2022-23 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: 37-13-2-4

As they have stood for most of the year, the Fargo Force are atop this installment of the USHL Power Rankings.

Nick Oliver’s club looks locked and loaded for the playoffs. With six games remaining, they are well-positioned to lock up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Cole Knuble is getting hot again, potting goals in four out of his last six games.

2. Chicago Steel / Last Ranking: 2

Record: 36-16-3-1

Chicago was in second place in the Eastern Conference for about 10 minutes Saturday, before Nick Moldenhauer’s overtime winner put them back on top.

The Steel have a three-point lead over Youngstown in the standings, with a massive two-game set at the Covelli Centre looming this weekend.

Macklin Celebrini put up at least four points for the sixth time Sunday, extending his point streak to six games.

3. Youngstown Phantoms / Last Ranking: 5

Record: 34-17-4-1

The Phantoms have been gunning for the top spot all year, and they have a chance to leapfrog the Steel, if they can take both games this weekend.

Youngstown looks like a well-oiled machine right now, getting goals from six skaters in Saturday’s 7-3 win over Muskegon.

Jake Rozzi with the empty netter to close off a night full of goals 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/X8eQOeCKrH

— x - Youngstown Phantoms (@YtownPhantoms) April 2, 2023

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jacob Fowler get both starts against Chicago this weekend. The Boston College commit owns a .944 save percentage and a shutout in six games against the Steel this season.

4. USNTDP / Last Ranking: 4

Record: 34-18-2-2

Team USA clinched a ticket to the Clark Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2018-2019 season.

Despite the NTDP U18 squad being swept by the Steel last weekend, Team USA remains four points back of first place and one point back of second place.

Depending on what happens between Chicago and Youngstown this weekend, the NTDP could grab one of the coveted top two spots in the Eastern Conference.

Cole Eiserman continues to put up ridiculous numbers, potting seven goals over his last four games.

5. Waterloo Black Hawks / Last Ranking: 3

Record: 35-20-1-0

Waterloo has clinched a playoff berth, but the Black Hawks have gone just 5-5-0-0 over their last 10 games.

With six games remaining, the Black Hawks likely won’t catch Fargo, but they’ll need to hold off a surging Lincoln to retain second place in the West.

Looking ahead to this weekend, they’ll travel to Sioux Falls, before a home game against top-seeded Fargo. After that, Waterloo should be favored in each of their last four contests.

6. Lincoln Stars / Last Ranking: 6

Record: 33-19-3-1

After an up-and-down restart out of the holiday break, the Lincoln Stars are rolling, going 7-2-0-1 over their last 10 games.

They’re within one point of Waterloo for second place and having home ice to the Conference Finals.

Jared Mangan has been on fire for the Stars lately, extending his points streak to seven games. Over that stretch, he has two goals and five assists.

7. Tri-City Storm / Last Ranking: 9

Record: 31-18-3-3

This past weekend, Tri-City was the latest team to clinch a spot in the Clark Cup Playoffs. 

The Storm are tied with Lincoln for third place in the Western Conference and will wrap up their regular season with a home-and-home series against Lincoln.

Trevor Connelly breaks the @TriCityStorm record with points in 18 straight games, scoring the empty-netter to seal the win. The Storm are tied with Lincoln for third place in the Western Conference standings. @USHL pic.twitter.com/SXUDVj2uDX

— Ryan Sikes (@ryan_sikes10) April 5, 2023

Trevor Connelly broke the Tri-City Storm record with points in 18 straight games, scoring the empty-netter to seal the win Tuesday.

8. Green Bay Gamblers / Last Ranking: 7

Record: 29-20-2-4

The magic number for the Gamblers is now at four.

Green Bay can clinch a playoff spot this weekend with a win over Muskegon on Friday or Saturday or a Muskegon loss on Thursday, paired with an overtime/shootout loss to Muskegon on both Friday and Saturday.

The Gamblers have five players on their roster with at least 40 points this season. 

Arytom Levshunov, with 38 points, will look to stay hot and make it six players this weekend, collecting points in six of his last seven games.

9. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders / Last Ranking: 8

Record: 26-21-4-4

Despite their magic number sitting at eight, the RoughRiders can clinch a playoff spot this weekend, but they need some things to go their way.

In addition to winning both of their games against the NTDP U17 squad, Cedar Rapids needs Muskegon to drop two of their three games, as well.

Ryan Walsh is quietly piecing together a strong campaign. The Cornell commit recorded his first career USHL hat trick last Sunday and has points in 10 of his previous 11 games.

10. Dubuque Fighting Saints / Last Ranking: 10

Record: 27-21-5-1

Like Cedar Rapids, Dubuque’s magic number is at eight. The Fighting Saints are not in a position to clinch this weekend, but they can set themselves up nicely to do so next week.

Dubuque needs to win all three of their games, Muskegon to drop all three, and then only one Lumberjacks loss, and they’re in.

After a head-to-head matchup against the Jacks on Thursday, the Saints will face Madison for a home-and-home series Friday and Saturday.

Forward Max Montes has been coming on strong in the second half of the season. Since Feb. 25, the Waukesha, Wisconsin, native has 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in his last 11 games.

11. Sioux City Musketeers / Last Ranking: 11

Record: 26-25-2-3

The Musketeers look like a lock for the fifth seed in the West. Going 6-4-0-0 over their last 10 games, the earliest Sioux City can clinch will be Saturday.

Their magic number is down to five, but Des Moines and Sioux Falls are within one point of each for the maximum points achievable.

We should have a better idea of their clinching scenario after Friday’s slate of games.

The Muskies have benefited from two reliable goaltenders, with Axel Mangbo and Croix Kochendorfer within the top 15 in goals-against average.

12. Sioux Falls Stampede / Last Ranking: 14

Record: 21-28-4-3

The Herd are holding on for dear life for the final playoff spot in the West. They lead Des Moines by one point in the standings, but Sioux Falls has also played one more game.

How we feel after a four point weekend 👏🙌

🎥 Eckmann Media pic.twitter.com/67PmtQugD6

— Sioux City Musketeers (@Musketeerhockey) April 3, 2023

The Stampede have gone 3-7-0-0 over their last 10 games, but they’ll have the difficult task of going up against Waterloo on Friday, before a head-to-head with Des Moines on Saturday.

13. Muskegon Lumberjacks / Last Ranking: 13

Record: 25-27-3-0

While not officially eliminated, the Lumberjacks are well out of the race in the Eastern Conference.

That said, they’ve shown plenty of life here in the last 10 games, going 5-4-1-0.

Ethan Whitcomb has been a major contributor, collecting goals in four of his last five games.

14. Des Moines Buccaneers / Last Ranking: 12

Record: 20-27-5-3

The Bucs are only one point out of the final playoff spot in the West, with a game in hand on Sioux Falls.

The head-to-head matchup with the Herd on Saturday will be a big one for them to make a jump in the standings.

15. Omaha Lancers / Last Ranking: 15

Record: 16-29-5-4

The Lancers, while not officially eliminated yet, are out of it, but they played a hard game against Tri-City on Tuesday night.

Tucker Shedd picked up Omaha’s only goal in that contest, his third of the season and second in as many games.

16. Madison Capitols / Last Ranking: 16

Record: 13-38-2-2

The Caps have officially been eliminated, so they’ll look to play spoiler for the remainder of the year.

Up first, a home-and-home series with Dubuque this weekend.