

11. Lincoln Stars / Last Ranking: 15

Record: 14-18-0-2

This looks like a vastly different Lincoln team than we saw in the first half of the season.

The Stars have won seven of their last 10 games, aided by the play of Keaton Peters, who has points in five of his last seven games.

Yan Shostak continues to be a pillar in net, but Lucas Massie had himself a game Friday, making a season-best 42 saves.

12. Chicago Steel / Last Ranking: 15

Record: 13-17-2-2

Like Lincoln, the Steel showed signs of life well before the holiday break, and they currently occupy the sixth, and final, playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Chicago has won four straight and picked up points in seven of their last 10 games.

Michael Hage (2024) has played a big role in that, collecting eight goals and 16 points in 12 games since the beginning of December.

13. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders / Last Ranking: 12

Record: 12-16-4-2

Cedar Rapids picked up an impressive road win against Dubuque on Friday night.

James Norton had a heck of a debut for the Riders against Waterloo, stopping 23 of 24, before ultimately falling in the shootout.

This Friday’s game against Chicago at Fox Valley Ice Arena will be a big one.

14. USNTDP / Last Ranking: 13

Record: 12-20-1-1

The NTDP U17s and U18s suffered a sweep at the hands of the Steel at USA Hockey Arena over the weekend.

However, Will Moore (2025) collected his second multi-goal effort in his last four games for the U17 squad.

Meanwhile, Cole Eiserman (2024) added to his resume with another two-goal performance for the U18s on Saturday. The Boston University commit needs 24 goals to surpass Cole Caufield’s all-time scoring record, set back in 2019.

15. Des Moines Buccaneers / Last Ranking: 14

Record: 12-19-4-0

The Bucs have dropped the last three games.

Ben Kevan (2025) and Ilya Protas (2024) have been bright spots and are doing so as rookie skaters. Kevan collected his fourth multi-goal effort Saturday, while Protas has four points (1-3-4) in his last four games.

16. Omaha Lancers / Last Ranking: 16

Record: 7-23-3-0

Likewise, Omaha has dropped three of its last seven games.

With his third multi-goal game of the season Saturday, Jamison Sluys has 24 points (11-13-24) in 32 games and could be a highly sought-after piece for a contender at the trade deadline.