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It's a new year in the United States Hockey League and there are a few interesting storylines going into the first weekend of 2026. All 16 teams are in action this weekend with games going through Sunday. Here are the top 5 matchups to watch across the league:
Cedar Rapids @ Muskegon
Friday and Saturday, the RoughRiders (16-9-3) head to Michigan for a pair with the defending champion Lumberjacks (21-8-0). Cedar Rapids comes into the new year on a two game losing streak, falling 3-2 at Madison last Sunday and 3-2 at Dubuque on New Year's Eve. Muskegon has been a tough out this season at home, posting a 14-1-0 record so far at Trinity Health Arena. The Jacks and goalie Carl Axelsson sit 3rd in the Eastern Conference, 7 points ahead of their visitors this weekend.
Youngstown @ Madison
The high-flying Phantoms (21-7-2) will visit Bob Suter's LEGACY20 Arena this weekend having won 9 of their last 10 games. Their host, the Capitols (14-12-2), are without primary goaltender Caleb Heil who is with Team USA at the World Junior Championship in Minnesota. Meanwhile, Youngstown has two of the league's top scorers in Cooper Simpson (39 points) and Ryan Rucinski (37). The two contests this weekend will be the first of five between Youngstown and Madison this season.
Tri-City @ Fargo
Western Conference foes Tri-City (12-16-4) and Fargo (17-11-2) will meet for a pair in North Dakota. This is a match up of teams in with a similar story this year. Both teams come into the weekend 4-5-1 in their last 10 games with a loss on New Year's Eve. Both teams are in the bottom 5 in the league in goals scored. The teams begin to separate in goals allowed, with Fargo just -2 in goal differential and Tri-City at -18. Defense and penalties, Fargo has the fewest PIMs in the USHL, are the reason the Force are second in the conference and the Storm are fifth. Tri-City will also be without starting goalie Michal Pradel, who is with team Slovakia at the World Juniors.
Chicago vs Dubuque
An intriguing matchup this weekend comes in the form of a home-and-home between Chicago (12-12-5) and Dubuque (19-9-2). Chicago, 7th in the Eastern Conference, put up a good fight last weekend against Youngstown, losing back to back games in overtime. Dubuque lost two games in a row to Green Bay before getting back in the win column against Cedar Rapids on the final night of 2025. Chicago will need to pick up points on a faster clip if they want to stay in the playoff race by the end of January.
Green Bay @ Des Moines
League leading Green Bay (22-7-3) starts the new year on a 14 game win streak. This weekend, they'll visit Des Moines (9-13-6) Saturday and Sunday looking to extend the streak to 16. Des Moines will host Sioux Falls (19-10-1) on Friday night, making for a tough homestand weekend. The Gamblers left it late for win number 14, scoring with just 41 seconds remaining to take the lead Wednesday night against Madison. If they can get through this weekend unscathed, they'll have an eye on the USHL win streak record held by the 1998-99 Des Moines Buccaneers who managed to pull off 19 consecutive victories.
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Cedar Rapids @ Muskegon
Friday and Saturday, the RoughRiders (16-9-3) head to Michigan for a pair with the defending champion Lumberjacks (21-8-0). Cedar Rapids comes into the new year on a two game losing streak, falling 3-2 at Madison last Sunday and 3-2 at Dubuque on New Year's Eve. Muskegon has been a tough out this season at home, posting a 14-1-0 record so far at Trinity Health Arena. The Jacks and goalie Carl Axelsson sit 3rd in the Eastern Conference, 7 points ahead of their visitors this weekend.
Youngstown @ Madison
The high-flying Phantoms (21-7-2) will visit Bob Suter's LEGACY20 Arena this weekend having won 9 of their last 10 games. Their host, the Capitols (14-12-2), are without primary goaltender Caleb Heil who is with Team USA at the World Junior Championship in Minnesota. Meanwhile, Youngstown has two of the league's top scorers in Cooper Simpson (39 points) and Ryan Rucinski (37). The two contests this weekend will be the first of five between Youngstown and Madison this season.
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Buffalo Sabres Prospect Near Top Of Scoring RaceYoungstown Forward And Ohio State Commit Sitting Top Five In USHL PointsTri-City @ Fargo
Western Conference foes Tri-City (12-16-4) and Fargo (17-11-2) will meet for a pair in North Dakota. This is a match up of teams in with a similar story this year. Both teams come into the weekend 4-5-1 in their last 10 games with a loss on New Year's Eve. Both teams are in the bottom 5 in the league in goals scored. The teams begin to separate in goals allowed, with Fargo just -2 in goal differential and Tri-City at -18. Defense and penalties, Fargo has the fewest PIMs in the USHL, are the reason the Force are second in the conference and the Storm are fifth. Tri-City will also be without starting goalie Michal Pradel, who is with team Slovakia at the World Juniors.
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Tri-City Storm Goaltender Michal Pradel Takes Strong First Half To Minnesota For World JuniorsMichal Pradal is tied for USHL lead with three shutouts Chicago vs Dubuque
An intriguing matchup this weekend comes in the form of a home-and-home between Chicago (12-12-5) and Dubuque (19-9-2). Chicago, 7th in the Eastern Conference, put up a good fight last weekend against Youngstown, losing back to back games in overtime. Dubuque lost two games in a row to Green Bay before getting back in the win column against Cedar Rapids on the final night of 2025. Chicago will need to pick up points on a faster clip if they want to stay in the playoff race by the end of January.
Green Bay @ Des Moines
League leading Green Bay (22-7-3) starts the new year on a 14 game win streak. This weekend, they'll visit Des Moines (9-13-6) Saturday and Sunday looking to extend the streak to 16. Des Moines will host Sioux Falls (19-10-1) on Friday night, making for a tough homestand weekend. The Gamblers left it late for win number 14, scoring with just 41 seconds remaining to take the lead Wednesday night against Madison. If they can get through this weekend unscathed, they'll have an eye on the USHL win streak record held by the 1998-99 Des Moines Buccaneers who managed to pull off 19 consecutive victories.
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2025 USHL First Overall Draft Pick Off To Strong Start Before Heading to Arizona State Next YearGreen Bay Gambler Landon Hafele's season is off to great start with 22 points in the first halfStay tuned to The Hockey News for the latest on the USHL.
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