USHL 2021-2022 Thread

[JMCx4]

A snaphot of USHL facts & figures from earlier this week, as the League skates through Lucky Week #13 of their 2021-22 season ...

 

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From: USAHockey.com > Other News

Brent and Ben Gawlik Form Rare Father/Son Linesman Duo in USHL

By Greg Bates, 01/04/22, 2:00PM MST

Gawliks worked together for the first time in a New Year’s Eve USHL game

As Brent Gawlik got onto the ice for his pregame skate, emotions got the best of him.

Having officiated hundreds of junior and college hockey games during his career, the United States Hockey League (USHL) game between Youngstown and host Muskegon on New Year’s Eve was different.
Brent was sharing the ice with one of his sons.

Also a linesman, Ben Gawlik got assigned to work with his dad for a game for the first time at that high of a level.

“It was pretty surreal,” Brent said. “Once the puck dropped, it was kind of like any other game because we’re concentrating on doing our jobs. But I did take a few minutes here and there to kind of think about it at stoppages or maybe during the play a few times. I kind of thought, ‘That’s my son over there.’ That was pretty cool. It was quite a special night for sure.” ...

Read more at: Brent and Ben Gawlik Form Rare Father/Son Linesman Duo in USHL

 

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[JMCx4]

My U.S. juniors focus has been distracted by college play this season, now that me 'n' Mrs. JMC are back to occasional hockey travel. But I'm back here with a snapshot of the USHL standings as January play moves ahead, and looking forward to a late season loop through Sioux City & Lincoln. New adventures in road tripping.

A few questions come to mind on review:

• Can (and more importantly will) Chicago repeat as League champions? They sure look dominant again this season.
  
• How have the Lancers stayed focused on winning with all the organizational drama earlier in the season? Overcoming that (I hope) might just give them the advantage in the Western Conference race.
• Are the Buccaneers saving their team & franchise energy for their new home arena next season? I hope the real thing becomes as attractive as the artist's renderings.
  
• What USHL destination will I pin for The JMCs' post-season trip (as pandemic conditions allow)? Dubuque remains a strong candidate, but we've never been to Waterloo.

 

[JMCx4]

Halfway through the USHL season. Time flies, even in a pandemic.

 

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From: The United States Hockey League > News

USHL Back in Dallas for 2022 Frosty Cup

01/21/2022, 10:00AM CST
BY USHL

WESTERN CONFERENCE RIVALS TRI-CITY STORM AND LINCOLN STARS HIGHLIGHT ANNUAL EVENT

Dallas, Tex. - The Tri-City Storm (24-5-1-0, 49 pts.), the United States Hockey League’s (USHL) top team this season, and the Lincoln Stars (16-11-1-1, 34 points) are ready to take USHL action to hockey fans in Dallas next week with a pair of regular season games highlighting the annual USHL Frosty Cup.

Thursday, January 27 at 7:30 p.m. CST - Tri-City Storm at Lincoln Stars TICKETS

Friday, January 28 at 7:00 p.m. CST - Lincoln Stars at Tri-City Storm TICKETS ...​

The Storm and Stars head to Texas both in Clark Cup Playoff spots in the Western Conference at the halfway point of the season. Heading into weekend action less than a week from the event, Tri-City currently features the league’s best record (24-5-1-0), point total (49) and point percentage (0.817) through 30 games and are one of the hottest teams in the league having won nine of their last 10 games, including six in-a-row. The Stars are currently fourth in the Western Conference, just four points out of second place with a 16-11-1-1 (34 points) record.

Fans could be in for a goaltending clinic in the USHL contests as, currently, the top two netminders in the league belong to the Storm and Stars, respectively. Arsenii Sergeev, a Calgary Flames prospect (2021, Round 7, #205), is having an outstanding season for Tri-City, leading league netminders in wins (20), goals against average (1.52), save percentage (0.934) and shutouts (5) through 24 appearances this season. The University of Connecticut commit and three-time USHL Goaltender of the Week hails from Yaroslavl, Russia and is in his first season in the league. Right behind Sergeev is Lincoln’s Cameron Whitehead, a prospect for the 2022 NHL Draft who was recently ranked 4th among North American Goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting on the service’s Midseason Rankings earlier this month. The Northeastern University commit follows Sergeev and ranks second among league goalies with a 2.41 goals against average and 0.921 save percentage. Whitehead has an 8-3-1-0 record, including a shutout, in 13 appearances this season. The Orleans, Ontario native has split time this season with third-year USHL goaltender Kaidan Mbereko, the 19th ranked North American Goaltender on the NHLCS Midseason Rankings. ...


