The 2023–24 USHL season was the 45th season of the United States Hockey League as an all-junior league. The regular season ran from September 20, 2023, to April 13, 2024, with a 62-game schedule for each team. The Western Conference champions Fargo Force were awarded the Anderson Cup for the second consecutive year and went on to win the Clark Cup Championship.
Season highlights
Total fan attendance at regular season games was calculated at 1,122,616, compared to 1,116,004 in 2022–23. The Sioux Falls Stampede set a South Dakota state attendance record for a hockey game with 11,025 attending its 11 February match against the Sioux City Musketeers. The league also reported a 37 percent increase in streaming viewership.
49 players with ties to the USHL, including 43 who played at least one game during the 2023–24 USHL season, were selected in the 2024 NHL entry draft. Those included Macklin Celebrini, former Chicago Steel forward, and Artyom Levshunov, former Green Bay Gamblers defenseman, who were selected first and second overall, respectively.
Regular season
The standings at the end of the regular season were as follows:
Note: x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched conference title; z = clinched regular season title
Eastern Conference
Team y – Dubuque Fighting Saints 6241133590271195 x – Muskegon Lumberjacks 6238221178254224 x – Green Bay Gamblers 6234187378233214 x – Youngstown Phantoms 6233196476230206 x – Madison Capitols 6233234272218192 x – Chicago Steel 6227283461209256 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 6225305257179230 Team USA 6222352349229278
Western Conference
Team z – Fargo Force 62501020102272143 x – Sioux City Musketeers 6234226074229207 x – Waterloo Black Hawks 6235250272224205 x – Tri-City Storm 6228234767232218 x – Sioux Falls Stampede 6228285162219250 x – Lincoln Stars 6227303259169216 Des Moines Buccaneers 6225305257185209 Omaha Lancers 6216433035160270
Statistics
Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in regular season points at the completion of games played on April 13, 2024.
Player Team Matvei Gridin Muskegon Lumberjacks 60 38 45 83 51 Trevor Connelly Tri-City Storm 52 31 47 78 88 Mac Swanson Fargo Force 55 26 51 77 6 Michael Hage Chicago Steel 54 33 42 75 53 Noah Powell Dubuque Fighting Saints 61 43 31 74 57 Erik Påhlsson Dubuque Fighting Saints 57 28 44 72 16 Austin Burnevik Madison Capitols 61 40 31 71 24 Zam Plante Fargo Force 57 26 45 71 4 Charlie Major Chicago Steel 59 30 40 70 22 Jake Sondreal Dubuque Fighting Saints 60 27 42 69 34
Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SOL = Shootout losses; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage
Player Team GP Mins W L OTL SOL SO GAA SV% Hampton Slukynsky Fargo Force 33 1938 28 3 0 0 5 1.86 0.923 Aiden Wright Youngstown Phantoms 22 1322 13 5 2 2 1 2.59 0.902 Anton Castro Fargo Force 31 1800 22 7 2 0 3 2.63 0.886 Carsen Musser Madison Capitols 32 1907 17 11 2 2 0 2.74 0.905 Calvin Vachon Waterloo Black Hawks 38 2094 22 12 0 0 2 2.81 0.902
Clark Cup playoffs
First Round
Eastern Conference
(E4) Youngstown Phantoms vs. (E5) Madison Capitols
(E3) Green Bay Gamblers vs. (E6) Chicago Steel
Western Conference
(W4) Tri-City Storm vs. (W5) Sioux Falls Stampede
(W3) Waterloo Black Hawks vs. (W6) Lincoln Stars
Conference Semifinals
Eastern Conference
(E1) Dubuque Fighting Saints vs. (E4) Youngstown Phantoms
(E2) Muskegon Lumberjacks vs. (E3) Green Bay Gamblers
