2024-25 USHL Power Rankings

Welcome to FloHockey’s monthly Clark Cup contender power rankings. After a five-week hiatus, FloHockey's rankings have returned, and plenty has changed throughout the USHL.

1. Madison Capitols / Previous Ranking: 5

Record: 16-6-1-1

The Capitols own the USHL’s best win percentage at the holiday break (.708) and are 15-4-1 over their past 20. Madison is allowing the USHL’s fewest goals per game (2.75) and its 66 total goals allowed are the second-fewest in the league, trailing only Muskegon (64).

Goaltender Caleb Heil (2025) has been a big reason why as the North Dakota commit is 8-2-1 with a 2.63 GAA. Heil heads into the second half fresh off a gold medal at the World Junior A Challenge too, where he earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Ryker Lee (2025) also has 24 points (10-14-24) through 20 games.

2. Muskegon Lumberjacks / PR: 4

Record: 17-7-2-1

The Lumberjacks sit atop the Eastern Conference with 37 points and as mentioned above, Muskegon has allowed the USHL’s fewest goals. The Jacks have won six of their past 10 and five of their past seven, and that includes wins against Dubuque, Madison and a pair over Youngstown -- the three teams directly behind Muskegon in the standings.

David Klee (SJS) has a team-leading 12 goals and 22 points and defenseman Xavier Veilleux (NYI) has 15 points. Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev owns the league’s best save percentage (.928) and GAA (2.11), and Gadzhiev’s three shutouts are tied for the league lead.

3. Dubuque Fighting Saints / PR: 1

Record: 18-8-0-0

Dubuque’s 18 wins pace the USHL and the Fighting Saints own the league’s best road record at 11-3-0. Michael Barron has six points over his past four games and a team-leading 22 (11-11-22), and goaltender Jan Spunar continues to impress with the USHL’s second-best save percentage (.919) and 11 wins.

Despite a new coach – Evan Dixon – and a new general manager – Trevor Edwards – running the ship this season, the Fighting Saints remain one of the league’s most consistent and successful teams.

4. Sioux Falls Stampede / PR: 4

Record: 16-6-1-1

The Stampede are tied for second in the Western Conference with 34 points, yet they’ve played three fewer games than Lincoln and two less than Fargo.

Sioux Falls has out-scored its opponents 93-69 and earned points in nine of its last 10 (7-1-1-1). Its 6-4 loss at Fargo snapped both a six-game win streak and 11-game point streak, which included wins at Muskegon and Fargo. Ethan Wyttenbach (2025) is tied for the rookie point lead (24) and his nine goals rank second among USHL rookies.

5. Fargo Force / PR: 6

Record: 16-7-1-2

Speaking of Fargo, its 6-4 win over Sioux Falls sent Fargo into the break atop the Western Conference standings. The Force are 8-1-0-1 over their past 10 home games and 6-2-1-1 over their past 10 overall, and Brett Skinner’s club owns the league’s best penalty kill once again at 88.2%. Fargo finished atop the league last season at 86.2%.

Merril Steenari continues his breakout season and is currently second in the USHL in goals (16) and Sam Laurila (2025) leads all defensemen with 22 points, including points in 11 of his last 13 games. Alan Lendak also leads the USHL with 13 wins and will represent Slovakia at the WJC.

6. Youngstown Phantoms / PR: 10

Record: 16-10-0-0

The Phantoms are coming off a pair of wins in Green Bay and they’re red-hot on home ice too, as Youngstown has won eight straight at the Covelli Centre and is 9-2-0 at home this season.

Ryan Ward’s club is the most-penalized team in the league with 473 penalty minutes, but they’ve been able to overcome it and are firmly in the Eastern Conference conversation. Adam Benak (2025) continues to impress and has a team-high 24 points, and the Czechia product recently owned a 13-game point streak. Benak had 16 points (6-10-16) in that stretch.

7. Lincoln Stars / PR: 2

Record: 17-10-0-0

The Stars have somewhat cooled off from their torrid start. Lincoln dropped four of its final five games before the break, yet Lincoln remains tied for second in the west with 34 points.

Lincoln’s 97 goals rank third in the USHL and its power-play ranks second at 27.6%. Lincoln has converted on 24 of its 87 chances, five of which have come from defenseman Caeden Herrington (2025). The Stars have been out-scored 20-14 over their past five games but scored five of those 14 last time out, including two goals from Layne Loomer.

8. Waterloo Black Hawks / PR: 3

Record: 11-7-4-4

Waterloo has just three wins over its past 12 contests, but the Black Hawks have continued to earn points as they’re 4-4-2-2 in that stretch. They’ve been without head coach Matt Smaby and Brendan McMorrow too as they represent the U.S. at the WJAC.