Read more at: USHL Back in Dallas for 2022 Frosty Cup

 

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[JMCx4]

January play for The U' Boys wrapped up this weekend, so here's a snapshot of the Conference standings. Most noteworthy are the recent surge in the East by Muskegon (climbing past Dubuque & the mighty Chicago Steel), and Tri-City extending its Western lead while the #2 thru #4 spots (currently Sioux City-Omaha-Lincoln) continue to shuffle. The rest are hockey-as-usual.

 

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Week 21, my how time (and ice time) flies ...

 

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Gotta get this posted before the Waterloo @ Omaha game makes an end-of-February standings snapshot obsolete ...

 

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From: The United States Hockey League > News

Halliday, Miller Break USHL Records​

03/20/2022, 11:15am CDT
By USHL

Stephen Halliday Sets New USHL Tier I Regular Season Career Point Record​

Saturday night marked a pair of USHL records falling as both Stephen Halliday (Dubuque Fighting Saints) and Mitchell Miller (Tri-City Storm) set new highs for regular season points in a career and points in a season by a defenseman, respectively. Both players now hold the individual records among USHL Tier I skaters, dating back to the 2002-03 season. ...

Halliday, who had a goal and an assist on Saturday night, moved into sole possession of first place in regular season career points with 197 points (63-134-197) in 204 career regular season games with the Dubuque Fighting Saints and Central Illinois Flying Aces. ... Halliday passed Sean Farrell (Chicago Steel / USA Hockey National Team Development Program - NTDP, 2019-21) for the all-time record as Farrell registered 196 points (57-139-196) in 159 games. ...

Miller, who scored a goal Saturday night, moved into first place in Tier I history for single season points by a defenseman with his 66th point (29-37-66) through 48 games this season. Miller passed former Tri-City Storm blueliner Ronnie Attard, who registered 65 points in the 2018-19 season. Miller has blown past his former season-high marks in points, goals and assists this season, including doubling his previous season-high in points (33, 2019-20) and the defenseman now has 21 more goals than his previous high of eight during the 2019-20 season. Miller has registered a point in 39 of his 48 games this season, including points in eight of his last nine games (11-9-20) and goals in his last six games (11-6-17). ...


Read more at:

Halliday, Miller Break USHL Records

Stephen Halliday Sets New USHL Tier I Regular Season Career Point Record

www.ushl.com

 

[JMCx4]

Three more weeks of regular season play in the U for 2021-22. The Clark Cup playoffs will follow, starting on Monday April 25th in 6 League cities TBD. The post-season participating teams have been determined by points earned in the Western Conference, but just two of four spots have been claimed on the Eastern Conference ice dancing card. Chicago & Tri-City have been the top team in each conference for the majority of the season, but Dubuque still has a credible shot at overtaking the Steel in the East should CHI stumble before the final weekend. Here are the current standings to make your own predictions ...

 

[JMCx4]

The 2021-22 USHL regular season wrapped up on Saturday night. Here are the final standings ...

Play will proceed into the Clark Cup playoffs, according to this format. The top 2 teams in each Conference will get a first round bye, leaving Seeds #3 thru #6 to determine who among them will move on. Round 1 starts Monday night, so I'll post those series schedules when I see them.

 

[JMCx4]

From: The United States Hockey League > News

USHL Announces Clark Cup Playoffs First Round Matchups and Information

04/24/2022, 1:30PM CDT

#3 AND #4 SEEDS HOST THREE-GAME SERIES TO OPEN 2022 CLARK CUP PLAYOFFS​

The United States Hockey League (USHL) announced Sunday the First Round matchups for the 2022 Clark Cup Playoffs. ...