Western Conference
(W1) Fargo Force vs. (W4) Tri-City Storm
(W2) Sioux City Musketeers vs. (W6) Lincoln Stars
Conference Finals
Eastern Conference
(E1) Dubuque Fighting Saints vs. (E2) Muskegon Lumberjacks
Western Conference
(W1) Fargo Force vs. (W2) Sioux City Musketeers
Clark Cup Finals
(W1) Fargo Force vs. (E1) Dubuque Fighting Saints
Playoff scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team GP G A PTS PIM Mac Swanson Fargo Force 12512170 Juraj Pekarčík Dubuque Fighting Saints 1137104 Zam Plante Fargo Force 123690 Michael La Starza Fargo Force 1244821 Leo Gruba Fargo Force 123584 August Falloon Tri-City Storm 62680 Reid Daavettila Fargo Force 122682 Michael Quinn Fargo Force 121782 Kaden Shahan Sioux City Musketeers 843717 Beckett Hendrickson Dubuque Fighting Saints 113472 Jake Sondreal Dubuque Fighting Saints 1134710
Playoff leading goaltenders Note: GP = Games played; MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SO = Shutouts; GA = Goals Allowed; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage
Player Team GP MIN W L SO GA GAA SV% Hampton Slukynsky Fargo Force 12 712 9 3 1 20 1.69 0.931 Kevin Reidler Dubuque Fighting Saints 11 673 7 4 3 19 1.69 0.934 Yan Shostak Lincoln Stars 5 298 2 3 1 10 2.01 0.939 Louka Cloutier Chicago Steel 2 136 1 1 0 5 2.20 0.935 Samuel Urban Sioux City Musketeers 8 468 5 3 0 19 2.44 0.917
Postseason awards
USHL awards
AwardNameTeam Player of the Year Mac Swanson Fargo Force Forward of the Year Mac Swanson Fargo Force Defenseman of the Year Leo Gruba Fargo Force Rookie of the Year John Mustard Waterloo Black Hawks Goaltender of the Year Hampton Slukynsky Fargo Force Coach of the Year Brett Skinner Fargo Force Scholar-Athlete of the Year James Reeder Dubuque Fighting Saints Curt Hammer Award Ryan Botterill Youngstown Phantoms General Manager of the Year Cary Eades Fargo Force
All-USHL First Team
Position Name Team Goalie Hampton Slukynsky Fargo Force DefencemanLeo Gruba Fargo Force Defenceman Joona Vaisanen Dubuque Fighting Saints Forward Mac Swanson Fargo Force Forward Michael Hage Chicago Steel Forward Matvei Gridin Muskegon Lumberjacks Source
All-USHL Second Team
Position Name Team Goalie Kevin Reidler Dubuque Fighting Saints Defenceman Ty Hanson Sioux City Musketeers Defenceman Vladislav Lukashevich Tri-City Storm Forward Trevor Connelly Tri-City Storm Forward Zam Plante Fargo Force Forward Noah Powell Dubuque Fighting Saints Source
All-USHL Third Team
Position Name Team Goalie Carsen Musser Madison Capitols Defenceman Michael Hagens Chicago Steel Defenceman Brasen Boser Fargo Force Forward Austin Burnevik Madison Capitols Forward Jake Sondreal Dubuque Fighting Saints Forward Sacha Boisvert Muskegon Lumberjacks Source
USHL All-Rookie Team
Position Name Team Goalie Louka Cloutier Chicago Steel Defenceman Xavier Veilleux Muskegon Lumberjacks Defenceman Sascha Boumedienne Youngstown Phantoms Forward John Mustard Waterloo Black Hawks Forward Ben Kevan Des Moines Buccaneers Forward Ilya Protas Des Moines Buccaneers Source
All-Rookie Second Team
Position Name Team Goalie Mikhail Yegorov Omaha Lancers Defenceman Elliott Groenewold Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Defenceman Alex Bales Tri-City Storm Forward John McNelis Sioux Falls Stampede Forward Lev Katzin Green Bay Gamblers Forward Michael Barron Dubuque Fighting Saints Source
References
External links
Official website of the United States Hockey League
2023-24 USHL media guide