Kaeden Hawkins has scored in four of his past seven games and has a team-leading 10 goals, while Grady Derring has a team-leading 20 points (7-13-20) and four multi-point efforts.

9. Sioux City Musketeers / PR: 8

Record: 13-11-1-3

The Musketeers carried a three-game win streak into the break and their 99 goals lead the USHL. Sioux City has scored five or more goals in four of its past five games and Jason Kersner’s lineup features two of the USHL’s top three point producers.

Landen Gunderson ranks second in the USHL with 36 points (11-25-36) and Giacomo Martino is third with 33 (13-20-33). Gunderson and Martino are two of just 12 USHL players averaging over a point per game – two of which played five or fewer games – and Gunderson has six goals over his past six.

10. Tri-City Storm / PR: 11

Record: 13-12-2-1

The Storm made a coaching change on Dec. 3 as Marco Trevino took over for Mark Abalan. Tri-City is 2-2-0 since and has enjoyed plenty of success away from home this year, as the Storm are 9-3-1 on the road – including wins in their last three road contests.

Artemi Nizameyev continues his outstanding season as the Miami commit has 22 goals and 38 points through 28 games, both of which lead the USHL. Nizameyev also leads the league in game-winning goals (6) and currently owns a six-game point streak. Nizameyev has 9-7-16 in that stretch and has notched points in 17 of his past 20 games.

11. Des Moines Buccaneers / PR: 15

Record: 11-13-1-0

The Bucs are 6-3-1 over their past 10 and earned a pair of wins at the American Cup, yet Des Moines still has its work cut out heading into the second half.

The Bucs remain seventh in the Western Conference with 23 points – six out of a playoff spot – and Des Moines’s 73 goals are the second-fewest in the conference. The Bucs’ penalty kill also sits at the bottom of the USHL at 72.2%. At the same time, Ben Kevan (2025) has 16 points through 16 games and Jack Kernan has a team-leading 11 goals and 22 points.

12. Green Bay Gamblers / PR: 9

Record: 12-13-1-0

Sticking with special teams, the Gamblers own the league’s top power play (30.1%) and have converted on 25 of their 83 chances.

Aidan Park (2025) leads the USHL with nine power-play tallies and Will Zellers (COL) has four. Park is tied for fifth in the USHL with 25 points overall, including five goals over his past four games, while Zellers has a team-leading 15 goals. However, Green Bay is 4-6-0 over its past 10 and the Gamblers have allowed the USHL’s fourth-most goals (91).

13. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders / PR: 14

Record: 10-12-1-1

It’s seemingly been a constant issue in Cedar Rapids the last few seasons, but the RoughRiders have struggled to generate consistent offense. Cedar Rapids has scored the USHL’s second-fewest goals (55) and has just two players with a double-digit point total.

On the bright side, Cedar Rapids is coming off back-to-back wins over Chicago and has a five-game point streak (4-0-1) on home ice. They’ll return from the break with four of their first five on the road. However, Cedar Rapids will play eight of its final nine January games at home.

14. NTDP / PR: 16

Record: 6-13-1-0

The NTDP owns the USHL’s fewest points (13) and its six wins are tied for the fewest in the league. However, they went into the break on a high note with a 3-0 showing in December. The U18’s earned wins in all three contests and both the U17’s and 18’s will get a chance to play out of the break at Chicago.

U17 forward JP Hurlbert leads the NTDP in USHL action with nine goals and 13 points, while Cole McKinney leads the U18 quad with five goals and seven points. McKinney earned five of those points (3-2-5) over those three December wins.

15. Chicago Steel / PR: 12

Record: 7-18-2-0

Perhaps the break will allow the Steel a chance to hit the reset button, as Chicago has dropped four straight. The Steel are also 0-6-1 in their last seven road contests with their last road win coming on Nov. 1.

Chicago has been out-scored 14-6 throughout its current four-game skid and allowed 116 goals this season, 13 more than the next closest team. Chicago has also allowed a USHL-worst 23 power-play goals.

16. Omaha Lancers / PR: 13

Record: 6-16-4-0

The Lancers are already on their third coach of the season and their ninth since 2021. After firing Lennie Childs four games into the season, the Lancers let go of Colten St. Clair on Dec. 2 – both of which were puzzling moves by Omaha’s ownership. And it’s led to another disappointing and at times embarrassing season for the organization.

The Lancers once again sit at the bottom of the standings and are in the midst of an eight-game skid (0-6-2), and they’ve dropped 10 straight home contests (0-7-3). Although Omaha has two of the league’s most talented goaltenders in Kam Hendrickson (2025) and Mikhail Yegorov (NJD), the Lancers have been out-scored 89-59.

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