This season, the Clark Cup Playoffs will begin with a three-game First Round series between the #3 and #6 seed and the #4 and #5 seed in each Conference. All three games will be played at the higher seed’s home location all on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night, if necessary.

In the Western Conference, the third-ranked Lincoln Stars will host the six-seed Waterloo Black Hawks with all three games beginning at 6:05 p.m. CST at the Ice Box in Lincoln, Neb. The fourth-ranked Omaha Lancers will host the five-seed Fargo Force with all three games beginning at 7:05 p.m. CST at Liberty First Credit Union Arena in Omaha, Neb.

#6 WATERLOO @ #3 LINCOLN​

Game 1: Monday, April 25 at 6:05 p.m. CST
Game 2: Tuesday, April 26 at 6:05 p.m. CST
Game 3*: Wednesday, April 27 at 6:05 p.m. CST

#5 FARGO AT #4 OMAHA​

Game 1: Monday, April 25 at 7:05 p.m. CST
Game 2: Tuesday, April 26 at 7:05 p.m. CST
Game 3*: Wednesday, April 27 at 7:05 p.m. CST

In the Eastern Conference, the three-seed Muskegon Lumberjacks will host the sixth-ranked Cedar Rapids RoughRiders with all games scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. EST at Mercy Health Arena in Muskegon, Mich. The four-seed Youngstown Phantoms will host the fifth-ranked Madison Capitols with all three games starting at 7:05 p.m. EST at Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio.

#6 CEDAR RAPIDS @ #3 MUSKEGON​

Game 1: Monday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m. EST
Game 2: Tuesday, April 26 at 7:00 p.m. EST
Game 3*: Wednesday, April 27 at 7:00 p.m. EST

#5 MADISON @ #4 YOUNGSTOWN​

Game 1: Monday, April 25 at 7:05 p.m. EST
Game 2: Tuesday, April 26 at 7:05 p.m. EST
Game 3*: Wednesday, April 27 at 7:05 p.m. EST ...


Read more at:

USHL Announces Clark Cup Playoffs First Round Matchups and Information

#3 and #4 Seeds Host Three-Game Series to Open 2022 Clark Cup Playoffs

www.ushl.com

 

[JMCx4]

From: The Green Bay Gamblers

GAMBLERS NAME MIKE LEONE AS NEW HEAD COACH/GENERAL MANAGER

Green Bay (April 26, 2022) – The Green Bay Gamblers have named Mike Leone as their new head coach and general manager – the eighth in team history.

Leone joins the Gamblers from the USA Hockey National Team Development Program where he served as an assistant coach for the past three seasons. Additionally, he served as an assistant coach at the 2021 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship. ...

Leone brings previous experience coaching at both the collegiate and professional levels as he was the assistant and Bowling Green State University (2018-29) as well as with the ECHL’s Quad City Mallards (2017-18). ...

Read more at:

Gamblers name Mike Leone as new head coach/general manager - Green Bay Gamblers Hockey

Green Bay (April 26, 2022) – The Green Bay Gamblers have named Mike Leone as their new head coach and general manager – the eighth in team history. Leone joins the Gamblers from the USA Hockey National Team Development Program where he served as an assistant coach for the past three seasons...

gamblershockey.com

 

[JMCx4]

Three of the four 2022 Clark Cup 1st round series ended on Tuesday night with 2-game sweeps ...

The Muskegon Lumberjacks dominated & eliminated the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders on Michigan ice, with a total goal differential of 12-1. The only CR goal came in the closing minutes of Game #2, on a questionable non-call play when the Muskegon goaltender lost his stick after a pretty clear goalie interference situation. The Jacks will move on unharmed to face the #2 seed Dubuque Fighting Saints, in the Eastern Conference best-of-3 semifinal series that starts Friday night in Muskegon.

In the other Eastern 1st round matchup, the visiting Madison Capitols bounced the Youngstown Phantoms who had high hopes of continuing their comeback season story (just 12 wins in 2020-21, 29 wins in 2021-22). The MadCaps will face the East's #1 seed & defending Clark Cup champion Chicago Steel in the second conference semis series, starting Saturday night in Madison.

