USHL

Chicago, IL - After opening the United States Hockey League (USHL) in Cranberry Township, Penn. last weekend at the annual DICK’S Sporting Goods USHL Fall Classic, USHL Member Clubs return home this weekend to play in front of their home fans. 

This season marks the 20th as a Tier I junior hockey league, which is the premier and lone Tier I junior hockey league in the United States. 

"We're excited to get underway for the 2021-22 USHL season and are looking forward to our Member Clubs chasing the Clark Cup Championship," said USHL President and Commissioner Bill Robertson. "The Fall Classic, as always, was a great jump start event for the season but returning to our home markets is always exciting and our clubs love playing in front of their home fans." 

This weekend’s slate of games include a five-game night on Friday, opening with the first half of a home-and-home matchup between the Youngstown Phantoms and USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP). The Phantoms are one of three teams searching for their first win of the season, along with the Madison Capitols and Muskegon Lumberjacks. The Capitols play the undefeated Chicago Steel (2-0-0-0, 4 pts.) at home Friday night before the Steel head home to take on the Lumberjacks for a Saturday night rematch of the Eastern Conference Final. 

Two other teams left the Fall Classic with perfect 2-0-0-0 records (Des Moines Buccaneers and Tri-City Storm) and both will be in action Friday night. The Buccaneers play at home against the Omaha Lancers and the Storm take on the Lincoln Stars on the road. 

After the Fall Classic, a pair of skaters are tied for the league lead with five points each including Green Bay Gamblers defenseman Damien Carfagna (2-3-5) and Des Moines forward Scout Truman (1-4-5) and three league forwards are tied for the goal scoring lead with three tallies in the opening weekend: Ben Steeves (3-1-4, Sioux City), Tanner Latsch (3-0-3, Des Moines) and Frank Nazar (3-0-3, NTDP). Two other skaters joined Truman with four assists on the weekend including Week One USHL Defenseman of the Week Ethan Elias (0-4-4, Omaha) and NTDP forward Jimmy Snuggerud (0-4-4). 

On the opposite side of the ice, goaltender Remington Keopple is the lone USHL netminder with a 2-0-0-0 record after the Fall Classic. Defending Goaltender of the Week Jack Williams (Waterloo Black Hawks) was one of two goalies, along with Cedar Rapids RoughRiders netminder Bruno Bruveris, to post a shutout during the opening weekend.

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the 2021-22 season will be the USHL's 20th season as the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league. The USHL had 50 players selected at the 2021 NHL Draft, marking the fourth-straight season with 50-or-more USHL players selected in the Draft. More than 800 league alumni are currently on NCAA Division I rosters, further establishing the USHL as the world’s foremost producer of junior hockey talent.