Over in the Western Conference, the Omaha Lancers hosted & eliminated last playoff season's Clark Cup Finals runner-up Fargo Force in the first round. The Lancers' 2nd round opponent & schedule will be determined after the completion of the other Western 1st round series. And speaking of which ...

The second semifinals pairing out West will be determined by the Round 1 Game 3 final score on Wednesday night between the Waterloo Black Hawks & their hosts the Lincoln Stars (best-of-three series tied 1-1).

 

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Waterloo spotted the Stars a 3-0 lead in the 1st period of Game #3 in Lincoln on Wednesday night, but slowly caught up before Black Hawks 16 year-old forward Connor Brown scored his 4th goal of the game as the series clincher in the first OT to advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

 

[JMCx4]

From: The United States Hockey League > News

USHL Announces Clark Cup Playoffs Conference Semifinals Matchups and Information

04/27/2022, 9:15PM CDT

BY USHL

FIRST AND SECOND SEEDS HOST FIRST ROUND WINNERS IN BEST-OF-THREE SERIES

... The Anderson Cup Champion Tri-City Storm will host the #4-seed Omaha Lancers while the second-seeded Sioux City Musketeers play host to the #6-seed Waterloo Black Hawks (in the Western Conference semifinals matches).

#1 TRI-CITY VS. #4 OMAHA​

Game 1: Omaha vs. Tri-City (Saturday, April 30 at 7:05 p.m. CST)
Game 2: Tri-City vs. Omaha (Sunday, May 1 at 4:05 p.m. CST)
Game 3*: Omaha vs. Tri-City (Tuesday, May 3 at 7:05 p.m. CST)

#2 SIOUX CITY VS. #6 WATERLOO​

Game 1: Sioux City vs. Waterloo (Saturday, April 30 at 6:05 p.m. CST)
Game 2: Waterloo vs. Sioux City (Sunday, May 1 at 3:05 p.m. CST)
Game 3*: Waterloo vs. Sioux City (Tuesday, May 3 at 7:05 p.m. CST)


In the Eastern Conference, the defending Clark Cup Champion Chicago Steel will host the #5-seed Madison Capitols and the second-seeded Dubuque Fighting Saints play host to the #3-seed Muskegon Lumberjacks.

#1 CHICAGO VS. #5 MADISON​

Game 1: Chicago vs. Madison (Saturday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m. CST)
Game 2: Madison vs. Chicago (Monday, May 2 at 7:05 p.m. CST)
Game 3*: Madison vs. Chicago (Tuesday, May 3 at 7:05 p.m. CST)

#2 DUBUQUE VS. #3 MUSKEGON​

Game 1: Dubuque vs. Muskegon (Friday, April 29 at 7:00 p.m. EST)
Game 2: Muskegon vs. Dubuque (Sunday, May 1 at 7:05 p.m. CST)
Game 3*: Muskegon vs. Dubuque (Monday, May 2 at 7:05 p.m. CST)


Conference Semifinals winners will square off in each conference’s Conference Final matchup to determine who will play in the 2022 Clark Cup Final. Each series is scheduled for a best-of-five ...


Read more at:

USHL Announces Clark Cup Playoffs Conference Semifinals Matchups and Information

First and Second Seeds Host First Round Winners in Best-of-Three Series

www.ushl.com

 

[JMCx4]

Wild game in Dubuque on Sunday night, with the Fighting Saints rallying from a 4-goal deficit against the Muskegon Lumberjacks to make it a 5-5 game early in the 3rd period of their Game #2 Eastern Conference semifinals series. But then the Jacks scored three unassisted goals (incl. 2 ENG's) to clinch the series, and Muskegon moves on to face either Madison or Chicago (playing their Game #2 Monday night) in the Conference Finals.

In Sunday USHL Western Conference playoffs action, Waterloo forced a Game #3 by defeating Sioux City 2-1. And #1 seed Tri-City eliminated Omaha with a 4-0 Game #2 victory, to claim their spot in the Conference Finals.

 

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The Madison-Chicago series goes to a Game #3 on Tuesday night in Geneva, after the Steel shut out the Caps 2-0 on Monday night.

 

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And the last two Conference Finals slots are filled ...

 

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And scooping The Rink Live boyz ...